Finance · Published Aug 20, 2026

The giving decline

Pastors, executive directors, and development directors at small-to-mid-size churches and nonprofits (under $5M budget) are losing ground on three fronts at once: per-donor giving is shrinking, the donor pool itself is eroding, and federal funding cuts are forcing a scramble to individual giving. They need operational tools and proven systems to stabilize revenue now, not inspiration.

Why this is growing

Median household giving per church dropped 34% (from $910 to $600) between 2021 and 2024 per MortarStone's analysis of 537 churches, forcing even stable congregations to rebuild their giving infrastructure from scratch.

34% of nonprofits reported declines in federal funding in 2025 per the Center for Effective Philanthropy, pushing small organizations to replace government revenue with individual donors they lack systems to cultivate.

For the first time in 2026, more than half of all church donations are made digitally, yet only about 24% of regular churchgoers made even one digital donation in the prior year per Subsplash research, creating a massive adoption gap that tools and consulting can close.

01 — Who they are

Who they are

Solo-operator pastors at churches under 200 members

Pastors who personally manage giving records, stewardship campaigns, and digital platform decisions with no dedicated finance staff. They are motivated by keeping the building open and payroll met, not growth strategy.

Executive directors at nonprofits with $300K–$3M budgets replacing lost federal revenue

EDs at small human-services or community nonprofits who relied on government grants and are now pivoting to individual donor campaigns under acute cash-flow pressure. Burnout is rising fast: 46% of nonprofit CEOs called burnout a 'very much' concern in 2026, up from 29% in 2025.

Development directors at nonprofits without a full fundraising team

Development professionals managing the entire donor pipeline alone at organizations where fundraising roles are among the hardest to fill and average tenure is only 16–18 months. They need tools that make them look like a full team.

02 — What they're struggling with

What they're struggling with

·Federal funding drying up with no individual donor pipeline to replace it.

highExecutive directors at nonprofits with $300K–$3M budgets replacing lost federal revenue

·Median per-household giving down 34% in three years with no early-warning system.

highSolo-operator pastors at churches under 200 membersDevelopment directors at nonprofits without a full fundraising team

·Donor base shrinking as micro-donors disappear and small gifts drop off.

highDevelopment directors at nonprofits without a full fundraising teamExecutive directors at nonprofits with $300K–$3M budgets replacing lost federal revenue

·Cash and check giving fading fast among under-50 members with no digital alternative in place.

highSolo-operator pastors at churches under 200 members

·Leader burnout hitting 46% as demand rises and revenue falls simultaneously.

highExecutive directors at nonprofits with $300K–$3M budgets replacing lost federal revenueSolo-operator pastors at churches under 200 members

03 — What they search

What they search

The exact words they type into Google.

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