The Top Indicators for Personal Generosity

For twenty years, certain giving trends have remained steady. If you are not familiar with the resource Giving USA it is a go-to publication for philanthropic research. Every year they release a state-of-giving report that comprehensively gathers data and trends from across multiple resources producing best-in-class information for churches and nonprofits. I will be sharing several of these trends over the next few months focusing upon those that have been tried and true for all churches for 20 years.

What does the data say?

Here are a few points from the most recent report from Giving USA that can be directly applied to local congregations.

1. Despite economic inflation and the post-pandemic slowdown, churches and nonprofits are experiencing some of the best years of growth in giving. Some are even experiencing more giving than they had before the pandemic. 
2. Individuals with religious affiliations give far more dollars to charitable causes than those with no religious affiliation. 
3. Individuals who are more engaged with their church or nonprofit not only give more consistently but also give more across their lives and become advocates for the mission. 
4. Local congregations of worship continue to receive the highest dollar amount of these record-giving years. Almost twice as much as the second place sector which is human services.

Obviously, this is all good news for the local church. But in January and February of each year giving tends to be down while attendance is up. Then the reverse often occurs in December with attendance lower, but giving exponentially higher.

So how do you grow generosity in the first quarter of the year?

If you look at the above trend (again, which have been true for decades), two key indicators of personal generosity come to the surface—engagement and discipleship.

Church engagement and discipleship  

The more connected someone feels to your church, the more likely they are to give and to keep giving. But moving them from a first visit to real involvement takes intentionality. Here’s what to focus on:

• Strengthen guest experiences. Make sure new visitors feel welcome and excited to come back. From your website to parking to their first morning with you, every step matters.
• Create easy on-ramps for deeper involvement. Small groups, volunteer opportunities, or casual events for kids, women, and men can help connect them to your church without overwhelming them.
• Celebrate your church’s vision. Share stories of how your church is making a difference in your city and beyond. invite them to be a part of that impact and provide a clear path to do so.

 

People with a strong faith foundation naturally live more generously. Help your attendees get plugged in and grow spiritually, and you’ll see generosity follow. This means looking beyond a guest registration card and really thinking through their first steps in both church life and their relationship with Jesus.

Here is a fun assignment for your team…

Imagine a potential guest decides Saturday night around 8 pm to visit your church the next morning. Who are they? What’s their stage of life or family situation? What brought them to this decision?

Now walk through their experience—step-by-step—from Googling your church to pulling into the parking lot, checking in their kids, and sitting down for the service. What does it feel like? What questions might they have? And most importantly, what’s their next step after that first visit?

Be honest—are you meeting their needs? Are they leaving with a clear idea of what’s next for them? 

Be disciplined as you do this exercise. Hint, if the goal is to get them to complete a Guest Registration Card you might have bypassed their most important needs.

 

Generosity grows when people feel connected to the mission, connected to your church community, and passionate about God’s Kingdom. And right now, with higher attendance and fresh excitement for the year ahead, it’s a perfect time to focus on engagement and discipleship.

Next month, we’ll dig deeper into discipleship, but for now, take a moment to reflect on how your church is helping people take their first steps. Because when someone is supported, welcomed, and plugged in, generosity follows. And that generosity fuels life-change—for them and your community.

 

For more insight into the latest giving trends, check out the “Church Giving Trends Report” from SecureGive and Dunham + Company. 

 

Want to discuss some of these topics with generosity expert, Todd McMichen? Request a meeting and gain invaluable insights and personalized guidance to inspire generosity within your congregation.