The COVID pandemic is often pointed to as a reason that certain silos of giving declined during roughly 2019 through 2022. A new survey shows that evangelical giving has not rebounded and continues to plummet. The numbers for evangelical giving declined during the period and dropped even further when data was collected during February 2024.

Some 61% of all evangelical Protestant adults made a financial donation to a local church during the past 12 months from February 2024, with 50% giving to an organization outside of a church and 42% to both church and charity. Nearly one-third of respondents (31%) gave to neither, according to data in the new report “The Giving Gap, Changes in Evangelical Generosity” from GreyMatter Research Consulting and infinity concepts.

The proportion giving to a church fell from 74% to 61%, and the percent who gave to a nonprofit or ministry outside of church fell from 58% to 50%. The proportion who supported neither one jumped from 19% to the 31%. 

Not only are fewer evangelicals giving, but those who are still giving are donating less than in 2021. Among evangelical donors to church, the average amount given during the 12 months ending in February 2024 was $2,503. This is down 15% from an inflation-adjusted average of $2,953 in 2021. Among those who responded that they gave to church, charity or both, the average given was $3,053, down 15& from $3,572.

The numbers paint an increasingly bleak picture of evangelical generosity, according to the authors, a situation which they wrote has the potential to impact every church, every denomination, every parachurch ministry, and even many secular nonprofits. 

The authors constructed a spiritual engagement index that includes daily prayer, daily Bible readership, Bible study at least a few times a week, weekly church attendance and weekly small group attendance. An individual scores five points for each of those, for a total of 25 points. Less frequent engagement in each activity scores fewer points; no engagement scores no points. 

The chart clearly shows the connection between spiritual engagement and
giving. Among those with Full spiritual engagement, 92% gave money during the 12 months ending in February 2024, including 91% who supported a church, and 71% who supported at least one organization outside of church, according to the authors.

The proportion who gave money drops from 92% among those with Full engagement to 78% among those with High engagement, then drops again to 73% among those with Moderate spiritual engagement. Among those with Low/None, only a minority gave anything during the period (47%). 

Older evangelicals are more generous than younger evangelicals. As younger evangelicals age, they might start to dedicate more money to donations, which has been the trend with past generations, the authors speculated. “However, there are more avenues today for helping others: direct giving, crowdfunding, microloans, etc. Even if younger evangelicals do increase their giving, there is nothing saying that giving will automatically go to traditional sources, such as charities and churches,” they wrote. 

The study was conducted online, through a blend of research access panels. A demographically representative sample was screened for evangelical beliefs and lack of non-Protestant affiliation. A total 1,039 evangelical Protestants participated in the study. The study excluded those who identify with a non-Protestant group, such as Mormon, Roman Catholic, or Orthodox. It is a study of evangelical Protestants, a group representing 23% of American adults, or about 59 million people, according to the authors. 

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Source From Non Profit Times