Where the average U.S. donor's giving goes
Percent of average donor's giving, by type of recipient, 2018 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Religious organizations (60%). Lowest: Health (4%).
- Religious organizations: 60%
- Other charities: 11%
- Needs-based groups: 10%
Source: Lifeway Research, Churches, Religious Organizations Face Shrinking Pool of Donors · Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy giving study. Article published 2021-08-03.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Religious organizations (60%). Lowest: Health (4%). Religious organizations: 60%. Other charities: 11%. Needs-based groups: 10%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2018. Source: Lifeway Research, Churches, Religious Organizations Face Shrinking Pool of Donors (https://research.lifeway.com/2021/08/03/churches-religious-organizations-face-shrinking-pool-of-donors/).
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More Giving statistics
- Americans who donate to charity or church, by Bible engagement American Bible Society, 2025
- Church giving compared with last year Lifeway Research, 2025
- Congregations' income compared with expenses Lifeway Research, 2025
- Church giving so far this year compared with last year Lifeway Research, 2019
- Churchgoers who gave to at least one charity beyond their church Lifeway Research, 2019
- Churchgoers who strongly agree they give up purchases to give to others, by age Lifeway Research, 2019
About this data
Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research by organizations such as Lifeway Research, Barna Group, Springtide, the American Bible Society and PRRI. Every number is checked against the wording of the original source before it is published, and each statistic links back to the study it came from. Figures are reproduced from the publishers named above; see the source for full methodology.