What the 2026 Church Giving Reports Tell Us About Generosity Today
New data from Ministry Brands and Parable Group gives us a clearer picture of how people are giving across the church, and what actually helps.
Ahead of Easter, one of the most significant seasons of attendance and generosity in the church year, Ministry Brands has released its 2026 Annual Church Giving Report and Annual Parish Giving Report. This is the first year the organization has published separate analyses for Protestant churches and Catholic parishes. Developed with Parable Group, the reports draw on billions of dollars in digital donations across tens of thousands of churches and parishes, along with survey responses from more than 1,000 church and parish leaders.
The Big Picture
Overall giving held steady in 2025, and many congregations saw increases driven by digital methods.
- Protestant churches: 57% reported an increase in digital giving. Among churches offering it, digital accounted for 41% of total donations.
- Catholic parishes: Among parishes reporting increased giving, 49% also saw growth in digital giving, the most commonly cited driver. Sixty-seven percent of parishes now offer recurring giving, and that number continues to grow.
"While generosity remains a core part of church life, the way people prefer to give is evolving," said Anna Caragio, technical digital analyst at Parable Group.
Reaching the Next Generation
Younger people are used to paying with their phones, and the data suggests congregations that meet them there see results. Protestant churches offering digital wallet options were nearly twice as likely to report increased generosity among donors ages 18 to 29. Catholic parishes offering digital wallets were 2.6 times more likely to see an increase from that same age group.
Make Giving Easy and Connect It to Mission
Simplicity matters. Protestant churches offering digital wallets, recurring giving and livestream giving were nearly twice as likely to report increased giving. Catholic parishes with recurring giving and simple digital access saw more consistent generosity.
"Churches and parishes are seeing that when giving is accessible and clearly connected to mission, participation follows," said Chris Bacon, CEO of Ministry Brands.
Where Protestant and Catholic Patterns Differ
Growth versus stability. Fifty-five percent of Protestant churches reported year-over-year growth in 2025. For Catholic parishes, 55% reported that giving either increased or held steady, a pattern of consistency rather than growth alone.
What drives giving. In parishes, giving is closely tied to attendance. Parishes with rising weekly attendance were 7.8 times more likely to report increased giving and 8.4 times more likely to report more donors than those with flat or declining attendance. Protestant churches, by contrast, were significantly more likely to see increases when they used a multi-channel digital approach, combining recurring giving, digital wallets and livestream giving.
Digital maturity. Protestant churches show greater maturity in digital giving overall, and those offering multiple ways to give were significantly more likely to see gains in both giving and donor participation.
What This Means for Our Congregations
Whatever our tradition, the reports point in the same direction.
- Offer more than one way to give. Recurring giving, digital wallets and livestream options each lower the barrier to participation.
- Meet younger givers where they are. Familiar mobile payment tools matter to the next generation of donors.
- Keep it simple and clear. Easy access, paired with a clear connection to our mission, supports stronger participation.
- Invest in participation. Growing attendance and engagement appear closely linked to growing generosity.
A Lutheran Lens on the Data
This is good stewardship research, and it's worth reading carefully. The data tells us what makes giving easier and what correlates with more participation. It doesn't tell us what makes giving Christian, and that distinction matters for us.
Scripture grounds generosity in the Gospel, not in the offering platform. In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, Paul commends the Macedonian churches not for their payment methods but for their grace, and he points them to Christ, who was rich yet became poor for our sake. Our people give because they have first received. That's the order, and no app changes it.
We also want to be careful with the language of "results." The reports measure increases, donors and participation, and those are useful numbers for a board or a finance team. But the theology of the Catechism reminds us that God gives and does all good things, and that we receive from His fatherly goodness daily bread and everything we need to support this body and life. When our people open their hands, they're responding to what God has already given, not generating a return on a spiritual investment.
So we can use these tools with gratitude and without anxiety. Digital giving, recurring gifts and simple access are stewardship aids, and they serve our people well. We'll keep the mission at the center, which for us means the proclamation of Christ crucified for sinners, the care of our neighbors, and the support of the church's work. The technology is a servant here, and the Gospel stays the master.
Source: Ministry Brands 2026 Annual Church Giving Report and Annual Parish Giving Report, developed in partnership with Parable Group.
Rvdo. Dr. Keith Haney is an author, podcast host, and executive leader specializing in organizational management, leadership development, and strategic communication. As the host of the Becoming Bridge Builders podcast and author of Guided by Grace: A Narrative to Lead Organizational Change, he equips leaders with practical frameworks for navigating complex transitions, improving decision clarity, and fostering meaningful connections in high-stakes environments.