Executive Summary

Recent research paints a worrying picture of American generosity: The average American is giving less to charitable organizations. However, most of these studies track monetary gifts to registered nonprofit organizations. Little research exists to illuminate how people are generous in less formal ways, from donating to a crowdfunding campaign to volunteering their time and talents for causes they support. Even less research focuses on how the generosity of people of faith and their places of worship respond to the unmet needs of the communities where they are anchored.

The third Giving in Faith report, produced by Givelify and Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, part of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, explores the state of faith-based giving in the U.S. by considering the converging perspectives of the individual giver, the faith leader, and the congregation.

Giving in Faith: Exploring Key Trends in Religious Giving draws on responses from 2,001 faith-based individuals to uncover how Americans of faith engaged in formal and informal giving in 2023, how their faith shapes their generosity, and their aspirations to be more charitable.

This report, which also draws on the responses of 980 faith leaders across the United States, shines a light on the community impact of places of worship and how their outreach efforts are funded. Faith leaders also shared how the health of their congregations depends on the generosity and passions of their attendees and how digital giving and other emerging technologies enable them to achieve their vision.

Key Faith-Based Giving Findings:

• People of faith are abundantly generous. Almost all individuals surveyed gave their money, goods, or time to at least one organization, cause, or person in 2023.
• Faith inspires givers’ generosity, which is fostered within their places of worship.
• Digital giving is the new norm. Most givers have given digitally. Digital gifts make up 60% of congregations’ total annual contributions.
• Faith institutions are pillars of their communities. Almost all congregations surveyed supported at least one community outreach program with money, items or space, or volunteers in 2023.
• The future of faith communities is bright. Both faith leaders and their congregants aspire to be even more generous in 2024.

read the full report