Research shows these two tech tools may contribute to increased giving in your congregation: online giving and hybrid services.
By Aaron Earls
As some congregations struggle financially and most look for ways to increase giving, one means of giving is directly tied to income growth for churches.
A report from Faith Communities Today identifies the per capita giving of congregation participants and the benefits of tech, including online giving.
Online giving can take many forms for a congregation—QR codes in bulletins, donation buttons on websites, giving via text, and automatic bank withdrawals. Adoption of these methods has grown in the past 10 years.
In 2015, 69% of U.S. congregations said they did not use online giving at all. That fell to 50% in 2020 and 31% currently. The percentage of those who say they use it a little or some has remained fairly similar during the period. Meanwhile, congregations that say they use online giving a lot has grown from 8% in 2015 to 26% in 2020 and 48% now.
Ten years ago, 31% of churches used online giving, and 69% did not. Today, those numbers have completely reversed, with 69% using it and 31% choosing not to do so.
Ten years ago, 31% of churches used online giving, and 69% did not. Today, those numbers have completely reversed, with 69% using it and 31% choosing not to do so, according to a Faith Communities Today report. Share on XCurrently, almost all large congregations, those with 250 or more in attendance, use online giving at least some, while most use it a lot. Among congregations with 50 or fewer, however, only around a quarter place a significant emphasis on online giving.
Congregational emphasis doesn’t always equal attendees’ usage. In the latest report, 20% of the average congregation uses online giving for around 30% of incoming donations. Attendee participation rates, like congregational adoption, has continued to increase, but areas of growth remain. This means churches have an opportunity to improve their overall giving.
Per capita giving
The median per capita income of a congregation, the average amount of money received per attendee, is $2,222. Pastors reported a decline in the total number of donors but an increase in the amount given per person, according to the report.
Mainline Protestant giving is more than $2,700 per capita, while evangelical Protestant giving is $2,000 and Catholic/Orthodox is $1,500. Per capita giving among the latter two is higher when most of the congregation is 65 or older. Mainline Protestant giving remains high no matter the age range.
Smaller and even shrinking congregations have higher per capita giving than larger, growing churches. Those with 100 or fewer attendees have per capita income of around 15% higher than larger churches. Additionally, the more positive a church’s growth trends are, the lower their per capita income is. Churches in severe decline, shrinking by 5% or more, have giving levels higher than $2,700, while those with strong growth, growing by 5% or more, have giving levels at $1,500.
Tech and giving
Congregations looking to increase the per capita income can emphasize online giving more. The two are directly related. Churches that do not use online giving have a per capita income of around $1,818. Those who emphasize it a little have income just over $2,000 per capita. Congregations that use online giving some report per capita income at $2,250. Those who use online giving a lot have the highest levels—$2,428 per capita.
“This relationship between using online giving and per capita income is present even after accounting for the size, religious tradition, and geographic setting of the congregation,” according to the report.
Churches that do not use online giving have a per capita income of $1,818, while those who use online giving a lot have a $2,428 per capita income, according to a Faith Communities Today report. Share on XAnother tech tool may also contribute to increased giving. Churches that offer hybrid worship services—in-person but also streamed online—have higher per capita income than in-person-only congregations ($2,353 v. $2,000). Both, however, have significantly higher income levels than online-only churches ($691).
Among those that provide a hybrid worship service, the more a congregation stresses in-person over online, the higher its per capita income rises—more virtual ($1,053), about equal ($1,231), more in person ($2,181), and much more in person ($2,479).
A Lifeway Research study found 9 in 10 churchgoers say some circumstances are valid reasons for watching a worship service online instead of attending in person, but most reasons failed to gain majority approval. Around 7 in 10 (69%) say being sick or caring for someone who is sick is acceptable. Around half (48%) approve when traveling. Far fewer say it’s acceptable to participate online instead of in person when you live too far away to attend (38%), a non-attendee wants to know more about the church or its teaching (29%), whenever someone wants (26%), or you get up late (24%).
Churches that offer online giving and stream worship services online provide ways for members to stay connected even during extenuating circumstances. On average, those congregations see increased income levels compared to other churches that have not adopted those technological means.
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