EXPORT, PENNSYLVANIA – Ministries and non-profits are often criticized for being slow to change and innovate, but a new study shows at least in the evangelical world, this may be heavily influenced by donors who do not value innovation.

Three out of four evangelical donors (74%) would rather support commonly used, tried-and-true methods of addressing a need, while only one out of four (26%) would rather give toward new methods which might be game-changers, but which have not yet proven effective.

There is a common preference for providing tangible help (food, clothing, medical care, water, etc.) rather than intangible help such as spiritual growth, education, human rights, or getting laws changed. Only 15% of evangelical donors prefer providing intangible help.

These and other findings were unveiled in the most recent research report from Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research, How Donors Think: Evangelical Giving Perspectives.

Data was gathered from 604 evangelical Protestant donors in early 2024.

The latest joint research study from Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research explores giving preferences and habits of evangelical donors.

Additional insights from the research include:

• Small Part, Big Issues: Two-thirds of evangelical donors (66%) prefer to play a small part in addressing issues that affect many people, while 34% would rather know they have made a difference for one specific individual.
• Trust over Knowing: A clear majority (71%) would rather give to an organization they trust and allow that organization to determine how funds are used, compared to 29% who want to exercise some control over the use of their gift.
• Snail Mail Leads: The most common channel donors gave in response to is direct mail (30%), followed by email (22%), social media (20%), podcast/video/website (16%), television (14%), phone calls (14%), text (9%), and radio (6%).
• God’s Blessings: Sixty-five percent of evangelical donors believe God will bless them when they give but not necessarily in a financial manner; only 10% believe God will bless them financially as a direct result of their giving.

“These findings raise critical questions for ministries and nonprofits,” Ron Sellers, president of Grey Matter Research, said. “It’s hard for organizations to innovate when most donors want to stay in their comfort zone.  At the same time, we have to ask: Are ministries prevented from trying new things because donors resist funding them, or are donors resistant to innovation because this is how organizations and fundraisers have conditioned them to think?”

“One message that is quite clear from our research: Know your donors,” said Mark Dreistadt, president and CEO of Infinity Concepts. “Your donors may be more inclined to give through direct mail than email, or they may support innovative new programs, even though the majority of evangelicals prefer the tried and true.

“Each organization must develop research-based understanding of who donates to them so they can more effectively create strategies and messages that will engage donors and expand their impact on people’s lives.”

To explore the complete findings, download How Donors Think: Evangelical Giving Perspectives.

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To schedule an interview with Mark Dreistadt or Ron Sellers, email Clem Boyd, Director of Public Relations, at clem@infinityconcepts.com or text or call him at 724.930.4003.