Seventy-six percent of Americans over age 50 say they donate money to causes they support, and 53 percent said they do volunteer work, a recent survey shows.

The volunteerism and charitable gift survey was conducted by The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., of Hartford, Conn. The research examined the leading causes supported by consumers and how support may vary by age and AARP membership, the company said.

Causes most favored by those surveyed included Alzheimer's disease, social services, the environment, and military support. Of the AARP members within that 50-plus group, nearly 83 percent said they donate money to charitable causes. AARP members are almost twice as likely as nonmembers to donate money to support causes related to Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, family and child services, education, and environmental conservation organizations.

Of those who do volunteer work, about 14 percent of AARP members and 7.5 percent of non-AARP members volunteer one day per week, the data showed.

Roughly half of consumers of all ages support causes through volunteer work and almost 70 percent through monetary donation, The Hartford said. Thirty-eight percent of consumers of all ages donate money to health organizations, and almost 32 percent support social service organizations, it said.

Of those who volunteer, the frequency of that support varied widely, with more than 11 percent volunteering two to four days a month and 10 percent volunteering one day a week.

Of those surveyed who were under age 50, 45 percent said they volunteer their time and just over 60 percent donate money to charities.