Giving in Faith: Exploring Key Trends in Religious Giving

Abstract

Giving in Faith: Exploring Key Trends in Religious Giving explores the state of faith-based giving in the United States by considering the converging perspectives of the individual giver, the faith leader, and the congregation. The report was produced by Givelify’s Philanthropic Research and Insights team and Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, a part of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Based on a national survey of 2,001 people of faith, the Giving in Faith report elucidates the abundant generosity of faith-based individuals, almost all of whom gave money, time, or items to a cause, organization, or person in 2023. It explores the formal and informal ways that they gave, the pivotal role of faith in shaping their generosity, and their aspirations to be more charitable in 2024. The Giving in Faith report also draws on the responses of 980 faith leaders across the United States. It shines a light on the community impact of places of worship: Almost all congregations surveyed supported at least one outreach program with time, money, items, space, or volunteers in 2023. Faith leaders shared how both their congregation’s vitality and their outreach efforts depend on the generosity and passions of their attendees. Finally, the report shows how digital giving, embraced by both faith-based individuals and congregations, and other emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) enable faith leaders to achieve their vision.