About Giving in Faith: Religious Charitable Giving Statistics

About Giving in Faith

What is Giving in Faith?

Grounded in religious charitable giving data and donor behavior insights, Giving in Faith is a leading research initiative and a trusted benchmark for how faith shapes generosity.

Read the 2026 report

Explore previous editions

Stack of four Giving in Faith reports from 2020 to 2026 with diverse people on covers.

Meet the research team & contributors

Tiffani Ng, Ph.D.

Abiodun Mafolasire, M.D.

David King, Ph.D.

Erica Dollhopf, Ph.D.

Ron Williams, Ph.D.

Mona Calhoun, Ph.D.

Bishop Walter S. Thomas, Sr., D.Min.

On this page

Why Giving in Faith exists

What Giving in Faith produces

How research is conducted

Research team and partners

Award winning research

Giving in Faith reports

Research support

The consistent shortfall

Why Giving in Faith exists

Filling a critical gap in how faith-based generosity is understood

Church giving statistics tell what happened. Giving in Faith applies the psychology of giving to tell the why.

In a field with limited church giving research, Giving in Faith goes beyond religious charitable giving statistics to uncover the donor motivations and behaviors driving consistent giving. While many reports provide a high-level view of religious donation trends, Giving in Faith draws on multidisciplinary research in philanthropy — combining real-time giving data and donor insights from faith communities across the U.S. — to help pastors and faith leaders build stronger financial foundations for their congregations.

What Giving in Faith produces

A leading body of research on church giving trends and donor behavior

At the heart of Giving in Faith is its flagship report — a rigorous study published every two years since 2020 — combining church leader and donor insights with real giving data, empowering congregations to better understand the motivations and behaviors behind faith-based generosity.

Since 2020, Giving in Faith has tracked how faith-based generosity has evolved across economic disruption, generational shifts, and the digital transformation of church giving. It has built one of the most comprehensive religious charitable giving datasets in the field, with nearly 8,000 cumulative survey respondents comprising faith leaders and donors.

REPORTS

Each edition provides:

Data-driven church giving statistics and trends
Behavioral analysis of donor motivations
Practical guidance for growing faith-based generosity

Explore the editions

Four Giving in Faith report covers from the 2020 to 2026 editions focused on church giving statistics and trends.

The methodology behind Giving in Faith research

Built on research, real giving data, and behavioral science

By combining church giving statistics with the perspectives of church leaders, donors, and congregations, Giving in Faith research provides a more complete and actionable picture of faith-based generosity.

The cumulative report methodology includes:

7,964

survey respondents

Smiling female Giving in Faith survey respondent with curly hair looking at her smartphone outdoors on a sunny day.

$7.2B

in Givelify donations analyzed

Three ministry leaders discussing church donations around a table with a laptop and coffee cups in a bright office.

1.7M

donor giving patterns represented

Four diverse church donors smiling, seated closely with arms around each other against a gray background.

View 2026 report methodology

Our research team and partners

An award-winning team of PhDs, academic researchers, and church leaders

Giving in Faith is produced by the award-winning Givelify Philanthropic Research & Insights team, in partnership with the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, alongside an expert panel of faith leaders and academics.

Givelify Philanthropic Research & Insights is a multidisciplinary research and intelligence practice that pioneered The Psychology of Giving™ — the study of the behaviors and motivations that shape why people give — and applies it to advance generosity at scale.

Operating at the intersection of data and purpose, our work is both theory-informed and practice-driven, grounded in the lived experiences of people of faith and the organizations that serve them.

Through landmark research like Giving in Faith, we produce insights that equip faith organizations, researchers, and the philanthropic community to deepen understanding of giving, advance the study of generosity, and inform mission-driven decisions.

Givelify is the most loved and trusted online and mobile giving platform. Along with its powerful donation management system, it’s the fastest-growing technology for advancing generosity. More than 2 million givers have donated over $7.5 billion to 80,000+ churches, places of worship, and nonprofits to date.

Learn more at givelify.com.

Lake Institute on Faith & Giving fosters a deeper understanding of the dynamic relationship between faith and giving, through research, education, and public conversation. The institute offers customized programs that translates data and giving trends into practical tools. Lake Institute supports the development of research designed to explore the broad context of religious giving. Through public forums we engage practitioners, scholars and the community in thoughtful conversation and reflection. Lake Institute is a program of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Learn more at lakeinstitute.org.

The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is dedicated to improving philanthropy and the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy through its undergraduate, graduate, Ph.D., PhilD, certificate and professional development programs, its research and international programs, and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy, Women’s Philanthropy Institute, and the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative. Follow us on X, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Learn more at philanthropy.iupui.edu.

