'State Of The Plate' Report: Donations At U.S. Churches Rise In 2010

NEW YORK -- Donations at U.S. churches rose 7 percent to 43 percent last year, the third annual "State of the Plate" survey found on Wednesday.

Donations fell at 39 percent of the 1,507 churches polled and more than 90 percent of religious leaders expressed concern that plans by President Barack Obama to reform tax breaks for charitable giving could harm donations.

"Charities and churches have been hit hard by the economy the past three years," said Pastor Brian Kluth, founder of Maximum Generosity, which provides information on fund-raising to churches.
"If the government's plan to change the rules on charitable tax deductions goes through, giving to charities and churches will likely be negatively affected," he said.

Varying types of churches from around the United States took part in the online survey.
Giving to churches and religious organizations made up an estimated 0.7 percent of the estimated $303 billion given in 2009, according to the Giving USA annual report. Figures for last year are not yet available.

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions

Comments

[LAustin]

09:40 PM on 04/01/2011

This said "donations", but do they mean "offerings" as in tithe??

There is a big difference between a 'tithe', and a donation by someone who perhaps does not attend that church.

[DanSc]

06:22 PM on 04/02/2011

The LDS is practically the only church that requires a tithe anymore

[Vimentin]

12:42 PM on 04/01/2011

Churches should pay taxes.

[EnterUsernameHere]

01:22 PM on 04/01/2011

So should unions.

[DanSc]

06:22 PM on 04/02/2011

Then we'll have to tax all charities

[bgofca]

01:17 AM on 04/01/2011

churches should have to pay taxes just like any other business, especially the ones that are politically active such as anti women's rights, anti choice, anti stem cell research and anti gay rights. there are some good people in some churches, and some of them do good works, but a lot of hatred is spread by the churches as well.

[DanSc]

06:23 PM on 04/02/2011

Charities are politically active and they don't pay taxes.

[Jokergirl]

09:19 PM on 03/31/2011

Churches don't have to pay taxes. Churches are not suffering, maybe attendance in church is but otherwise, no. I don't buy that.