23 Feb US American Trends in Giving

Every once in a while, I get asked about one or more of the sources I reference in a message or a side conversation. It’s been no different during this series!

Below are some of the most interesting, numbers-driven facts when it comes to the state of giving for churches in America, taken from a trusted resource, www.nonprofitsource.com. You can find out their methodology as well as learn about giving trends across the board in other areas (the arts, education, the environment, etc.).

I share these for three reasons: one, as a kind of addendum to this series, as we talk about generosity.  Two, as an encouragement to you. Jesus made the insightful observation that people’s money follows their values. For most categories listed below, Mosaic more than beats national averages, which shows us something positive about what our values really are. Three, when we talk about giving trends (and honestly, any other trend, for that matter), facts are our friends.

That is, it’s just good to know what financial reality looks like!

Here are 10 fascinating giving trends in the United States for 2023:

1. 80% of people who give to a church have no credit card debt.
2. When surveyed, 17% of American Christians state they regularly tithe; however…
3. Only 5% of American Christians actually do so.
4. 80% of Americans give 2% or less.
5. The average Christian gives 2.5% of their income; during the Great Depression it was 3.3%.
6. The richest Americans tend to give the least: for those making 75K or more, only 1 percent give 10% or more.
7. 37% of regular churchgoers give zero dollars, annually.
8. 77% of those who tithe give far more than a baseline of ten percent.
9. 17% of families have reduced the amount they give.
10. Churches that offer digital giving increase the amount they receive by almost a third.

One of a church’s “vital signs” is its financial stability, and I’m grateful to report we have an exceptionally stable congregation. As I mentioned earlier this month, part of the reason for this is that we, from time to time, simply talk about finances. The stability provided by faithful givers allows the exceptional ministry God has blessed Mosaic with to take place–which brings me to this final thought.

This Sunday, as we close our series on generosity in the book of Acts, you will see another dozen baptisms, bringing us to 28 for the year already. The stories behind these are incredible…God is doing something amazing.

Once more, thank you.

Morgan