Fundraising Trends
For years, many of us in the nonprofit world have assumed generosity was declining across the board. But recent donor research suggests something more nuanced is happening.
People are still giving, they’re just engaging differently now.
While overall giving levels remain lower than they were in 2020, many evangelicals continue to support causes they care about through increasingly personal and direct channels.
Nearly two-thirds are helping friends or family members financially, more than half have given directly to strangers in need, and younger donors are increasingly using crowdfunding and social media to support causes they care about.
At the same time, one factor stood above every other predictor of generosity: spiritual engagement.
Believers who regularly pray, attend church, read Scripture, and participate in small groups are more likely to give generously.
Why It Matters
This research is an important reminder that fundraising challenges are rarely solved by better fundraising tactics alone.
Generosity is deeply connected to discipleship, engagement, and relationship. Ministries focused solely on donation appeals without strengthening connection may struggle to build long-term donor health.
This also reinforces something many ministries are already noticing: engagement matters more than ever. Younger generations increasingly expect relational, immediate, and personal opportunities to participate financially.
And one finding may make ministry leaders pause: virtual church attendees are significantly less likely to financially support a church than those who attend in person regularly. Convenient? Absolutely. Sustainable? That’s a more difficult question to answer.
Next Steps
Generosity doesn’t happen in isolation. It appears where people feel spiritually invested, personally connected, and missionally engaged.
This may be a good season to evaluate whether your ministry is building deeper engagement or simply increasing communication volume.
Consider asking:
- How are we creating meaningful pathways for connection?
- What are ways we make generosity relational instead of transactional?
- How are we adapting to how younger audiences naturally engage?
- Where can we better help people feel connected to the mission (not just the fundraising campaign)?
The ministries that thrive in the next decade likely won’t be the ones with the loudest appeals. They’ll be the ones building the strongest relationships.
How is your ministry adapting to the changing ways people connect, engage, and give?
Sam Rinearson
Director of Strategy | sam@eaglecom.us