What the World Giving Report 2025 means for Christian fundraising
Have you seen the latest World Giving Report? It’s full of surprises and packed with interesting insight for those of us passionate about resourcing God’s work across the globe.
If you’re a fundraiser in a Christian ministry setting, especially one working across continents, the findings this year are a timely reminder: generosity is everywhere, but it doesn’t look the same everywhere.
That’s why we believe the future of ministry fundraising is polycentric.
Let’s unpack what that means and how you can respond.
Generosity is thriving in unexpected places.
Can you guess which country topped the global giving chart?
Nigeria.
Yes, that’s right.
Nigerian households are giving sacrificially, often out of modest incomes. Not far behind are countries like Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE, some of which are giving more than 2% of their income to charitable causes. That’s double the global average!
Meanwhile, in many high-income Western countries, giving is… slowing down.
So, what does that tell us?
It tells us the Spirit of God is moving in powerful ways across the Global South and East Asia. And it means we must rethink where we look for funding, not always to Western partners, but increasingly to brothers and sisters in Africa and Asia who are eager to give.
Giving looks different depending on where you stand.
What motivates someone to give in Nairobi might be different than in Seoul or Singapore.
This year’s report showed people give most often to:
- Help children in need
- Fight poverty
- Support religious causes and humanitarian aid
- Care for elderly people
Also interesting: 1 in 5 people said they were moved to give by something they saw in the news. And nearly two-thirds said they give because they care deeply about the cause.
This is good news for us in ministry.
These insights mean that storytelling still matters.
They mean our causes, discipleship, justice, compassion, or church planting, can and do resonate. But only if we learn to speak the heart language of Christians of different parts of the world and communicate our mission causes in ways that matter to them.
Cross-border generosity is rising.
In countries like the UAE and Qatar, up to one-third of donors give internationally.
But the same trend is growing in parts of East Africa and Asia. Ministries in Kenya and the Philippines are increasingly receiving gifts from diaspora Christians and believers in neighbouring countries.
That’s a huge opportunity.
But here’s the challenge: how do we avoid dependency on foreign funds?
The answer lies in mutual partnerships.
Instead of asking people to fund “our” mission, what if we invited them to shape a shared vision?
What if ministry fundraising became less about transferring money from rich countries, foundations, and churches in the Global North and more about joining hands across cultures to see God’s kingdom come?
That’s the heart of polycentric fundraising—many centres of leadership, many centres of generosity, all part of one global Church.
Trust and religious giving run deep in some regions of our world.
Let’s take Kenya, Singapore, and South Korea as examples. In these countries, people don’t just give generously; they give to local churches and through the churches to global mission activities and movements too..
In Kenya, regular tithing is a deeply ingrained practice, often forming the backbone of ministry support at the local and national level.
In Singapore, churches are known for their excellence in stewardship and their members’ commitment to sacrificial giving.
And in South Korea, large-scale church movements fund ambitious mission efforts both domestically and abroad, with many donors giving quietly but consistently.
What these examples show us is that trust matters, but not always as trust in institutions. In these regions, the Church itself is the trusted vehicle for giving.
That’s a vital insight. In some parts of the world, a glossy campaign or international NGO might not carry the same weight as a respected local pastor or a transparent church committee.
Polycentric fundraising means respecting and working with those trust systems—not assuming we know better.
So… what are some of the learnings for Christian ministries?
If you’re part of a Christian charity or ministry looking to grow your support base, here are five takeaways from the report you can start applying today:
- Widen your view of generosity. Don’t assume funding must come from abroad. Look at where God is stirring hearts and open up new paths of connection.
- Equip local leaders. Fundraising isn’t just a headquarters job. Train and empower your teams and volunteers across the world to lead locally rooted campaigns.
- Build mutual trust, not just donor pipelines. Invite people to give not as outsiders, but as partners, as equal members of God’s mission.
- Tell stories that resonate. Adapt your messaging to reflect the values and concerns of each culture you’re speaking to. A good story travels when it feels close to home.
- Celebrate what God is already doing. Instead of framing giving as fixing a problem, invite others to join the amazing work already happening in their region.
A global body, a global mission
As I’ve often said in my work with Christian charities and the Lausanne Movement, polycentric fundraising is about much more than raising money. It’s about inviting participation in the mission of God, from every corner of the world.
The early church got this. The believers in Macedonia gave joyfully to support the church in Jerusalem. Paul raised funds in one place to meet needs in another. Nobody was “just” a supporter. Everyone was part of God’s story in their community and the world.
That’s the kind of fundraising we dream of today: not supporter-driven but mission-driven. Not about rich helping poor, but about all God’s people responding to His call with open hands and joyful hearts.
Maybe it’s time to reimagine your fundraising strategy.
I hope and pray that we will continue to learn from one another and from what God is doing around the world.
Written by Redina Kolaneci for the Ministry Fundraising Network, with gratitude to the CAF World Giving Report 2025 and to all who are living out the call to raise resources faithfully, humbly, and globally.
