Vanco has helped more than 25,000 churches improve their financial stewardship, engage members and inspire generosity with online giving and free materials like these stats. We’ve put together research and data plus actionable strategies your church can use to start growing giving right away! Our team surveyed 1,000 churchgoers over a period of eight years. The results we found were surprising. Click the image to obtain your free copy of the giving study and learn key details every church leader should know to grow their church. Get the Free Churchgoer Giving Study Our team of investigators conducted a church giving survey of 1,000 churchgoers and combed through reams of data to provide decision makers with the stats they need to plan for the future. We looked at: Recurring online givers give 120% more than nonrecurring online givers. (Vanco Churchgoer Giving Study) Mid-sized churches have the highest percentage of recurring donors, highlighted by a 25-percent rate in churches with an average weekly attendance of 300-399, likely pointing to an increased ability for churches to connect deeply with members to inspire generosity. (Vanco Churchgoer Giving Study). There’s a lot of concerning data for churches, but you don’t need to be overwhelmed by it. Next, we analyze the stats and trends, offering actionable strategies to help your church adapt. By reviewing the data and following the actions suggested in this resource, you can help ensure your church remains healthy for years to come. It’s not news that many churches have been struggling in terms of growing their revenue thanks to the reduced number of churchgoers in the past few years. But there are many ways to improve your membership and finances! And these days, with the increased use of social media, the church’s mission has expanded its reach. Below we give you a look at some revenue and giving statistics to show how churches are steadily climbing up the ladder to gain more churchgoers and revenue. From 1998 to 2021, church membership dropped from 69% to 47% (Gallup). This might seem like grave news, but it isn’t for churches that are willing to adapt. Most U.S. adults still believe in God; they simply don’t belong to a church. One of the main reasons for this is a drop in religious preference. About 89% of traditionalists have a religious preference. The numbers drop for each of the following generations, particularly with millennials, only 68% of whom have a religious preference (Gallup). This means there’s more openness among younger churchgoers when it comes to choosing a new sect or religion than the ones they grew up with. In times past, believers generally stuck to the sect of the church they grew up in. Today, churches have a unique opportunity to draw in a wider set of visitors. It is up to each church to make sure these new visitors feel welcome. Unfortunately, most churches don’t have a strategy for assimilating visitors, which is why most visitors won’t return. However, when churches commit to simple strategies like following up with visitors, the chances visitors will return rise significantly. Tony Morgan, a leadership coach for pastors, has found that 90% of church visitors will return if someone follows up with them the same day. Even if you can’t follow up with a new visitor the day of their initial visit, it still pays to reach out. Around 60% of visitors will come back if the follow-up occurs within a few days after the visit. One of the main reasons people look to join a new church is to feel the greater connection that comes from a faith community. These visitors want to feel like they belong in this new community and the best way to do that is to take the extra steps necessary to make them feel welcome. If you're looking to engage your visitors, make sure your church welcome committee hands out a welcome packet and materials for new members. In working with tens of thousands of churches over two decades, we’ve found that these materials can do a lot of the heavy lifting. If you don’t have a church welcome packet, you can use many of these free materials to get started. Because we understand growing membership is a major concern of the churches we work with, we created also created a marketing guide. Promoting and building a community is harder than in decades past. The guide offers strategies, many of them low-cost or free, to help churches capture the attention of potential churchgoers. Church donations and tithing are common practices among older people. Although the trends have changed a little, churches still receive most of the donations in the U.S. because they have been there for thousands of years and they are not going to disappear soon. Churches need to find new and more innovative ways to reach potential donors and tithers. Church leaders need to inspire and encourage young people to start making contributions. Although churches can’t control the trends happening around them, they can always inspire more generosity among members and guests. By overcoming the following nine reasons members don’t give, you can increase donations and be ready for unforeseen events. We’ve worked with tens of thousands of churches over decades and have found that making just a few simple changes can have a huge impact on giving. The average giving per person in church each year is $884. This is enough for many churches. But what if a major expense arises? Asking for contributions can be uncomfortable, but it is a must in every church to continue your ministry. Your church most likely has multiple methods to communicate with members. Choose a combination of bulletin messages, social posts, emails and more to get your message across. Your average church member is busy and can’t make it every week, so