(OPINION) 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.
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.
