According to a new study (released today) by the Institute for Jewish & Community Research, Jewish individuals and foundations in the United States gave 95% of their dollars from gifts of $10 million or more to secular causes and 5% to Jewish causes between 2001-2003.

Among the findings:

• Gifts to Jewish causes accounted for 21% of all gifts over $1 million, but just 9% of all dollars.
• Gifts of $10 million or more to Jewish causes were virtually unchanged from 1995-2003: 6% to Jewish causes from 1995-2000 and 5% from 2001-2003.
• Higher education, arts/cultures, and health/medical accounted for 76% of all gifts over $10 million, and 86% of all dollars.
• Federated charitable appeals and human services received no gifts of $10 million or more.
• Human services, federated charitable appeals, including Jewish federations and United Ways and civic causes, combined for just over 1% of total dollars from gifts of $1 million or more.

“While Jewish organizations do a reasonable job attracting smaller mega-gifts, those from $1-2 million, they are failing dramatically to attract the biggest gifts that Jews make to non-profits. The trends over eight years are remarkably consistent – Jewish mega-gifts exceeding $10 million to Jewish organizations were rare eight years ago and remain notably infrequent,” according to Gary A. Tobin, president of IJCR. The findings are from a new study on mega-giving analyzing over 1,000 Jewish mega-gifts of $1 million or more made between 2001-2003.