A Great Wealth Transfer is unfolding. According to newly released data from analytics firm Cerulli Associates, nearly $124 trillion in wealth will transfer to heirs and charity by 2048. In 2022, as this trend was emerging, NCF commissioned one of the largest research studies on Christian generosity ever conducted to discover emerging trends and opportunities and to help others thrive through this transformative shift in the landscape of giving.
We did this because we believe there is much to learn about what motivates people to give, how they want to give, what impact they want to have on the causes that are important to them, and what they hope to get from their giving. One of the clearest findings that emerged from the research was how Christian givers think and feel about the connected pursuits of transformation and collaboration.
Radical, biblical generosity
The Gospel of Luke gives us one of the most radical examples of transformation in the whole Bible – the story of Zacchaeus. From swindler to a son of God in one day, this wealthy man began his faith journey by righting all his financial wrongs and immediately giving away far more than the law required of him … the very same day he climbed down from a tree and began to follow Jesus (Luke 19).
Unlike Zacchaeus, however, most people aren’t transformed so quickly. Understanding of God’s view of money takes time, especially for it to bring about changes in thinking and behavior. Yet, at NCF, we’ve seen people radically transformed by a growing understanding that everything belongs to God. Over time, they’ve have discovered a kind of freedom and an overwhelming joy they hadn’t found in any other experience but giving. In our research, we asked if people were seeking this kind of transformation and in what environments they found it. We found that, though transformation requires personal heart change, it’s often discovered through engagement with a generous community.
Transformation and community
We know, through previous research, that this belief that God owns everything is, for many, a vital part of the process of transformation. This often begins when people see or hear about the impact generosity has had on their friends or family members. They become expectant that giving will transform their lives too.
Transformation-oriented givers want:
- Connection with a broader network of Christian givers
- Sharing of knowledge with others
- Increased impact through collaboration
- Generosity as discipleship
Our research confirmed there are common threads among generous Christians. An overwhelming majority of Christian givers we surveyed (65 percent) said they want more than a transactional experience. They hope their giving will transform their lives and that it might even become a tool for discipleship within their families. This number is even higher among women (71 percent) and people with children under 18 living at home (also 71 percent).
When we asked givers to elaborate on transformational giving, a wider picture began to emerge. Most Christian givers say they believe transformation happens better in community.
The power of collaboration
Many Christian givers say they seek giving collaborations to inspire, encourage, and shape them, especially when it comes to dealing with the difficult issues of wealth and legacy. They also seek collaboration for knowledge sharing and strategies for giving. They want to pool their resources with others to have a greater impact on the causes they care about. Together, givers want to solve problems, share insights, and build friendships within like-minded communities.
These givers want churches, ministries, and other nonprofits to seek out collaborations that will multiply their impact too. While givers of many ages expressed their desire to work with others, we saw that interest in collaboration was strongest among Christians younger than 44 years old (87 percent versus 75 percent of givers 45 years and older).
What we’ve already seen
We are encouraged to see givers already reaching out to form these types of collaborative groups. From simple giving circles to strategic philanthropic alliances, these groups take various forms and serve a wide variety of purposes.
We have seen large foundations inviting others to partner with them as they gain expertise they can share. We’ve seen a group of givers supporting a collective of charities to take on the evangelism of a whole country. In Florida, we’ve witnessed a group of community leaders, Christian business leaders, and residents working to rebuild old neighborhoods, which had been destroyed by decades of racism and neglect. We serve givers in Washington, Colorado, and Florida collaborating to raise the bar on fighting human trafficking, and at least 500 generous givers are pooling their money and working together with experts to get the gospel to the ends of the earth.
What does this mean for the future of Christian giving?
All of these groups have arisen because someone sought God for what he wanted them to do or saw a problem and decided to do something about it. Most developed organically in response to a need. The future of Christian giving will likely involve more grassroots groups like these, as believers join together to encourage one another, to find purpose, and to make a greater impact on the world.
Our research showed us that the future may be shaped by the desire for charities and other nonprofits to work cooperatively too. This may not be just what givers want; it may become an expectation.
In 2024, we shifted our research focus to those receiving wealth through the Great Wealth Transfer: the next generation of generous givers. This new research is coming soon!
Read our full 2022 research report, and keep reading our Saturday 7 for more research coming soon!