don’t forget to encourage recurring giving. With recurring giving, your members don’t have to remember to enter weekly donations online or write and send checks. Many people still tithe, just not in the traditional sense. Instead of donating 10% of their gross income to the church, they spread their donations across a variety of organizations and causes they hold dear. Churches can’t expect they’ll automatically receive the full portion of an individual tithe, which is why it’s important to explain why givers should give to their church specifically. Don’t just tell your members about your mission and ministries — be specific about the people served and goals achieved. It’s always better to show than tell. Church members connect with stories about the good an individual church did with their donations far more than short and direct statements from the pulpit. Try showing images of the good work your church does. For example, you could share an image of children opening gifts during a holiday toy drive. Don’t worry — your video doesn’t have to be a high-grade production. A smartphone video is enough. Or you can share thank-you notes from those your church has helped. There’s an endless number of ways to allow givers to connect on a deeper level with the causes they’ve contributed to. Nonprofits and some savvy churches understand they can’t make their needs the focus of communications with givers. Take the Arbor Day Foundation for an example. They tell their donors precisely how many trees were planted in their name, the sort of impact the trees bring and how much closer they are to reaching the goal that inspired the person to give. Messages like these help one-time givers become repeat givers. The most important thing churches can do to encourage repeat giving is to offer thanks to the donor. There are several effective ways to do this ranging from a standard thank you to every giver, a handwritten note from your pastor expressing thanks, a phone call or a message published on your website. The key is simple: find the connection between what your mission and ministries need and how that can inspire members and guests to contribute. Once members feel like they play a personal role in achieving goals, they’ll be more inspired to give. Fewer people tithe directly to churches today. This is likely because there’s much more competition for tithes. Over the last century, the number of charities has grown significantly, and thanks to digital advertising, their reach is much greater than ever before. Churches can overcome the greater competition for each donation dollar by acknowledging their congregations are interested in giving to organizations beyond the church. Then, explain how gifts to your church will make a greater difference in the world or throughout your specific community. People often prefer to give to causes close to home. Because many churches have a physical presence in their cities, they hold an advantage over nonprofits that do not. Churches should also look to nonprofits as a source of inspiration for their communications. Nonprofits are particularly effective at inspiring generosity across large swaths of people. sgEngage breaks down the 15 techniques they use to be effective, many of which can be easily used by churches. Of all the types of organizations drawing volunteers, religious organizations have the greatest levels of success. This why it’s important churches don’t forget about two of the most precious resources their givers have to offer: time and talent. You might have several professionals who could donate their services to the church or volunteer for fundraisers. Whatever you do, be sure to help your supporters understand how volunteer activities support the church’s programs along with financial contributions. In the U.S., the potential for greater giving is high because so many are blessed with the resources to do so. Every church relies on staff and their facilities to serve the congregation. Unfortunately, operational giving is not as attractive as donating to a cause, and congregants need to feel the church cares for them — not their wallets. When it’s necessary to discuss operational giving, be sure to explain the need and impact of employing church staff and keeping the lights on. The average church donor is willing to give more in many cases, but churches can’t simply expect donations. That’s why it’s important to stay connected with donors. Show them why their gifts are critical to the church. This might be a time when regular reporting of how the church’s money is spent can make a difference. Members of all ages are on social media, and churches are finding new opportunities to reach them. Aside from connecting with members who might be away (summering in warmer climates or caring for family), social media is a great way to better understand the needs of your members and guests. It can also help churches expand their audiences by working together with other churches or organizations on a common mission. Social media is one of many tools available, but it isn’t the only resource churches overlook. One of the biggest opportunities for giving for any nonprofit organization, including churches, is #GivingTuesday. For those who haven’t heard of it before, it’s a bit like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, only instead of buying stuff, people give. Setting up a pledge drive for #GivingTuesday may seem like a lot of work, but Givingtuesday.org makes it easy with research and information from their GivingLab. Because there are so many resources available to churches, it’s important to remember they don’t have to go at it alone. Vanco has hundreds of resources in our resource center on all sorts of topics to help churches