Research gives us numbers. What we do with them gives us direction.
Over the course of our research series, we have shared findings that explored how Christian women approach generosity, from financial leadership and giving motivations to faith practices and philanthropic decision-making. Now, the complete Women, Wealth, and Faith report is available, bringing every finding together in one comprehensive resource.
Taken as a whole, the research is both encouraging and challenging. It reveals women who are confident, intentional, and deeply committed to stewarding what God has entrusted to them. It also points to real opportunities for churches, ministries, nonprofits, financial professionals, and women themselves.
The Research Confirms What Many Women Already Know
Christian women are not on the sidelines of financial leadership.
Ninety-five percent of women in this study contribute to household income, and nearly half provide half or more of it. Most married couples make giving decisions together. But when one spouse takes the lead, it is the women five times more often than her husband.
Compared to our original 2012 study, women are more equipped, more resourced, and more visible in their financial leadership. This is not simply a shift in financial influence. It is a picture of women living out their faith through thoughtful stewardship and generosity.
The Barrier Is Not Knowledge. It Is Proximity.
Only three percent of these women said that not knowing how to give was a barrier. The mechanics of giving are not the problem.
What stands in her way is different from what many assume. Roughly a third of women each named uncertainty about how their money would be used, worry that giving now would take from what their family may need later, and a sense of being overwhelmed by the number of asks. Trust, financial uncertainty, and fatigue. Not knowledge. Not capacity. Not will.
And what moves her past those barriers is not more data or a better brochure. It is proximity. The two most helpful resources women named for developing their giving were being personally exposed to needs and being involved with nonprofit organizations, each at forty-three percent. When she sees where her money goes, the uncertainty dissolves.
That finding runs through the whole report. Her compass has not moved since 2012: values, faith, gratitude, and Scripture still inform her giving above everything else, with social media ranked last. Women who read the Bible, attend church, and gather in small groups give significantly more, even after accounting for income. This is not a wealth story. It is a formation story.
A Fuller Picture of Generosity
Across eleven findings, the report also explores:
- How much these women give of both time and money
- Where their giving goes, beginning with their local congregation
- Giving vehicles and collaborative models, from donor advised funds to giving circles
- The influence of trusted advisors and nonprofit relationships
- Legacy giving and the future of generosity
Together, these findings reveal that generosity is about far more than charitable transactions. It reflects values, relationships, purpose, and a desire to faithfully steward every resource God provides.
Why This Research Matters
The insights here challenge some assumptions and confirm what many women have known firsthand. They also make the opportunity plain. Churches and nonprofits hold the teaching and trust relationships that form givers.
Advisors hold something too. Seventy percent of these women work with one, and eighty-two percent say that advisor is aligned with their values. Those women more often report feeling knowledgeable about their giving options, confident in their giving purpose, and equipped with well developed plans for the future. And confidence in giving purpose is itself correlated with giving more, in both dollars and percentage of income. The women least likely to have an advisor are younger, unmarried, or at lower income levels, which is precisely where the opportunity sits.
Sixty-five percent of these women have no plans yet for giving beyond their lifetimes, though many want to.
Read the Complete Report
Read together, the eleven findings leave us with one question, and it is not whether she is ready.
It is whether we will meet her where she already is.
Read the complete report HERE
Join us for our September webinar HERE
