The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently released the findings from a study that was conducted by the Indiana University School of Philanthropy and its Lake Institute on Faith & Giving. The research revealed that churches are seeing larger donations when they reach out to younger individuals. That is, organizations that targeted donors under the age of 50 tended to see the most significant increases. Part of the reason behind the success is that the churches implemented new technology tools that provided individuals with more convenient ways to contribute. 

In fact, two-thirds of the 3,103 faith-based organizations in the United States that participated in the survey said they now supported online fundraising and other forms of electronic payments such as credit cards or automatic deductions. 

Aimee Laramore, associate director at the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at the Indiana University School of Philanthropy, told The Chronicle of Philanthropy that allowing donors to give electronically can be particularly effective with younger populations that have embraced online transactions. Churches that support new forms of payment processing can gain financial stability, Laramore added.

As foundations tap into emerging digital channels to raise funds online, they can benefit from nonprofit fundraising software that tracks incoming donations and quantitatively measures the success of their efforts.