Ministry Brands Report Reveals Digital Giving Increased Automatic, Recurring Giving
Ministry Brands, a provider of church software and online giving, announced its 2024 State of Church Giving Report, revealing key trends from 2023. Most notably, 73% of churches included in the report experienced increased or steady adoption of digital donation methods. This surge is empowering congregations with the flexibility to give wherever, whenever, and however they choose. Additionally, the report shows the benefits of digital giving solutions, such as recurring donations, enable churches to better plan and budget around consistent giving, providing a beacon of hope for ministries amid economic and inflationary pressures.
"This year's State of Church Giving Report paints a clear picture of several key themes we can expect to continue over the next year, especially how churches are rapidly adopting digital giving," says Robert Blair, Executive Vice President of Payments for Ministry Brands. "The rise of automatic, recurring donations, now constituting a notable 43% of all transactions and 34% of giving dollars, signifies a shift toward predictable and sustainable income streams for our faith communities."
Despite an overall increase in giving, the report showed that 55% of churches reported a decrease in giving due to inflation. This result is significant as it highlights the broader economic factors affecting church finances and the need for adaptive financial strategies. Churches equipped with easy and accessible digital giving options, particularly those enabling automatic giving capabilities, appeal to the 44% of U.S. adult donors who give online and are better positioned to weather economic fluctuations.
"We learned a lot from the impact COVID-19 had on the churches we serve as it pertains to giving, and one of those takeaways is that transparency is key," said Blair. "By sharing the trends we've seen over the past several years with the broader Church community, our hope is to empower all church leaders with the information they need to grow and accomplish their mission."
Additional Key Findings:
- Churches that offered online giving saw a 3.5% increase in donations, while churches with no recorded online giving saw a smaller average growth of 1.7%.
- 57% of churches that saw an increase in congregational giving in 2023 did so partly by showing transparency in how the church spends money.
The report also sheds light on the disparity in giving trends based on church size. While larger churches (48%) report higher adoption of digital giving, smaller congregations (36%) face steeper hurdles. This underscores the need for targeted support and resources to allow smaller churches to bridge the digital divide and unlock the potential of online giving.
Ministry Brands is one of the largest providers of church software and online giving solutions for churches, parishes, and other faith-based ministries across the United States. Click here to download the entire State of Church Giving report.
The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of NonProfit PRO.
