Faith Counts launches first comprehensive resource on religion’s impact in America

‘Faith Facts’ will serve as one-stop shop for religion data

by Faith Counts | Special to Presbyterian News Service

According to Faith Counts, 53% of U.S. food banks are faith-based. (Photo by Nico Smit via Unsplash)

LOUISVILLE — Faith Counts, a multi-faith nonprofit group, on Monday launched a first-of-its-kind database that distills the latest research on how religion positively impacts the most important issues facing America.

Religion in the United States today contributes a combined $1.2 trillion a year to society and the nation’s $22.7 trillion economy, or nearly 5.3%. However, studies highlighting the impact of faith and religion are often aimed at scholars and academics, making it difficult to find the meaningful information too often buried in published works that can be difficult for the non-scholar to navigate.

Faith Facts uses videos, infographics and shareables to pull out key data points to detail the invaluable role faith communities play in supporting the economy, health care, immigration, criminal justice, substance abuse and disaster relief. They have been particularly critical during this historically difficult period, supporting:

• Food insecurity: 53% of all food banks in the U.S. are faith-based
• Disaster relief: About 58% of all emergency shelter beds are faith-based
• Pandemic health care capacity: 20% of all U.S. hospital beds and 1 in 7 hospitals are faith-based.

“As a recent Pew study shows, the personal religiosity of Americans continues to decline. We’d like to gently remind people of the significant good that religious organizations and individuals do for our society and economy,” said Kerry Troup, Communications Director of Faith Counts. “This database helps quantify religion’s contributions in a way that is accessible, interesting and readily available.”

Faith Facts also consolidates the latest news on how faith communities are affecting the country. Most importantly, it encompasses the contributions of a diverse range of faith communities, including and beyond the Judeo-Christian tradition. From Muslims running an entirely free health care clinic in rural Alabama to Christians providing life-saving services on the southern border, Faith Facts hopes to document data and examples to showcase the positive difference religion makes in America.

 Faith Facts is available here.

Faith Counts is a nonprofit, multi-faith organization comprised of faith communities representing nearly 100 million Americans to share a simple message that “faith counts” and share the good works of millions of Americans of every religion motivated by their faith to go and serve the most vulnerable among us.

 Faith Facts is made possible thanks to a grant provided by the Templeton Religion Trust.