grow their giving. eGiving isn’t just for the youngest church members. In our study of 1,000 churchgoers, we found that all ages have adopted it in large numbers. The reason is simplicity. The average church member no longer must remember to bring cash or a check with them to church. They can simply give with their smartphones through an app or a text-to-give function. Or they can give online, through a kiosk or a mobile card reader. Making giving easier increases donations. One of our internal studies showed that by simply switching to eGiving, churches can increase donations by 26%. eGiving is also much better at turning one-time or infrequent givers into regular donors. This is because most eGiving options make it easy for donors to repeat their gifts. Often, it only involves checking a box and confirming the selection. This final stat shows there is a lot of potential for churches to expand the generosity of givers. At Vanco, we’ve seen how addressing just a few of the areas we mentioned can have a huge impact on the financial stewardship of churches. There’s no need for large structural changes. The tens of thousands of churches we’ve worked with often started out small, adjusting gradually until they found the right blend of actions to lead them to their goals. Having researched-based action plans can do a lot to help your church’s financial stewardship. To help you better understand your givers, we’ve broken down the average church congregation into four groups to construct demographic-based outreach strategies for each. gavinadams.com People donate to their churches in a variety of ways. While the ultimate goal is to move people from donating to stewardship, sermons alone can’t bridge the gap. You need to understand the financial behavior of each group (tippers, givers, investors and stewards) and what inspires them to get them to the next step of their generosity journey. Tippers don’t plan to give. Instead, they emotionally connect contributions to specific needs and want to know why they should give (i.e., a tangible need) and what difference it will make (i.e., an emotional purpose). There are many ways to create strategic tipping opportunities: Successful tipping opportunities require a low bar and high emotion. Make sure you provide ample updates and celebrate milestones for all involved. Tippers move toward becoming givers as they experience the difference their contributions make. Most thoughtful givers started as tippers. They contribute more regularly to needs and the ongoing mission. They have a plan to support their local church because they understand giving beyond emotion. Thoughtful givers can connect their contributions to the ongoing needs of the ministry. They may not financially prioritize giving ahead of their own spending, but they do understand ministry takes money, and they are most likely benefiting from the church. This is a key for moving people from tipping to thoughtful giving. We need to connect the tangible dots between contributions and ongoing ministry while encouraging a plan. Here are two specific strategies to move tippers to givers: Our temptation is to show highlight videos in Sunday services or online. That’s fine, but it’s not enough to inspire a significant step of generosity. Seeing ministry up close reinforces the benefit of planned, mission-based giving. So don’t only take your largest givers to see ministry happen; take along some people who need to take the next step. Thoughtful givers contribute to the mission through plans, but sacrificial investors prioritize percentage plans to support their local churches. Picking a percentage of income and prioritizing giving first is the mark of a sacrificial investor. These givers understand the concept of giving first, saving second and living on the rest. Connecting planned giving to the heart, not just the mission, is the secret to creating investors. This is why sermons and discipleship environments can be helpful in this step. People need to understand that contributing to ministry is investing in others. Using return on investment (ROI) language when encouraging people to develop a percentage is smart for getting sacrificial investors. The return on ministry investing is invaluable because lives are invaluable. While sacrificially investing is a significant financial step for most, the journey isn’t quite complete. The best way to move people from investing in the mission to generosity as a lifestyle is to challenge them to consider what they are giving over where they are giving. Investors contribute “their money;” generous stewards manage God’s resources. This needs to be taught in: Generosity as a lifestyle is an act of worship and stewardship. Generous stewards fully believe their hearts follow their finances. Also, these givers recognize they aren’t giving away their money but stewarding God’s resources. Therefore, generous givers think in percentage, priority and progression. They understand, as stewards, that as God provides more resources, the percentage of generosity can increase. Like sacrificial investors, generous stewards are created over time through discipleship and spiritual equipping efforts. As a church leader, you can help keep people living as stewards by challenging them to listen to God, pointing to the generational impact their generosity will have and personally thanking them for their ongoing support. Conclusion Fundraising can be frustrating, but as a pastor, you should see it as a pathway to discipleship. After all, the goal isn’t money, but hearts. Because churchgoers’ giving preferences matter so much for the financial stewardship of the tens of thousands of churches we work with, we’ve conducted giving surveys since 2015. With each