Explore the entire 2025 Philanthropy Pulse report.
Respondents representing a congregation, house of worship, or parish constituted the most common (35%) type of survey participant, followed by arch/dioceses (23%). The three most common religious affiliations included Roman Catholic (58%), Jewish (20%), and Anglican/Episcopal (15%).
fundraising practices in the faith sector
Sixety-six percent (66%) of all religious organizations report revenue increases versus their prior fiscal year, an increase of 18% from last year’s results, as compared to 62% across all sectors. The majority (76%) of organizations get 20% or less of their giving in the form of non–cash assets. Churches might consider reinvesting in their offertory program to maintain revenue growth and keep up with inflation and growing expenses.
Eighty percent (80%) of religious institutions achieved over 80% of their annual stewardship goal in 2024, while 20% achieved 20% or less of their goal.
When considering arch/dioceses specifically, 37% of time is spent on annual appeal, followed by parish support (27%), and capital campaigns (16%).
religious institutions’ projections and priorities
Seventy-three percent (73%) of participants expect mid-level gifts to increase in 2025, followed by deferred gifts (63%), major gifts (60%), and annual appeal (53%). With a renewed focus on digital giving, faith-based organizations might consider highlighting faith-based values in online communications. For example, Jewish synagogues could include a Tzedakah donation page on their website.
Forty-two percent (42%) of respondents believe DEIB is important to build trust and strengthen community relationships, compared to 49% across sectors.
staffing and resourcing in the faith sector
In 2024, 13% of responding organizations increased their fundraising staff, compared to 58% across sectors. While half of all organizations increased staff pay by 4% or more over the past three years, 49% of respondents report doing so in the faith sector.
To support pastoral planning, houses of worship participated in a myriad of staff exercises. Religious leadership could leverage our seven steps for planning, implementing, and integrating a visioning workshop at their congregation.
Allocation of Financial Support at Religious Institutions
Most organizations allocate funding to spreading the gospel and discipleship initiatives (26%), followed by mission and outreach efforts (21%) and seminarian support and clergy development (21%).
Jewish houses of worship might consider incorporating their own programmatic priorities in holiday-based communications.
donor acquisition and retention in the Faith Sector
Sixty-two percent (62%) of organizations indicate that their number of new donors has increased in the past 12 months, as compared to 54% across sectors. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of faith organizations report retaining over half of their new donors over the past 12 months, compared to 49% overall. Faith-based institutions might consider leveraging specialized legacy societies as a powerful donor acquisition and retention tool.
Learn more about 2025 donor acquisition and retention strategies in our article.
AI, data, and technology in the faith sector
Forty-eight percent (48%) of faith organizations use AI technology in their operations, an uptick from 30% in the previous year, as compared to 53% across sectors. Explore valuable insights, strategies, and tools to support your nonprofit’s growth in AI.
The data on this page was curated from a questionnaire taken by nearly 650 responding organizations during the fall of 2024, reporting on FY2024 results.
