Giving Is Changing. Is Your Church Ready for 2026?

Church giving is changing—fast.

We just wrapped up our latest Tithely Giving Trends Webinar, and the data from 2025 paints both a promising and urgent picture for churches. On the one hand, charitable giving in the U.S. reached $592 billion this year—a record. On the other hand, giving to faith-based organizations has stagnated after decades of leading the pack. What does this mean for ministry leaders?

The good news? These changes create new opportunities for ministry leaders who are willing to engage givers differently, lean into the tools available to them, and foster a culture of generosity rooted in biblical purpose.

Here are five key takeaways from the webinar, along with practical steps your church can take today.

Individuals Still Give the Most—But Millennials Give Less

While individual donors still make up 66% of all charitable giving, there's a massive shift happening in who is giving. Millennials and Gen Z are stepping into the donor spotlight—but it takes 3.4 millennials to match one baby boomer’s giving, and 10 Gen Z givers to replace one boomer.

What that means for you:
If you’re not actively building generosity habits in younger givers today, your church may struggle tomorrow. Start small. Teach the why, celebrate the impact, and make it ridiculously easy to give online.

Church Giving Remains Stable—But Faith-Based Giving Is Declining

Here’s some good news: Despite inflation, tax changes, and economic uncertainty, giving has consistently stayed around 2% of disposable income in the U.S. for over 40 years. Faithful people still give—even when times are hard.

But here’s the twist: faith-based giving is down 1% after inflation; it’s the only sector in charitable giving seeing a decline.

Your response:
People aren't giving less; they’re giving differently. Your mission still matters, but clarity and communication are everything. Don’t be afraid to ask boldly and show where every dollar goes.

Timing Matters: When People Are Most Likely to Give to Your Church

Yes, Sunday is still king. 54% of giving form visits happen on Sunday morning. But here's what surprised many pastors in the webinar:

• 🎄 December accounts for 11% of all giving
• ✝️ Easter and Palm Sunday see the highest giving spikes
• 💵 1st and 15th of the month (aka paydays) see consistent bumps in giving

Helpful tip:
Schedule communications, push notifications, and generosity reminders around these key dates. A well-timed email on the 1st could drive 3X the engagement.

Recurring Giving in Churches: The Secret to Financial Stability

Only 29% of donations on Tithely are recurring gifts, yet those gifts are far more consistent. They’re weather-proof, out-of-town proof, slept in proof, and, in fact, recurring donations keep generosity flowing even when church attendance fluctuates. When a church makes recurring giving a regular part of the conversation, everyone wins, including your treasurer.

What to do next:

• Make recurring giving a clear option on your giving form
• Teach donors how to set up recurring giving with Tithely
• Share testimonies of recurring givers in your newsletter

Why Mobile Giving, QR Codes, and Tap-to-Give Are the Future of Church Tithing

This one’s no surprise, but still worth repeating: 81% of all giving happens on mobile devices. Most Gen Z and Millennial givers are never going to drop cash into a bucket. But they’ll scan a QR code. They’ll give through your app. They’ll even tap their phone on an NFC disc on the back of a chair.

Get practical:

• Display a QR code on your giving slides
• Post it at your welcome center or info booth
• Explore tap-to-give or mobile-friendly forms (Tithely can help!)

Final Word: Make Giving Personal Again

At the heart of all this data is something deeply spiritual: God’s people want to be part of something bigger than themselves. The challenge isn’t just to modernize our tools; it’s to reconnect giving with the mission of advancing the Gospel.

As one church leader put it in the webinar:

"We don't just pass the plate. We tell a story."

Let’s do that well in 2025. Let’s be bold, be clear, and help our people experience the joy of generosity.

Ready to future-proof your church giving strategy?

Start by implementing one new change this month, whether it's mobile giving, a recurring gift push, or telling a better generosity story.

Watch the full “2025 Giving Trends” webinar on YouTube

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