survey, we not only learned about givers’ preferences but how to properly conduct a survey of churchgoers. Because each congregation is different, getting a stronger understanding of your givers’ wants and needs can help increase donations. Reap the benefits of our work by using our premade survey to better understand your churchgoers and their giving preferences. Simply follow the guidelines below for help conducting the survey and putting the results to good use. [Download the Sample Survey] Looking for More Survey Samples? Vanco has created 18 printable church survey templates you can use for nearly every occasion. Download them for free here. Start by using the insights you capture from your survey to create stronger programs built around your members’ interests. If you have a tech-savvy crowd, consider how to integrate technology into their experience at your church. This might involve updating your website, streaming your services online for members who can’t attend or better using your social media platforms to reach your congregation. Are you talking with your congregation the way they prefer, or are your messages getting lost? You might find you need to move away from paper. This might mean you’ll need to rely on email, your website or social media to connect with your members. Understanding why members give can help you customize your messages about stewardship. Identifying giving preferences may also help you decide that your congregation is ready for electronic giving or additional options in an existing electronic program. People need to know that their feedback had an impact. Sharing the results of the survey with your congregation and letting them know how it will be used to develop new programs can go a long way in building lasting relationships. There is a lot of potential for churches to expand the generosity of givers. If every Christian tithed 10%, religious organizations would have another $139 billion available for ministries each year (Health Research Funding). At Vanco, we’ve seen tens of thousands of churches increase their donations by using simple techniques such as eGiving, recurring giving and the other strategies we mentioned, but of all the strategies available, eGiving offers the most opportunity. Is your church prepared to implement new methods of giving to meet your members’ needs?Churches collaborating with Vanco witnessed a 159-percent increase in online donations over the last five years. We encourage you to dive into our free resource center, complete with hundreds of helpful blogs, kits, materials, eBooks and guides. And if you have any questions, ask us! Our giving experts are here for you. In today’s economic environment, a legacy giving initiative can help you tap the hidden potential of your most generous and loyal donors and transform the financial growth of your church. The Greatest Generation is disappearing. The first wave of baby boomers is retiring and worried about outliving their assets. Many are planning their legacies now. Have you spoken to them about their legacies? Many church members, both wealthy and of average means, are burdened by decisions about the distribution of their assets at their death. When members are invited to consider making legacy gifts, it is often a time when they contemplate how they want to be remembered – in essence, their legacies. These conversations often lead to a natural reprioritization of those institutions that are most important to members and their families. The desire to make a difference is almost universal, regardless of one’s religious tradition. Making a legacy gift is one way to make a permanent difference in the church’s future. Your members are already making legacy gifts to The Salvation Army, World Vision and their alma maters because they’ve been asked – and many may want to make a difference for their churches, institutions with which they generally have much more intimate and sustained relationships. National research shows that donors with documented bequests give twice as much annually as donors who have not made bequests. While it is not clear whether the more generous donors are more likely to make bequests or those who make bequests also contribute more annually, there is a relationship between the two that churches cannot afford to ignore. Legacy gifts can lead to major gifts. Often, after planning for significant legacy gifts, members realize that they will neither experience the joy and satisfaction of that gift nor will the church benefit until they are gone. Some members may rethink their commitments and decide to experience the joy of giving by making significant gifts while they are alive. The most generous members in a church congregation are often its oldest. What happens when the three most generous members in a church die? In some cases, it could take 10 or more giving units to replace each member’s annual stewardship commitment. This places the congregation at financial risk – a risk that can be avoided. The opportunity to create endowments for outreach, education, pastoral sabbaticals, facilities or music excellence is a timeless way for members to demonstrate their lifetime commitments and devotion to their churches. Many longtime members have experienced a deep engagement in these aspects of their churches’ lives. Legacy gifts help to ensure that these precious ministries will continue to thrive. Learn More! Don't let your church get left behind. Make a smart move and get your hands on The Definitive Guide to Churchgoer Giving for Free. Equip yourself with knowledge that makes a difference. Uncover the insights every church leader must know to adapt and thrive. Don't wait. The future of your church depends on it. Act now!Want Even More Data?
