If you’ve ever heard someone say, “Young people just aren’t as generous as previous generations,” you’ve heard a myth. Generosity hasn’t faded — it’s evolved.It has happened quickly. In less than a decade, both the motivations and methods of giving have shifted dramatically.
2017: A Pivotal Year in Philanthropy
Two key events reshaped charitable giving in 2017:
1. Tax Law Changes
The U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act significantly increased the standard deduction.Many households that once itemized charitable gifts no longer received a tax benefit. A long-standing financial incentive disappeared almost overnight.
2. TheRise of GoFundMe
Seven years after its first donation in 2010, GoFundMe became the world’s largest online giving platform.Peer-to-peer giving and cause-driven micro-campaigns became normal. Donorscould now respond instantly to a friend’s medical bills or a disaster relieffund — often from their phone in seconds.
Together, theseshifts sparked a move away from institutional giving motivated by taxbenefits toward relational and impact-driven giving motivated by personalconnection.
The Myth of a Less Generous Generation
Research consistently shows that Millennials and Gen Z give differently, not less:
· Surveys show Millennials lead every generation in mobile giving adoption — nearly half give by phone compared to roughly a third of Boomers.
· Around 4 in 10 Millennials participate in monthly recurring giving programs, compared to fewer than 2 in 10 Boomers.
· They volunteer and advocate at higher rates than older cohorts did at their age, and they prize transparency and measurable impact over tax deductions.
The desire to be generous is alive and well. Motivations have changed; the heart has not.
MechanicsMatter — But Mission Matters More
Over the past 10 years, many churches have wisely invested in the mechanics of giving: offering online and mobile options, promoting recurring gifts, promoting the tax incentives of giving via an IRA or DAF, and making generosity as seamless as paying a bill. Studies show that congregations embracing these practices often experience double-digit increases in overall giving and steadier year-round support.
The “how” someone gives is important but convenient giving will not rescue a mission that feels irrelevant or scattered. People give to a mission that captures their heart, not merely to a budget that balances the books.
Evaluating generosity trends must include evaluating the mission itself:
· Is the gospel clearly proclaimed and embodied?
We never compromise the Good News —but we continually ask how our ministries demonstrate Christ’s love in ways people care, can understand, and join. Just as we evaluate how easy it is to give, we must also ask how easy it is for people to join the mission beyond giving. Can the church clearly state what the mission priorities are of the church? This is more than reciting the mission statement — what are they investing in? Is that just as clear as a 10-word or less statement on the wall in your hallway?
· Are we centered on God’s mission?
Younger generations care deeply about issues like mental health, mercy, and justice — concerns Jesus himself addressed through acts of compassion and justice. Scripture calls believers to live out Christ’s love and give cheerfully, never to gain tax breaks or financial rewards.When churches connect timeless biblical truth to these real needs, they invite people to invest in a mission that matters for eternity, not just for monetary benefit or a balanced budget for the church.
· Are we closing the loop on their investment in our mission?
Donors want to see how their gifts change lives. Sharing stories and key metrics is part of faithful stewardship. Many churches do well at making the case for support, but the busyness of ministry can cause leaders to overlook the nextstep: circling back to report impact. Regular updates, testimonies, and clear results help givers celebrate what God has done and inspire them to continue partnering in the mission.
This is not about chasing trends or watering down doctrine. It’s about translating the unchanging gospel into ministries that meet real needs in this present moment.
Stay Nimble:Pilot, Measure, Evaluate, and Iterate
Even as you strengthen both mission and mechanics, don’t assume today’s bestapproach will work tomorrow. To remain faithful and effective stewards ofgenerosity, adopt a posture of continual innovation:
· Pilot new ideas. Test a text-to-give feature, a fresh worship-service format, or a new local outreach that speaks to emerging needs.
· Measure impact. Track giving patterns and ministry outcomes. Use both financial and missional data to discern what truly bears fruit.
· Evaluate and prune. Adaptation isn’t only about adding something new. It also means reviewing existing ministries and programs to ask if they are still advancing the mission and bearing fruit. Good stewardship sometimes requires sunsetting programs or partners so that time, energy, and resources can be focused on the clearest and most compelling mission God has given your church.
· Iterate quickly. Refine what works, release what doesn’t, and share lessons with your congregation to build trust and excitement.
As you experiment, stay alert to how technology can quietly shape ministry decisions. Digital tools can simplify giving, streamline church management, and increase efficiency, but they must never become the driver of how people or ministry areled. The church’s mission — not the efficiency of software or business processes —must guide how we serve, disciple, and care for people. In short, use technology to serve the mission, never to define it. Keep asking:
· Are our tools truly serving the mission of the gospel, or are we allowing the mission to be shaped by the limits of our technology?
· Are we forming disciples who live out Christlike generosity, or simply streamlining giving into a series of efficient transactions?
· Are our digital connections strengthening in-person community and discipleship, or unintentionally substituting for genuine relationships and care?
In short, use technology, but do not be used by it, and remember, pruning is as vital as planting. Focus on what God calls your church to pursue and on what you may need to release. This clarity helps donors see where their generosity will have the greatest impact.
A Twofold Call for Today’s Church
The good news is clear: generosity is not in decline. It’s being re-channeled through technology and toward causes that feel immediate and transformative. For church leaders, the call is twofold:
1. Make giving easy and trustworthy — for the donors, not just the staff.
Embrace digital, recurring, and peer-to-peer tools and accounting practices that fit how people live and give —while keeping the gospel central.
2. Make the mission irresistible and responsive.
Without ever abandoning the gospel, ensure your ministries speak to the deep longings and urgent needs of today’s world. Stay nimble by piloting, measuring, evaluating, and iterating — both in generosity practices and in the ministries themselves — so that the church’s eternal truth continues to meet a changing world with timely impact.
When we do both, we give every generation something worth investing in. We offer the unchanging gospel and embody it in a church that listens, learns, and leads with courage.
