Inboxes, Facebook pages, and news feeds are rampant with how to and how people are coping with the interval between before and after COVID-19. Statistics abound. Some agree and support, others conflict.
Comparing April 2020 to April 2019, 1300+ churches & NFP responded (1):
66% giving is the same or has increased
50% haven’t tapped money reserves
60% have 3 months of operating funds in reserve
1% complete reserve depletion
April 22, 2020, Capin Crouse, CPA firm reported church survey results:
44% giving is the same or has increased on average 98 day of operating funds are in reserve
Comparing COVID-19 period giving to 2008 Great Recession giving is similar in the breakdown between increased, equal, and decreased. The pattern diverges within the decrease section. COVID-19 giving decreases fall off sharply and rapidly. Presumably, giving stopped when our normal lives stopped. Recession giving tapered more gradually as budgets were and jobs were trimmed, then cut, and finally ceased.
However, another significant and distinguishing factor this time is technology. The divide is between rural and urban, in-person worship and tele-worship, cash and ACH. Rural churches receive 98% of giving in person as a part of the worship service. Urban churches are more likely to already have established electronic pay and communications.
The differences due to geography, internet availability, and tradition may be the deciding factors to a church’s ability to survive the 2020 pandemic.
Warnings were not heeded. Preparations were not made. Those who survived one war did not want to believe that another could happen. History proves that what has happened can happen again. The Great Recession began nearly 10 years ago and lasted nearly 10 years. We cannot stop financial crises from happening. We can stop waiting for it to happen before we react.
Plan. Prepare. Pivot. Progress. Proceed.