A new study from Lifeway Research shows that American churchgoers are highly likely to make both financial and item donations during the Christmas season.
The findings come from an online survey of 1,200 Protestant churchgoers conducted Sept. 2–7, 2025. The study included participants who identified as Protestant or non-denominational and attended church services at least once per month.
Lifeway reports that more than 4 in 5 U.S. Protestant churchgoers say they typically make an extra monetary donation during the holiday season, and 76 percent said they donated physical items to at least one cause last year.
Overall, 84 percent of respondents said they make at least one additional donation during the season. Nearly half of churchgoers—49 percent—say they give to their church’s outreach efforts for those in need. Fewer, at 37 percent, give to their church’s missions offering.
More than a quarter say they provide direct financial help to a person or family they know (29 percent) or give an extra gift to their church’s general fund (26 percent).
About 21 percent donate to a local Christian ministry. Smaller numbers say they give to a non-Christian nonprofit (15 percent), a national Christian ministry (15 percent), or their church’s building campaign (14 percent).
Only 13 percent of respondents say they do not make any additional donations at Christmas, while another 3 percent are unsure.
The survey also found gender differences. Women are more likely than men to give to a non-Christian nonprofit (17 percent vs. 13 percent).
Men, meanwhile, are more likely than women to contribute to their church’s missions offering (43 percent vs. 32 percent), give an extra amount to their church’s general fund (31 percent vs. 21 percent), or donate to a capital or building campaign (18 percent vs. 10 percent).
Age also plays a role in giving habits. Churchgoers under 50 (35 percent) are more likely than those ages 50–64 (26 percent) and 65+ (23 percent) to help a person or family they personally know is in need.
Younger adults—those ages 18–29 (26 percent) and 30–49 (27 percent)—are more likely than older groups to give to a local Christian ministry, compared with ages 50–64 (16 percent) and 65+ (17 percent).
Certain denominational patterns also emerged. Lutherans were among the least likely to say they give to church efforts to help those in need (36 percent), mission offerings (21 percent), direct personal giving (13 percent), or local Christian ministries (11 percent).
Non-denominational churchgoers were also less inclined to give to their church’s missions offering (27 percent), extra general fund contributions (18 percent), building campaigns (11 percent), or local Christian ministries (19 percent).
One in four Protestant churchgoers (25%) donated a shoebox item to Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, while roughly one in eight (13%) gave Angel Tree gifts for Prison Fellowship.
Churchgoers with evangelical beliefs are more inclined to donate items to Operation Christmas Child (29% compared to 20%), while those without evangelical beliefs are more likely to contribute to a local food bank (51% versus 41%).