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
51 Church Giving and Growth Stats
Tithing Statistics
Average Giving Per Person in Church
Percentage of Donations Going to Faith
Church Online Giving Statistics
The Most Generous Church Givers
Churchgoer Participation
Understanding the Content of the Data and What Churches Need To Do To Adapt
CHAPTER 2
Church Giving Trends
• In just a single year, over $2.2 billion in church donations were given online.
• 44% of people prefer to engage in prayer from home.
• 53% of practicing Christians streamed their churches’ services online.
• Although they don’t go to church on a regular basis, 17 million Americans still visit church websites.
• 96% of pastors live-streamed their services during the COVID pandemic.
• Check out our virtual churchgoer giving study for more on online worship.
• Faith and religious institutions and services get more than twice the donations in the U.S. compared to the education sector.
• 60% of churchgoers are willing to give to their churches digitally.
• The latest church revenue statistics show that religious congregations in the U.S. take in around $74.5 billion per year. Around 17 million American Christians visit the official websites of their churches regularly.
• This figure adds up to $73.67 per month and $884 each year. It shows quite impressive growth.
Christian church charity statistics indicate that 17% of households in the U.S. donate much less to local churches compared to what they used to give. The amount of donated money has been reduced by 20% for 7% of regular churchgoers.Embrace the Changes
CHAPTER 3
Why Churchgoers Aren't Giving and
What to Do About ItReason 1: Churches Don’t Ask.
The average amount of giving per person in a church is $17 per week (Health Research Funding).
Reason 2: Churches Must Show Why Givers Should Give to Them.
About 5% of churchgoers tithe (Church Development).
Reason 3: Churches Don’t Make Giving About the Donor.
80% of Americans give just 2% of their income (Nonprofits Source).
Reason 4: Churches Don’t Differentiate Themselves.
247 million U.S. citizens identify as Christian — only 1.5 million tithe (Sharefaith).
Reason 5: Churches Forget to Ask for Nonmonetary Assistance.
Almost one third of American volunteers commit their time to religious causes (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Reason 6: Churches Don't Establish a Need for Staff and Facility Costs.
The total income of Christians in the U.S. is $5.2 trillion annually, which is almost half the world’s total Christian income (Health Research Funding).
Reason 7: Members Believe Their Churches Already Have Enough.
77% of those who tithe donate more than 10% (Health Research Funding).
Reason 8: Churches Don't Use All the Free Tools Available to Them.
46.1% of churches say social media is their most effective outreach method (Nonprofits Source).
Reason 9: Churches Don't Make Giving Easy.
Churchgoers age 35-44 are two times as likely to give with an app compared to those age 24-34 (Vanco Churchgoer Giving Study).
One Final Statistic (before moving on)
If every Christian tithed 10%, religious organizations would have another $139 billion available for ministries each year (Health Research Funding).
CHAPTER 4
Four Types of Givers
1. Emotional Tippers
2. Thoughtful Givers
3. Sacrificial Investors
4. Generous Stewards
CHAPTER 5
How to Conduct Your Own Survey to Reach Givers
How To Conduct the Survey
How To Put the Results to Use
Expand Your Use of Technology
Update Your Communications
Update Your Giving Methods
Report to Your Congregation
Opportunity for Greater Giving
CHAPTER 6
Legacy Giving
1. Legacy Giving Is a Healing Ministry
2. Legacy Giving Conversations Can Be Transformational for the Church and the Members
3. Legacy Giving Can Unlock the Generosity of Your Congregation
4. Legacy Giving Manages Risk
5. Many Families Want to Document and Celebrate Their Family’s History With the Church
Take the First Step Toward eGiving and Contact Us At: 855.213.3705 or Click Below.
We Asked 1,000 Churchgoers About Giving and the Future of Church Participation
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