Religious Holidays - Religious Giving

A week replete with religious holidays has made me thoughtful about the health of all religious organizations.   

This sector, which comprises about 70% of all nonprofits, appears to be in dire straights – perhaps even more so than other sectors.  Why?

One theory is that it is not only because of the economy, but also because the current “generation” of donors is not nearly as generous as those that have come before.  An article in last fall’s New York Times notes “baby boomers in 2000 were donating about 10% less to religious bodies than their parents’ generation did at a comparable age in 1973 – and almost 25% less than those parents, by then ages 62 to 76, were donating in 2000.”  

The result?  “From storefront chapels to Sun Belt megachurches to suburban synagogues, across denominational lines, religious institutions are reeling from a decline in donations,” reports the Times.

The answer?  The Times article noted how, despite the economic times, it is harder now to get younger generations to feel involved enough in religion.  Involvement, we know, leads to donations.

Perhaps the answer is the message religious institutions are sending.  If congregants are less involved, maybe it's because their institutions aren’t as relevant to their daily lives.  If religion is to “keep up” with modern times – as it has in the past – it must continue to “evolve” - to “involve” its congregants in new ways.  For instance, how many are keeping up with social media, tweeting updates to their congregants?  How many congregations leaders post a blog of their weekly sermons, or post thoughts from their younger members?  

My suggestion? To stay current – and viable – religious nonprofits (like the examples I found above) need to stay nimble and reach out to find out what their congregations want.  If you don’t ask, you won’t know.  An involved congregation is one that will start donating again.