1. How and why do people give?
Session Three:
How and why do people give?
John Preston
National Stewardship
& Resources Officer

2. Navigating issues of generosity
Why do people give?
Why do you give?

3. Motivations for giving…..
LOVE

4. Motivations for giving…..
THANKSGIVING

5. Motivations for giving…..
FOR A PURPOSE

6. Church Giving
What are the
motivations?

7. Different motivators WORSHIPPING TOGETHER SHARING OUR FAITH & VALUES
VALUING THE BUILDINGS
SERVING THE COMMUNITY
BUT ALSO:
HABIT, SUBSCRIPTION, DUTY, GUILT/EMBARASSMENT

9. Methodology

10. What we did Self completion questionnaire
Participants selected at random at participating churches (on average, 21 per church). Short church questionnaire also completed.
Five denominations:
762 responses from 38 Church of England churches (CE)
148 responses from 8 Salvation Army corps (SA)
254 responses from 9 Church in Wales churches (CW)
260 responses from 24 Scottish Episcopal churches (SEC)
252 responses from the Church of Scotland (CS)

11. What we didn’t do! Telephone interviews (no data, privacy issues)
Internet Questionnaire (concern of biased sample)
Face to Face interviews (no money – survey done at very little cost, £1k invested in report and conference)
Note: Self-completion surveys can be post-stratified to adjust for bias, if the underlying population is known. Responses were felt to be sufficiently close not to need this.

12. Who responded?
Section C, Page 5 ?

13. Age of respondent
-1% % % % %
Good fit for C of E in relation to Diversity Monitoring Survey
Slight under representation of 26-45, although DMS was 4 years ago, and C of E will have aged a bit since then.
Other denominations judged to be also OK.

14. Context Note: CS methodology means no church level data
Reasonable fit (note % of respondents needs comparing with % of church members worshipping in that context, not number of churches)
Church in Wales low on rural representation.

15. Household Income
Repercentaged data to work around 17% of participants who chose not to disclose income level. Assumes distribution matches underlying age, unwillingness to disclose may be skewed to older respondents.
The Questionnaire didn’t specify net or gross household income, so difficult to get accurate match with UK population, but seems broadly in line.

16. Size of Church Note: methodology with CS means no church level data
Fit for C of E is OK (slight under-representation of largest churches, but over-representation of second group).
Again we seek a match on distribution of members across churches, not distribution of churches.

17. Level of Giving
Salvation Army highest level (and lowest average income levels).
Church of England figures higher than average giving of £10.06/giver/week from Parish Finance Returns
Suggests respondents are skewed to more generous givers.

18. In Summary
There is a reasonable spread of responses – by age, by income group, by size of church and by context.
Respondents are skewed to those who attend more frequently, and to higher givers.
Not a surprise for a questionnaire on giving – in viewing the results, remember that this is skewed to those who are slightly more committed, slightly more generous than the population at large.

19. The Age Timebomb

20. The Age Time Bomb
The responses indicate that 47% of the average denomination are over 65, compared to only 15% being under 45 years of age.
Giving peaks in the age range of 46 to 65 as one would imagine with the likelihood of households being mortgage free and having more disposal income.
Giving begins to taper off after retirement age as incomes become more static and subject to RPI rather than AEI
A break down per denomination is shown on the next slide.

21. The Age Time Bomb

22. The Age Time Bomb

23. How and How Much?
Section E, F & G Page 10

24. Quintiles: dividing people into five groups
% People
% Giving
Average Weekly Giving
Quintile
1 (Top)
20%
52%
£29.20 2
22%
£12.28
3 (Middle)
14%
£7.66 4 9%
£4.77
5 (Bottom) 3%
£1.91
Average Respondent
£11.17
The 20% of people who are the largest givers, give just over half of the total giving in the survey. Not 80:20 but 52:20

25. Income and Generosity
The wealthy do give more. There is a clear, and consistent link between income band, and giving level.
If we make some assumptions about the “midpoint” of the band (adjusted for underlying distribution), then we see that the giving of those on the lowest income is likely to be highest when measured as a percentage of their income.

