23 Jul 5 Surprising Church Giving Statistics For 2021
Are people still donating?
Do people still give their time, talent, and treasure to help out an organization or cause they still believe in?
What are the most effective ways to increase my church’s donations?
If you’re curious about these questions and other church donation information, we’ve got good news for you.
The good folks at Nonprofit Source recently released the findings of their charitable giving research.
While they cover everything from school fundraising to corporate giving, today we’ll focus on what they found when it comes to church donations.
So, without further delay, here are five surprising church giving statistics derived from the Nonprofit Source study.
1) 49% of All Church Giving Transactions Are Made With a Card
The use of paper money — whether for daily transactions or for donating money — is going down significantly, especially within the last few years.
To put it simply, people just aren’t carrying around cold hard cash with them anymore. Instead, they rely on using credit and debit cards.
The fact that nearly half of all church giving transactions were made with a card further illustrates this point.
The lesson to be learned from this statistic is that if you aren’t allowing your congregation to tithe with their cards, then you may not be raising as much money as you could be.
As difficult as it can be to make the switch to digital giving, the risk of leaving up to 49% of your potential donations on the table is simply not worth the risk. There are many affordable solutions on the market today, but if you don’t know where to start we would be happy to point you in the right direction
If you arent convinced by this point, the next church giving statistic takes it one step further.
2) Churches That Accept Tithing Online Increase Overall Donations By 32% on Average
Yup. You read that right. By simply offering an online avenue for people to donate to your church, you can increase your overall donations by an astounding 32%.
This tells us a few things. First, it shows that churches that are investing in online tithing options are seeing that their investment is paying off with quite a nice return.
Next, it shows that online giving options make it easier for church donators to give money more often.
Last, it shows that not only can you increase the number of times your consistent churchgoers give, but it also allows for people who wouldn’t normally donate to give easier. Going back to how no one carries around cash anymore, an online giving option makes it easier for those who have been hesitant in the past to tithe.
If you haven’t made the jump to mobile giving, find a trustworthy text to give church app.
3) 60% of Church Donators Are Willing To Do So Digitally
If you’re still not convinced that the future of tithing is online, here is one more stat for you. Out of all church donators included in the study, 60% of them said they are willing to go digital in order to donate.
But that does leave 40% of donators who are not willing to do so. This just means that we are still a few years out from having an overwhelming majority of tithers who are in favor of donating digitally.
It also points out that it is wise to still offer traditional methods of donating so as not to alienate those who still don’t want to give money online or through their phones.
Your congregation will certainly appreciate having multiple mediums in which to donate!
4) Tithers Make Up About 10% — 25% of a Normal Congregation
There is a large variance in this stat, but regardless of where your church falls within this range, there is certainly room for improvement.
The reality is it’s much easier to get more people to donate a small amount than to get your current donors to support you even further. The difficulty is, many church leaders wrestle with boosting these numbers. Fortunately, there are a few changes that are relatively easy to make if you haven’t already made them.
One of the main things you can do is make it easier for your congregation to donate — like through online methods — you can help increase your own percentage as well as the amount of money raised! So often people forget to bring money to donate, or don’t have a checkbook. Simply supporting a digital method enables 100% of your church body to donate if they want to.
5) About 10 Million Tithers in the US Donate $50 Billion Yearly to Churches and Non-Profits
Of all the numbers in this article of surprising church donation statistics, this is by far the most optimistic number. It proves there is a massive number of people out there who are putting money where their mouth is in terms of making the world a better place. It champions support and gives hope that our world will continue to grow into a place we all love a bit more each year.
There is no doubt that this is an impressive figure in terms of yearly donations and it goes to show that there are plenty of people out there who enjoy donating for causes they believe in.
As long as you articulate your message and need for tithings, as well as offer easy ways for them to donate, there is no reason you can’t reach your own yearly fundraising goals! If you are looking for more tips on how to improve your current donation statistics, check out our blog! It’s full of great content for churches, ministries, and NGOs to take and make the world a better place, one donation at a time.
6) Over Half of People Who Receive an Email About a Crowdfunding Campaign Made a Donation
This is a great stat that shows that when you politely ask for donations, people are likely to do it. People like to give back to causes they believe in, and your congregation members believe in what you’re doing. So, don’t be afraid to create specific campaigns to raise money for your church.
Donation requests don’t have to be done through emails, either. Text messages have a much higher open rate than emails. Therefore, text-to-give solutions (like GiveNow) are fantastic solutions for churches that want to raise more money. Creating consistent, rhythmic campaigns for encouraging tithing will help you bring in more funds. So, the bottom line, don’t be afraid to ask your congregation for donations. Sometimes all they need is a little nudge to tithe.
7) Crowdfunding Campaigns Get 126% More Donations When Owners Update Supporters
Being transparent about your donation goals and keeping your congregation updated on where the church stands is a fantastic strategy for keeping them involved—people, in general, love to work towards a common goal. And, as this stat shows, updating your congregation can lead to much more tithings.
