Americans gave a record $617 billion to charity last year. Giving to religion barely kept pace with inflation.
Today, we'll unpack what the national research and our own data from $1B+ in church giving reveal - and where churches can respond.
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Table of Contents:
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0:00 - Intro
0:41 - The Unexpected Findings - Record Giving, Flat Church Giving
2:05 - 1. More Money. Fewer Givers.
5:58 - Inside Nucleus' Church Giving Data
8:13 - 2. Small Gifts Become Big Annual Support
17:46 - 3. Their Generosity Isn't All Coming to Church
22:01 - 4. Wanting to Give and Being Able to Give Are Different
26:22 - 5. Modelling Financial Stewardship Builds Trust
32:40 - Final Thoughts
IMPORTANT LINKS
- Church Giving Statistics 2026: https://www.nucleus.church/blog/church-giving-statistics
- Nucleus, The Church Website Builder: https://www.nucleus.church
- Nucleus Giving Fee Savings Counter: https://www.nucleus.church/giving
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ALL CITATIONS
GIVING USA
- "Charitable Giving Rose to $617.20 Billion in 2025, Surpassing the $600 Billion Mark for the First Time" (Giving USA 2026, covers 2025 giving) — PRIMARY https://givingusa.org/giving-usa-charitable-giving-rose-to-617-20-billion-in-2025-surpassing-the-600-billion-mark-for-the-first-time/
FUNDRAISING EFFECTIVENESS PROJECT
- "Full-Year 2025 Findings" (via AFP Global) — PRIMARY https://afpglobal.org/news/fundraising-effectiveness-project-reports-strongest-revenue-growth-five-years-even-fewer
Note: Broad nonprofit dataset, not church-specific.
GIVELIFY
- "Giving in Faith: 2025-2026 Church Giving" — PRIMARY https://www.givelify.com/giving-in-faith/2025-2026-church-giving
Note: Describes Christian donors, not all Americans.
LAKE INSTITUTE ON FAITH & GIVING
- Insights (July 14, 2026) — SECONDARY https://lakeinstitute.org/resource-library/insights/july-14-2026/
ABOUT ME
Well hey there! I'm Brady Shearer, the creator and director of Pro Church Tools. I started this channel more than 10 years ago. Today our company is a team of 30+ creatives dedicated to helping your church navigate the biggest communication shift in 500 years.