26. Largest givers most likely to use Standing Order, Smallest givers most likely to use the plate.
Method of giving
Standing Order
Regular Envelope
Quintile
Plate
1 (Top)
75%
25%
11% 2
35%
62%
15%
3 (Middle)
60%
31%
13% 4
18%
57%
5 (Bottom)
36%
44%
Average Respondent
40%
43%
21%

27. Amount given by different methods…..
Standing Orders have highest levels of giving.
Data on CAF vouchers has small base size, so inconclusive
Regular envelope has higher level of giving than plate.
Only 8% of givers giving more than £20/week give by envelope (compared with 43% of total panel)

28. Proportionate Giving: what proportion?

29. Over 1 in 4 say they are proportionate givers
Salvation Army has highest proportion, Church of Scotland and Church in Wales the lowest.
Overall, 26.2% say they think about their giving proportionately.

30. How do Proportionate givers give?
Standing Regular Plate
Order/DD Envelope
Skewed to regular forms of giving
Less likely to use the plate

31. What proportion? Of the 26% who say they give proportionately.......
A third (32%) are tithers
Three in 10 say they give up to 10%
A quarter (23%) left the question blank
17% give more than 10%, but only £8.08 on average a week
The logic doesn’t work for many – either they are giving proportionately from a smaller pot; or they don’t understand percentages.

32. Proportionate givers think…..
more
more
less
more
less but
more
less

33. Is 5% a reasonable challenge?
A third say “yes”, a third say “no”, and a third say “not sure”
Proportionate givers much more likely to say yes, but only three in five do.

34. Is 5% a reasonable challenge?
Opportunity for free comments…..
Proportionate giving is regressive (22 comments)
Freedom of choice (20 comments)
A tithe would be better / is more biblical (13 comments)
Outrageous (12 comments)
Unrealistic for Pensioners (6 comments)
We’ve been doing this for years (1 comment)
Most comments from those who disagreed!

35. Different Motivations
31% of givers would say that their Church’s financial need is the most significant factor in how much they give. (Giving Insight 2011)
35% of givers disagree!
26% said they didn’t know, and 8% left the question blank.
It’s more complicated than this!

36. Steps in Giving
For most of us, developing habits of stewardship and generosity is a journey that may take a lifetime.

37. Steps in Giving
Survival I give a bit when I’m asked because the church ought to be there in case I need it The need is survival and there’s a chance that the church might help. The relationship with the church is that I know it’s there if I need it - all being well, I won’t!

38. Steps in Giving
Survival
Supermarket I’m happy to pay towards the cost of the bits of the church that I want and enjoy The need is safety and by treating the church on my terms I feel safe and unchallenged. I see myself as a customer.

39. Steps in Giving
Survival
Supermarket
Support The work of the Church is important and so I’ll support it I have a need for belonging. I see myself as a member of the supporters’ club.

40. Steps in Giving
Survival
Supermarket
Support
Subscription I see myself as a member and I wish to contribute to my fair share of the costs The need is identity – I’m recognised and I’m playing my part.

41. Steps in Giving
Survival
Supermarket
Support
Subscription
Submission My understanding of being a disciple is that I should put God first in my life I see a deeper meaning in life and my giving responds to God and not just the needs of the Church.

42. Steps in Giving
Survival
Supermarket
Support
Subscription
Submission
Sacrifice My Christian calling is to be Christ-like and so naturally I give joyfully and sacrificially - following Christ

43. Survival Supermarket Support Subscription Submission Sacrifice
Steps in Giving
will you give………
Survival
Supermarket
Support
Subscription
Submission
Sacrifice
Regularly?
Building relationship
Good communication
Asking them!

44. Survival Supermarket Support Subscription Submission Sacrifice
Steps in Giving
will you give………
Survival
Supermarket
Support
Subscription
Submission
Sacrifice
Regularly?
Realistically?
Explaining costs
Link to mission & vision
Teaching

45. Survival Supermarket Support Subscription Submission Sacrifice
Steps in Giving
will you give………
Survival
Supermarket
Support
Subscription
Submission
Sacrifice
Regularly?
Realistically?
Proportionately?
Teaching
Faith experience