Survey Finds Drop in Percentage of Donors to Churches and in Their Average Yearly Gifts

Sixty-one percent of adults made cash donations to one or more churches or other places of worship last year, down from 66 percent in 1999, according to a new survey.

The average amount of a donor’s annual church contributions also slipped during that period, from $806 to $649, the survey found.

Still, according to the survey, places of worship received an estimated $6 out of every $10 donated by individuals last year.

The survey, by Barna Research Group, a marketing-research company in Ventura, Calif., was composed of telephone interviews with 1,005 adults around the country. The margin of error in the sample was 3 percent. The results of the 2000 survey were compared to similar Barna surveys in previous years.

People described as evangelical Christians were the most generous group, according to the survey findings.

Eighty-one percent of the evangelicals surveyed gave to churches last year, donating an average of $2,087.

Donations to Other Causes

The survey also measured giving to religious organizations other than churches or worship centers.

Thirty-six percent of the respondents reported making donations to such organizations, contributing an average of $176 each in 2000.

A report on the survey says that churches face significant fund-raising challenges because some of the fastest-growing segments of the American population are among the least likely to give to churches. For example, the report says that Hispanics give 39 percent of what the average church donor gives.

More information on the survey is available on the company’s Web site at http://www.barna.org, or from Barna Research Group, 5528 Everglades Street, Ventura, Calif. 93003; (805) 658-8885.