As part of the Charity Awareness Monitor, our regular survey of the British public's attitudes towards and awareness of charities, we collect data on the faith and worship habits of respondents. Delving into this data we pose the question- are Christian audiences relevant for charities that are not faith-based? And does being a regular churchgoer make a difference to how individuals perceive and engage with charities?

The Christian audience in the UK is relevant for consideration by charities because it represents a sizeable minority of the population- just under a fifth (18%) of the UK public are regular worshippers or churchgoers, and 14% describe their faith as active Christian.[fn]nfpSynergy, May to September 2010. Based on a survey of 3,000 adults 16+ in Great Britain, as part of the Charity Awareness Monitor.[/fn] A further 41% of the public consider themselves non-practising Christians. While church attendance has been falling over the past 30 years and may continue to decline, 15% of the public still report attending church at least monthly, and a further 10% go at least once a year, meaning a quarter of the public enter a church on an annual basis.[fn]Tearfund, 2007. Churchgoing in the UK. Survey of 7,000 adults 16+, Great Britain.[/fn] Furthermore, when we look at past contact with the church, we find that only around 40% of the public are „unchurched‟, never having attended a church in the past.[fn]ibid.[/fn]

When it comes to relationships with charities, we find that regular worshippers are a very distinctive audience- they are characterised by high levels of financial giving, and an enthusiasm for engaging with charities beyond donating money. Over four fifths of worshippers gave to charities in the last three months in 20104[fn]Based on a survey of 3,000 adults 16+, Britain, as part of the Charity Awareness Monitor, May-Sep 10, nfpSynergy[/fn] (86%, compared with 72% of non-worshippers), and the average amount they reported giving during this three month period was £84, compared with £43 for non-worshippers. This is consistent with transactional data gathered by NCVO which calculates average donation by sector and shows that religious causes receive the highest mean donation of any sector.[fn]NCVO, 2010. The UK Civil Society Almanac 2010.[/fn]

Worshippers are also much less likely than non-worshippers to plan to cut back on giving to charity in the future (41% will definitely or probably cut back, compared with 58% of non-worshippers), suggesting worshippers may be easier donors to retain during hard times.[fn]nfpSynergy, September 2010. Charity Awareness Monitor survey of 1,000 adults 16+ in Great Britain.[/fn] Particularly relevant here is the Biblical principle of tithing, a way of life for the lsraelites detailed in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy[fn]The Bible, New International Version. Deuteronomy 26 v12.  “When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.”[/fn], which commands the giving away of 10% of annual income, used as a guideline for many Christians in thinking about charitable giving. While a proportion of any 'tithe‟ is likely to be given through local churches rather than traditional charities, established habits and a theological justification for giving perhaps explain why Christian givers are less likely to stop giving in uncertain times.

Looking at forms of support beyond recent donations, worshippers are more likely to have already made a bequest in their will or be open to leaving a legacy to charity (48% have done so or would consider it, compared with 31% of non-worshippers). They are also more likely to have fundraised for charities through being sponsored to take part in an event (24% compared with 15%), or have volunteered in the last three months (32%, versus 16% of non-worshippers). Those with an active faith are also enthusiastic campaigners; for example, 24% of worshippers have signed a campaigning postcard, compared with 10% of non-worshippers.

Interestingly it seems regular worshippers are not only particularly relevant to charities as supporters, but they are also more likely to make use of charities' services, being more likely to visit heritage and environmental sites and art galleries and seek advice or information from charities.

Furthermore, by dint of being regular worshippers, those with an active faith are more likely to have high levels of what Robert Putnam describes as social capital- explained as “connections among individuals – social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them”[fn]Putnam, R., 2000. Bowling Alone.[/fn]. They are more likely to socialise regularly with friends, be engaged politically, and get involved with local voluntary groups. Their social capital is connected to higher levels of trust, for example in public institutions- worshippers are most likely to trust charities, the Church and the Armed Forces among a list of institutions, good news for charities seeking to fundraise among worshippers, but are also much more likely than non-worshippers to trust The Royal Family (52% trust a great deal or quite a lot, compared with 38% of non-worshippers) as well as Scouts and Guides and banks. Worshippers are particularly likely to base their high levels of trust in charities on high standards in fundraising and personal contact with the charity, either through as individuals or through a family member or friend. We cannot underestimate here the role of churches in connecting worshippers with charities in ways likely to engender trust- the personal connection of fellow congregants, sharing their experiences of volunteering for, fundraising for or working for charities.

Regular worshippers also differ in their perceptions of the issues charities work on, with regular worshippers particularly likely to be concerned about issues of poverty overseas as well as at home. In September 2010, 61% of worshippers were extremely or very concerned about hunger in Africa, compared with 38% of non-worshippers; by contrast, there was little difference in levels of concern about issues relating to cultural heritage, the risk of cancer and pets. This concern about issues also has an impact on the types of causes supported: while worshippers and non-worshippers alike are most likely to identify their favourite charities among those working on cancer, children and young people, and animals, scores for disability, homelessness and social welfare, and overseas aid and development as favourite causes are much higher among worshippers. Churches may well be playing a role in highlighting the importance of issues of poverty and encouraging a global mindset among their congregation.

There are also differences in the ways regular worshippers engage with the media, donate money and make purchasing decisions, in part based on demographic differences between worshippers and non-worshippers, with worshippers more likely to include women, older age groups and high social grades. Christians are more likely to report giving to charity in committed ways, such as direct debits or standing orders. As a group, worshippers watch less television than average and listen to the radio more, while they are more likely to read a newspaper regularly, particularly the Daily Mail, Telegraph or Times. They are also more engaged in ethical consumerism, with 85% taking into account ethical considerations when making purchases.

So Christians are certainly a distinctive audience, and one worth the attention of secular as well as faith-based charities. But what does all this mean for charities interested in targeting Christian audiences? On the one hand, it is important to bear in mind that Christians may be a more “saturated” market, being more likely to already have favourite charities they support. Secular charities may have to work hard to compete with Christian charities among this audience: for example, Christian Aid is the second most commonly supported charity among regular worshippers, while not even making the top 15 among non-worshippers[fn]nfpSynergy, September 2010. Charity Awareness Monitor survey of 1,000 adults 16+ in Great Britain.[/fn]. And given trends in church attendance and the skew towards older age groups worshipping regularly, it may be hard for charities to build the next generation of supporters from among this group.

However, charities that do attract the support of Christians are likely to enjoy the benefits of generous donors particularly engaged with and loyal to charities, with high levels of trust- not only because of worshippers ‟social capital", but also due to encountering charities in a very personal way through churches. Charities should take advantage of worshippers connections with churches as a powerful means of reaching this audience, with scope to grab their attention beyond the powers of direct mail or above the line advertising. They should offer Christians ways of supporting them not just financially but through giving time or campaigning, or even with a legacy. After all, for this audience, it is "more blessed to give than to receive"[fn]The Bible, New International Version. Deuteronomy 15:7.[/fn].