Ministries Report Revenue Growth in Last Year, Though Down Slightly in Last Quarter
The majority of the country’s largest Christian ministries saw their revenue increase over the last 12 months, according to the results of a quarterly survey conducted by MinistryWatch in January.
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Sixty-one percent of ministry respondents said their organization’s revenue increased, about 17% said it remained flat, and about 19% experienced a decrease in revenue.
This survey follows the end-of-year giving period when many ministries see some of the largest giving of their fiscal year.
When MinistryWatch asked the same question in October 2022, over 72% of ministries responded that their revenue had increased in the last twelve months, 11% that their revenue was flat, and about 16% saw a decrease.
The Fundraising Effectiveness Project’s (FEP) Third Quarter Reports confirms what the majority of ministries experienced.
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Giving to charities was up by about 5% during the first nine months of 2022 according to FEP’s reports.
While not a majority, the largest subset of the ministries surveyed by MinistryWatch saw an increase in that range during the last year. They reported an increase in revenue from all sources, including giving, of between 1-10%.
Only 18% of the respondents to MinistryWatch’s January 2023 survey said their revenue increased by over 10% in the last 12 months. That is down from the October survey in which 36% said they’d experience larger revenue growth of over 10%.
Charities are seeing a decrease in the number of donors, especially smaller donors, FEP’s Reports showed. Donors who give less than $100 have dropped 13%.
Economic pressures and inflation may contribute to some of the giving changes, but Giving Tuesday, a special event focused on fundraising for charities on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, saw a record-setting year.
MinistryWatch sent its quarterly survey to the leaders of the country’s largest 1,000 Christian ministries. Of those, 83 responded.
