Barna published American Donor Trends another study on giving this year. They’ve unveiled the obvious. They’ve let us in on the little secrets hidden in American’s paychecks. Let’s look at a few of them.
Americans give. (The vast majority of U.S. adults donated money in 2012 to charities or churches)
Giving rates have gone up since 2011. (That’s a good thing.)
Americans who make more give more. (Nearly 7 in 10 American adults (69%) making $60,000 or more of household income say they donated money over the last year, compared with less than half of people (45%) in households making less than $40,000)
Christians give the most. (We can’t help it. We’ve been given a lot in Christ and have to share.)
Christians give to churches and nonprofits. (We give to support our faith and show our faith.)
People with other faiths give, but give less. (Faith is a good thing, duh.)
People with no faith give least. (If all you’ve got is this world, you’re going to hang on to it as tight as you can.)
People who feel more comfortable with their financial state give more. (They can let it go when they think they’ve got enough and more is coming)
Concluding Ramblings: Christians give because we’ve been given so much. We are taught to avoid coveting. We’re taught to be comfortable with what we’ve got. We know that God cares for us and have to share that love with others. We are taught to give to those in need.
How to increase giving: Teach people to love others. Teach them to be content with what they have and avoid coveting. Teach them they are loved and remind them God meets their needs.
Barna’s Article is worth a read. American Donor Trends