For example, create a yearlong or quarterly goal for donations and make it known throughout your congregation. Each week, break down how close you are to your goal with a percentage and let your church know your progress (pro tip: using a text-to-give solution will allow you to update them anytime, anywhere, and receive donations at a moment’s notice).
You should also make it clear what the donations will be used for. People are more likely to donate when they know where the funds will be allocated. Perhaps you need some new production equipment or are interested in setting aside some of your donation funds for a local charity. Whatever it is, make it known to your congregation, and they’ll be more willing to help you reach your goals.
8) 17% of American Families Have Reduced the Amount That They Give to Their Local Church
At first glance, this stat may seem like a knock against modern-day tithing. In actuality, it’s a good sign. While 17% of American families may have reduced how much they give to their local church each year, 83% are either increasing their tithing amounts or keeping it the same. This bodes well for the future of giving.
It’s difficult to predict what that percentage will be like 5-10 years down the road, but for the time being, church members still enjoy tithing and want to do their part to make sure their local church is successful.
9) 17% of Americans State That They Regularly Tithe
This is another deceiving stat that is actually a good sign of where tithing currency stands in the U.S. Here’s why.
First, you have to consider that the research done by Nonprofit Source involved surveying Americans in general, not just those affiliated with a religion that encourages tithing. So, when you take out Americans who aren’t religious. According to PEW research, the percentage of Americans that are unaffiliated with a religion is close to 25%. That was likely a significant chunk of the sample size within this study that doesn’t tithe because they aren’t religious.
Next, one must consider the phrasing of the stat. The key word to focus on is “regularly.” When they say 17% of Americans state that they regularly tithe, that likely means they are consistent in their tithing. In other words, they tithe on a weekly or monthly basis. So, that 17% is a relatively high number when thinking about it. In addition, there is a considerable amount of folks who tithe in some capacity—whether it be just once or twice a year or once every several months. These “non-regular” tithers are still very important when it comes to churches meeting their fundraising goals.
10) Campaigns That Are shared Fewer Than 2 Times Have a 97% Chance of Failure
Similar to the earlier stat that illustrated the importance of keeping donors updated on the giving campaign, churches also need to simply share their initiatives and get it in front of as many eyes as possible.
Bringing up tithing during church services, sharing your goals on social media, and encouraging others to share as well are a couple of easy ways to share your campaign and ensure you are successful with your tithing goals.
11) 8 out 10 People Who Give to Churches Have Zero Credit Card Debt
This stat shows that sometimes, it can be challenging to tithe even if you want to. The majority of those who donate to a church don’t have credit card debt, meaning they feel more comfortable donating to their church instead of saving money to pay those debts off. This stat should create empathy, as not everyone is in the position to donate all the time. Because credit card debt is such a huge issue in this country, you can expect everyone to be able to give at all times. Sometimes members of your congregation have to become more financially stable before they begin tithing again.
12) 7 Out of 10 Tithers Do so Based on Their Gross and Not their Net Income
This is more of just a fun fact rather than a stat that is insightful. Deciding whether to donate on gross or net income is actually a question that many tithers struggle with. In fact, we wrote about this decision recently. Here’s the skinny though: it really doesn’t matter. In fact, financial expert Dave Ramsey once had someone write into him about trying to decide whether he should be tithing before or after his taxes. His response was that “It doesn’t matter… just give to be a giver. It’s about changing your spirit…”
So, for anyone reading this who has pondered this question before, rest assured that there is no correct way to tithe. Instead, just give within your means and whatever works best for you and your current financial situation.
Ready to Transition to Digital Giving? Contact mobileAxept today!
We’ve helped to bring digital giving mainstream by working with churches to expand their tithing options, including through our text giving and online services.
With our GiveNow Text solution, you can accomplish everything from registration, setting up recurring payments, and editing your settings right from a text!
And our GiveNow Online option allows members of your church to conveniently — and most importantly, securely — give while simply visiting your website.
If you’re interested in increasing your donations, then request a demo today to get started!
Or, call us at 888-500-1997 for more information.
We’re looking forward to hearing from you!
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Frequently Asked Questions:
Does accepting online tithing increase my total donations?
When it comes to accepting financial contributions at your church, you want to make donating as easy as possible. On average, churches that accept tithing online see an overall increase in donations by a substantial 32%.
How many people in a church tithe on average?
For as often as tithing is talked about, unfortunately, only about 10-25% of a normal congregation regularly tithes. This metric only tracks recurring givers and doesn’t account for one-time donations or any other offerings that are taken.
How much money is tithed each year in the United States?
In the United States, there are about 50 Billion dollars donated to churches and other non-profits around the country annually. For perspective, pet owners in the United States spent almost 70 Billion on pet products in 2017.
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