When we surveyed more than a thousand U.S. Christian churchgoers about their attitudes, preferences and behaviors toward giving, one of the findings we found encouraging was that all age groups expressed a strong preference for electronic options.
As you might expect, churchgoers younger than 35 expressed the highest preference for e-Giving at 79 percent. They’ve grown up with the Internet and mobile phones as normal parts of their lives, so you’d rightly assume that they’re more likely to want to give electronically.
What was unexpected, though, was that they aren’t the only age group that significantly favors e-Giving. Respondents ages 35-44 expressed a 75 percent preference for e-Giving, ages 45-54 and 55-65 each expressed a 50 percent preference for e-Giving, and almost 40 percent of seniors ages 66-72 said they would prefer to give electronically.
We’ve seen anecdotal evidence that seniors will embrace e-Giving when given the opportunity, and that they’re more tech-savvy than they’re often given credit for, but the belief that they’re too conservative or traditional to give electronically no longer holds water.
For example, in a parish where the average member is over 60 years old, approximately 25 percent of the total plate at Trinity Episcopal Church in Asheville, North Carolina, is contributed electronically. Younger church members were the first to onboard, but seniors have also embraced e-Giving.
The differences between younger and older generations exist, but they aren’t as large as you might think. That’s why the percentage of overall churchgoers who prefer giving electronically is a solid 60 percent.
Electronic vs. traditional giving
The other 40 percent preferred traditional giving methods, which include giving in person by cash or check, or mailing in a check to their church. And while some of your members may always want to give through traditional means, the fact remains that more and more churchgoers no longer carry cash or checkbooks and are asking for other avenues to give.
Churches have been passing the plate during services since the 1800s, but the donation plate or basket is fast becoming a symbol of giving instead of the way members prefer to give. With 60 percent of churchgoers across all generations wanting e-Giving, there is a clear call for churches to add more electronic options to their giving programs.
Much more to come
Keep watching our blog for more details on these early findings. Our next post will take a deeper look at the “giving gap” between how givers prefer to give and the options their churches offer. We also have more data to analyze, and we’ll release additional findings as they’re available.
Download our Early Findings Report to learn more, and you’ll also move to the front of the line for notifications about future reports.
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