Posted on November 1, 2009

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Most Congregations Saw Contributions Increase or Hold Steady in First Half of 2009, Report Finds

During the first half of 2009, and despite the deepening recession, more than two-thirds of congregations in the United States saw their fundraising results increase or remain the same on a year-over-year basis, a new report from the Alban Institute and the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University finds.

Based on a survey of more than 1,500 congregations — most of which are members of the Alban Institute — the 2009 Congregational Economic Impact Study (53 pages, PDF) found that nearly 37 percent of respondents reported a year-over-year increase in fundraising revenues over the period, 34 percent said their revenues were flat, and nearly 30 percent experienced a decline in revenues. Last year, about 22 percent of congregations reported a decline in revenues over the previous year.

In response, a third of respondents said they had cut their budgets in 2009, one-quarter kept their operational budgets the same (ex cost of living increases), and 6.8 percent had cut the number of full-time staff members.

So-called "growth congregations," those whose attendance and finances have been on the upswing over the past five years, were more likely to report positive fundraising results. According to the report, congregations with $600,000 to $999,999 in revenue, weekly attendance of more than three hundred people, younger congregants (i.e., average age under 50), and an average congregant income greater than $60,000 were more likely to report an increase in fundraising receipts.

"While many congregations have been hit hard by the recession, this study underscores the remarkable resilience of congregations, as evidenced in the extraordinary and imaginative ways they are reaching out to meet the needs of their parishioners and people in their community," said Lake Institute on Faith & Giving director William Enright. "We frequently hear about the experiences of larger congregations and how they are coping with economic challenges, while the story of average and smaller congregations often has been wrapped in silence. This study breaks that silence."

“Less Than One-Third of Congregations Report Decline in Giving in First Half of 2009.” Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University Press Release 10/27/09.

Primary Subject: Religion
Location(s): National

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