What is it about?
This study examines why some Americans were more likely than others to support disaster relief efforts after Hurricane Sandy. Using a nationwide survey conducted shortly after the storm, the study explored how religiosity, community relationships, and personal disaster experiences shaped charitable giving. The findings showed that people who attended religious services more frequently were more likely to support disaster survivors. Individuals who personally experienced Hurricane Sandy were also more likely to help fellow survivors, suggesting that shared disaster experiences can strengthen empathy and social responsibility. The study further found that community expectations and informal social norms played an important role in encouraging helping behaviors among disaster survivors. Overall, this research highlights how faith communities and social connections can influence philanthropic responses and community resilience after major natural disasters.
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Why is it important?
This study is timely because climate-related disasters are becoming more frequent and severe, yet little national research has examined why people choose to support disaster survivors. Our findings show that religiosity and community social norms can play important roles in encouraging charitable responses after disasters. The study is also unique because it distinguishes between disaster survivors and non-survivors, showing that personal disaster experiences and informal social control can shape philanthropic behavior differently across groups. These findings may help policymakers, faith communities, and disaster organizations better understand how to strengthen community support and disaster recovery efforts in the future.
Perspectives
Working on this publication deepened my interest in understanding how social relationships, religiosity, and shared disaster experiences shape human responses during times of crisis. I found it especially meaningful that disaster survivors themselves were often more willing to support others affected by the same event, reflecting the importance of empathy, solidarity, and community resilience after disasters. As climate-related disasters continue to increase worldwide, I hope this work encourages readers to think more carefully about the social and community factors that motivate people to help one another and how faith communities and local networks can contribute to disaster recovery and resilience.
Dr. Chenyi Ma
University of Pennsylvania
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The roles of religiosity on philanthropic behaviour after natural disaster: the case of Hurricane Sandy, February 2026, Edward Elgar Publishing,
DOI: 10.4337/9781035321872.00035.
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