Nearly a third of Evangelicals didn't donate to church, charity in past year: study
The share of Evangelicals who have donated to their church has dropped in recent years, with nearly one-third saying they didn't donate to a church or charity within the prior 12 months, according to a survey.
Infinity Concepts, in conjunction with Grey Matter Research, released the report "The Giving Gap: Changes in Evangelical Generosity," with data based on responses collected from 1,039 Evangelical Protestants in early 2024.
The poll found that 61% of respondents donated to a church in the 12 months preceding the survey. This figure constituted a drop from the 74% of Evangelicals who gave to a church in 2021.
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The decrease in charitable giving among Evangelicals extends beyond donations to church. While one-half (50%) of Evangelicals gave money to a charity in the past year, the share of Evangelicals who donated to a charity in 2021 was measured at 58%.
In 2021, 19% of Evangelicals surveyed did not donate to church and/or charity. Three years later, nearly a third of respondents (31%) fit into that category.
"Giving is down for every single segment of the evangelical population we reviewed," researchers wrote in the report.
"The proportion who gave to either church or charity dropped 24% among the lowest income evangelicals, but also 7% among those earning $100,000 or more. It fell 21% among people who infrequently or never attend church worship services, but also 10% among those who attend at least once a month. It fell 19% among the youngest evangelicals, but also 6% among the oldest believers. Every group has shown a decrease in the proportion who give to either church or charity."
As the percentage of Evangelicals who gave to either church or charity dropped from 2021 to 2024, the average amount given to both types of organizations by donors also decreased.
In 2021, the average total giving among Evangelical donors was measured at $3,572. Three years later, the average amount donated has declined to $3,053.
The average donated by Evangelical donors to their churches dropped from $2,953 in 2021 to $2,503 in 2024. When it comes to donations to charity, the average donated by Evangelical donors in 2021 was $1,210. This figure decreased to $1,151 in 2024.
When examining the amount donated to churches and charity by all Evangelicals, not just those who say that they donated, the average amount of money donated to both types of organizations dipped from $2,887 in 2021 to $2,119 in 2024. While Evangelicals as a whole donated an average of $1,538 to their churches in 2024, they gave $2,181 to their places of worship three years earlier. Meanwhile, the average given to charity among all Evangelicals shrank from $706 in 2021 to $581 in 2024.
The decline in charitable giving among Evangelicals extended across all income levels.
Among those who make more than $100,000 a year, 90% gave to charity in 2021, compared to just 83% in 2024. The percentage of Evangelicals making between $60,000 and $100,000 who gave to charity and/or church dropped from 88% in 2021 to 75% in 2024.
The two-thirds of Evangelical respondents with salaries ranging from $30,000 to $59,999 who made some donation constitute a decrease from the 81% donation rate among this group of Evangelicals in 2021.
Less than half (49%) of Evangelicals earning less than $30,000 a year gave to charity and/or their church in 2024. In 2021, nearly two-thirds of them made a donation.
"Decreased giving is not unique to evangelical Protestants. According to Giving USA from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, inflation-adjusted giving by individuals in the US declined 2.4% in 2023, and is currently below the record high levels seen in 2021," the report states. "So evangelical giving is just part of a pattern of decreased giving we are seeing nationwide."
The decline in charitable giving may not constitute a long-term trend, the report states.
"Grey Matter and Infinity Concepts only started measuring generosity in this manner, among evangelical Protestants defined in this manner, three years ago. Two points in time do not form a trend," the report notes. "As Giving USA points out, 2021 saw record giving as people tried to react to all the needs that arose from the pandemic."
The decline in giving to churches might be part of the growing secularization in the U.S., the report stresses.
"Virtually every religious measurement among Americans has dropped significantly over the past decades: belief in God, worship attendance, identification with Christianity, etc.," the researchers warn. "As Pew Research Center projects, if the current trends continue, by 2070 Christians will comprise only 46% of American adults."
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
