Lake Institute Projects

National Study of Congregations' Economic Practices

Wave II of NSCEP is Now Underway

In 2018, we fielded the largest, in depth study survey on congregations’ economic practices. With all that has changed and the need for clear and comprehensive information for religious leaders, we are now conducting a second wave of NSCEP. Please contact Erica Dollhopf with any questions.

national study of congregations' economic practices: receive, manage, spend

The National Study of Congregations’ Economic Practices (NSCEP) is the most comprehensive, in-depth, and rigorous study of congregational finances. NSCEP aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the economic practices of congregations in the U.S. by examining their theological, cultural, and practical orientations toward money and by generating a deeper understanding of how congregations receive, manage, and spend their financial resources

Across a nationally representative sample of congregations, the focus of the NSCEP can be summarized in the following core research questions.

  • Overview of Finances: What is the financial state of congregations in the United States?
  • Orientations toward Money: What are congregations’ theological, cultural, and practical orientations toward money and economic practices?
  • Receive: What are the modes, forms, and practices through which congregations obtain financial resources?
  • Manage: How do congregations teach about money and finances, and how do they steward the gifts they receive?
  • Spend: How do congregations utilize their financial resources to serve their members, community, and beyond?

Why NSCEP? Why Now?

Giving to religion, which is predominantly giving to congregations, is by far the largest U.S. charitable subsector (27% according to Giving USA). Religious giving is almost double the size of the next largest subsector, but we know too little about the state of congregational finances. How congregations receive, manage, and spend resources are issues that religious leaders are eager to discuss but often lack comprehensive information to fully grasp the current landscape. With changes in the ways in which Americans are affiliating with religious traditions, joining congregations, and attending religious services, as well as the evolving ways in which religious Americans give and the role that congregations play in our life together, it is vital for us to understand these trends more deeply.

Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, embedded in the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, has focused on these questions for over two decades. In this time, we have earned a reputation for research, education, and public conversation on the topics explored in NSCEP.

We see the NSCEP continuing to be the resource for advancing knowledge among scholars of religion, philanthropy, and congregations, while serving as a reliable source of empirical data for religious leaders to enhance their stewardship programming, increase their confidence in engaging these financial topics, and raising awareness of the centrality of these economic issues for the future of American religious life.

Wave 1

Seeing this need, in 2018, we fielded the largest, in depth study survey on congregations’ economic practices. Over 1,200 congregations of all religious traditions, sizes, and geographic locations participated, and the findings from that study have helped thousands of congregations, religious leaders, and scholars better understand the financial state of congregations and their impact in their communities. You can access those findings through our executive report or the full report. We learned then that more congregations were growing than shrinking in size and revenue, but the numbers were almost equally distributed. But much has changed since 2018…

Wave 2

With all that has changed and the need for clear and comprehensive information for religious leaders, we are preparing to conduct a second wave of NSCEP. And we are returning to the same 1,200 congregations six years later.

In 2025, we are reaching back out to these congregations’ leaders in hopes of their ongoing help in sharing data will allow us to share the best picture possible of what is going on with U.S. congregations and their economic practices. In addition to the numbers, we are also attending to how congregations regard financial resources: their theological, cultural, and practical orientations toward money relate to finances and economic practices. If you are one of our partner congregations, we are looking forward to learning from you.

Top 5 Reasons to Participate in NSCEP

Learn

Learn about your congregation’s budgeting and financial processes.

Filling out the survey is an excellent opportunity to learn about and reflect on your congregation’s financial situation and practices.

Compare

Compare your congregation’s economic practices to other congregations in the US.

Reviewing your survey responses next to the study findings is a great way to understand how your congregation’s practices compare to other congregations and generate ideas for your congregation’s future.

Contribute

Contribute to a major national study looking at how these practices are changing over time.

Your responses are crucial to helping researchers understand how your congregation and others who participated in the survey have changed since 2018.

Help

Help other congregations understand their economic situation through the survey findings.

These survey findings are a valuable resource for helping other congregations learn about financial trends and best practices.

Inform

Inform resources that will enable congregations, clergy, and lay leaders be better stewards of their financial resources.

NSCEP shapes the resources and recommendations for congregations and faith leaders across the country – your voice in this survey can help countless others.