Evangelical Giving Plummets Post-COVID, Study Shows Declining Generosity

Evangelical giving has continued its post-COVID decline, according to a report by GreyMatter Research Consulting and Infinity Concepts titled “The Giving Gap, Changes in Evangelical Generosity.” Data collected in February 2024 reveals a significant drop in both the number of evangelicals donating and the amounts given compared to 2021. Only 61% of evangelical adults donated to their local church in the past year, down from 74% in 2021. Meanwhile, donations to organizations outside the church fell from 58% to 50%, and the percentage of evangelicals who gave to neither rose from 19% to 31%.

The average donation to churches over the past 12 months was $2,503, a 15% decrease from the inflation-adjusted $2,953 in 2021. When including donations to both church and charity, the average fell to $3,053, also down 15%. The authors warn that this decline could have widespread repercussions for churches, denominations, parachurch ministries, and even secular nonprofits.

Spiritual engagement remains a key factor in generosity. The study introduced a “spiritual engagement index,” measuring activities such as daily prayer, Bible study, and weekly church attendance. Among those with full engagement, 92% donated money, including 91% who supported a church and 71% who contributed to at least one outside organization. By contrast, only 47% of those with low or no spiritual engagement gave financially.

Generational differences also play a role. Older evangelicals are more generous than their younger counterparts. The authors speculate that younger evangelicals may increase giving as they age but caution that alternative giving methods like crowdfunding and microloans could divert funds from traditional sources like churches and charities.

The study surveyed 1,039 evangelical Protestants and excluded individuals affiliated with non-Protestant groups. Evangelicals make up approximately 23% of the U.S. adult population, equating to 59 million people.

For further details, refer to the original article on The NonProfit Times.