A recent study indicates a notable drop in donations by Evangelical Protestants to churches and charities over the past few years.

According to the Christian Post, The report "The Giving Gap: Changes in Evangelical Generosity," published by Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research, documents a dip in charitable giving among Evangelicals from 2021 to 2024, consistent with wider national trends.

The survey included responses from 1,039 Evangelical Protestants early in 2024. Analysis of these responses revealed a decrease in those who contributed to their churches from 74% in 2021 to 61% in 2024. Similarly, donations to secular charities dropped from 58% to 50% among the same demographic during this period.

The overall participation in giving to either churches or other charities also declined notably. By 2024, 31% of Evangelicals had not donated to either, up from 19% in 2021. This represents a significant shift in donation behavior across different segments of the Evangelical population.

Generosity Trends Reflect Broader Economic Challenges

Evangelicals reduced their donations to secular charities, with contributions falling from an average of $1,210 per donor in 2021 to $1,151 in 2024. This drop reflects broader financial pressures that likely influence discretionary spending, such as charitable giving.

Evangelicals also decreased their average church donations, giving $2,503 in 2024 compared to $2,953 in 2021. This decline in church contributions highlights a larger trend tied to changes in religious engagement and economic factors.

Individuals across all income levels gave less, from the highest earners to those with lower incomes. This widespread reduction in giving emphasizes the broader nature of the decline in evangelical generosity.

Comprehensive Decrease Across Demographic Groups

According to the research, the proportion of donors decreased across all demographic segments. "Giving is down for every single segment of the evangelical population we reviewed," the researchers highlighted in their findings.

The report detailed that giving dropped 24% among Evangelicals with the lowest incomes and 7% among those earning $100,000 or more. Furthermore, those who attended church infrequently or never saw a 21% decrease in giving, while regular attendees witnessed a 10% decline. These statistics indicate a universal decline in giving across various patterns of income and religious engagement.

The study revealed that the youngest Evangelicals reduced their giving by 19%, while even the oldest believers decreased their contributions by 6%. The decline affected both economic metrics and all age groups.

Linking Secular Trends with Religious Giving

The decline in giving among Evangelicals appears to mirror a broader societal trend towards lesser religious engagement and increased secularization. Researchers caution that virtually all measures of religious practice among Americans, including church attendance and religious identification, have declined significantly over recent decades.

"Virtually every religious measurement among Americans has dropped significantly over the past decades:
belief in God, worship attendance, identification with Christianity, etc.," the researchers warn. This backdrop may be contributing to the observed decrease in charitable donations among Evangelicals.

In addition to religious shifts, the overall trend in U.S. individual giving also declined, confirming findings from Giving USA. They reported a 2.4% decrease in inflation-adjusted giving in 2023, situating these changes within a broader context of national economic challenges.

As noted in the report, "Decreased giving is not unique to evangelical Protestants. According to Giving USA from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, inflation-adjusted giving by individuals in the U.S. declined 2.4% in 2023, and is currently below the record high levels seen in 2021," further illustrating the multi-faceted nature of the decline in charitable contributions.

Beyond Short-Term Fluctuations: A Trend In The Making?

Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research caution that while their tracking has only begun recently, the initial findings should serve as a signal rather than a definitive trend. "Grey Matter and Infinity Concepts only started measuring generosity in this manner, among evangelical Protestants defined in this manner, three years ago. Two points in time do not form a trend," the report notes.

This reminder points stakeholders and community leaders towards watching these trends closely, potentially adapting strategies to address the changing landscape in religious giving and broader philanthropy. This approach could ensure that despite fluctuations, the charitable spirit within Evangelical communities remains robust and effective in facing new challenges and opportunities.