Revenue is Top Concern Among Ministry Leaders
Operational and logistical challenges inching up in list of concerns
Christian ministry leaders still count fundraising as the most significant challenge they will face in the coming year, even though most of them say revenue has increased over the last year.
According to the July MinistryWatch survey of the 1,000 largest Christian ministries in the country, 32.5% name fundraising or revenue as the most significant challenge they expect to face over the next 12 months. Second, at 30%, is finding and keeping qualified staff.
Six months ago, in January, when MinistryWatch surveyed ministry leaders, those challenges were reversed. At that time, 37% said staffing was the biggest challenge they face, while 33% indicated fundraising was the most challenging issue.
When asked about revenue expectations in the coming year, 75% of Christian ministry leaders remain optimistic about revenue growth. That percentage has inched up since January when 71% expected to see increased funds.
They’ve also grown more optimistic about the amount of revenue growth they’ll see. The percentage who expect to see growth between 1-10% has remained steady at about 54%, but those who expect to see greater than 10% growth in revenue reached 20% in July, up from 17% in January.
Data gathered by the Fundraising Effectiveness Project shows an opposite trend among charitable givers at-large. Giving in the first quarter of 2023 dropped—both in the number of donors and the dollars given.
However, a study by the Hoover Institution showed that religious people are 25% more likely to donate money to a charity, possibly explaining why Christian ministry leaders are more optimistic about revenue growth.
Generosity starts with God, who is generous to us. So it is fitting that His church be generous, Patrick Johnson, founder of GenerousChurch told MinistryWatch.
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Operational and logistical challenges have inched up on the list of challenging issues facing ministry leaders. In January, only 6% chose it as the most significant challenge, but now 12% list it in the top spot.
Volunteer management can be a challenging operational issue for ministries, especially recruitment and retention.
According to a US Census Bureau and AmeriCorps survey, volunteer participation dropped 7% between 2019 and 2021. This is the largest decrease since the survey began in 2002.
Roland Warren, president and CEO of CareNet pregnancy center network, said pregnancy centers are having a struggle with volunteers primarily because of COVID. Many of the volunteers are older and a little more reluctant to be around people than before the pandemic.
A new study by Barna Research showed that younger generations, like Millennials and Gen Z, are more likely to give their time to a ministry they care about.
It may be easier to recruit volunteers if they are provided with an accessible point of entry and feel a sense of community in the work they are doing, a panel of Forbes Nonprofit Council members told the magazine.
Keeping volunteers engaged in a meaningful way and communicating appreciation for their contributions will improve retention, the article said.
Every quarter, MinistryWatch surveys the senior executives of the 1000 largest Christian ministries in the nation. We then produce a series of stories based on the responses. This survey was conducted in July and is based on 84 responses from ministry leaders. Articles based on the April survey can be found here and here. An article about cyberattacks and financial fraud from the July survey can also be found here.
Main photo: Pexels / Creative Commons
