Gender and Muslim philanthropy: the role of prosociality in women’s giving intention during COVID-19

Drawing on prosocial motivation and social identity theory, this study uses an original survey (n=653) of Muslims in the United States to explore gender differences in charitable giving amongst Muslims during COVID-19. We use a series of regression models to determine the effect of gender on giving intentions to Muslims (in-group) and non-Muslims (out-group) and find evidence of gender differences. Specifically, Muslim women were more likely than Muslim men to report intentions to give to non-Muslim individuals and causes. To probe this further, we tested the mediating effect of prosocial motivation on gender and willingness to give Zakat to non-Muslim causes. The findings indicate that gender differences in Muslims’ giving intentions are driven by higher levels of prosocial motivation among Muslim women. This study contributes to the limited literature on Muslim Americans’ charitable giving by examining how gender influences Muslims’ giving intentions, more specifically in times of crisis.