**The Giving in Faith report authors and contributors**

Tiffani Ng, Ph.D.

Sr. Philanthropic Research Scientist, Givelify

Author

Dr. Ng is a research scientist who leverages experimental and data-driven approaches to better understand the donor motivations and behaviors behind faith-based generosity. She holds both a Doctor of Philosophy and a Master of Science degree in psychology, with a concentration in brain, behavior, and cognition, from Northwestern University.

AJ Mafolasire, M.D.

Head of Data Science & Philanthropic Research, Givelify

Author

Dr. Mafolasire leads the vision and strategy for advanced analytics tools and systems at Givelify, with nearly two decades of data science and research experience. He holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from Yale University School of Medicine and earned a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, as well as a Master of Health Science from Yale University School of Medicine.

David King, Ph.D.

Karen Lake Buttrey Director, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving

Research partner

An expert in religion and philanthropy, Dr. King studies how faith influences generosity, with a focus on congregations and financial practices. He is co-lead of a major national study on church economics and author of God's Internationalists. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in American Religious History from Emory University, and a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School.

Erica Dollhopf, Ph.D.

Associate Director of Research, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving

Research partner

Dr. Dollhopf has authored numerous publications on congregations, congregational vitality, and faith-based nonprofits. She was recently awarded the Religious Research Association’s 2024 Outstanding Applied Research Award for her article on congregation vitality in the United Church of Christ. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy and a Master of Arts degree in sociology from Pennsylvania State University, a master's degree from Lehigh University, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

Elizabeth Lynn, Ph.D.

Project Director Emerita, Shifting Ground, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving

Research partner

Dr. Lynn directed Shifting Ground, a Lake Institute on Faith & Giving initiative focused on the changing landscape of faith, philanthropy, and community. She also co-wrote a weekly blog for church boards titled "Digging a Deeper Well." Lynn earned a master’s degree in religious studies and a Ph.D. in religion and literature from the University of Chicago. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Ron Williams, Ph.D.

Interim Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research, Coppin State University

Research partner

Dr. Williams is a scholar and faith leader with over 40 years of experience in higher education and community development. His work focuses on expanding access, equity, and economic mobility through leadership, entrepreneurship, and faith-based community engagement.

Mona Calhoun, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Chair of Health Information Management programs, Coppin State University

Research partner

Dr. Calhoun has nearly 40 years of experience in the field, with an expertise in data analysis, assessment, and leadership development. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in psychometrics from Morgan State University and is actively engaged in national leadership and community service.

Bishop Walter S. Thomas, Sr., D.Min.

Pastor Emeritus of New Psalmist Baptist Church

Research partner

Dr. Thomas is a pastor, author, and leadership coach with nearly five decades of ministry experience. As Pastor Emeritus of New Psalmist Baptist Church, he led significant growth and now equips leaders nationwide. He holds degrees from the University of Maryland, Howard University, and St. Mary’s Seminary & University, and has received honorary degrees from Virginia Seminary and Bethune-Cookman College.

Award-winning research. Proven impact.

The Giving in Faith report has been recognized for its rigor and real-world impact, earning a 2024 Stevie® Award for Best Research Report or Whitepaper, and being featured and mentioned in national media outlets.

Best research report
2024 Stevie® Award Winner

2024 Stevie Award for best research report, awarded to the Giving in Faith report

In partnership with
Lake Institute on Faith & Giving

Features and mentions

Explore the Giving in Faith reports

Tracking how donor motivation research and faith-based philanthropy are evolving

Each Giving in Faith report aims to deepen the field's understanding of faith-based generosity and the psychology behind it. The 2026 edition advances this work by introducing a research-backed definition of consistent giving and examining the gap between donor intention and behavior.

2026

Rethinking Generosity Through Consistent Giving

Read report

2024

Exploring Key Trends in Religious Giving

Download PDF

2022

Dynamic Leadership, Deep Generosity, and the Role of Digital

Download PDF

2020

How Coronavirus Widened the Digital Divide

Download PDF

This research is supported in part by the Givelify Foundation

The Givelify Foundation is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to fueling the future of generosity. We fund research and invest in ideas, organizations, and communities that shape how people give and expand the impact of generosity.

Giving in Faith report

Learn how the latest church giving trends and consistent giving insights can help your congregation strengthen generosity and grow ministry over time.

See the 2026 findings

Smiling male church leader and pastor in an orange shirt working on a laptop at a wooden table indoors.