NATIONWIDE RESEARCH AT A GLANCE
May 2017
Christian Radio Listeners Top Reasons for Not Giving by Age
In the 2016 Finney Media Why Listen?™ nationwide survey, we asked non-donor Christian radio listeners across the US why they don’t give to Christian radio. Here are their top main reasons for not giving, broken down by age demographics:
| Adults Under 35 | Adults 35-44 | Adults 45-54 | |||||
| I have a limited income and can’t give right now | 52% | I have a limited income and can’t give right now | 49% | I have a limited income and can’t give right now | 46% | ||
| None of the above | 21% | None of the above | 22% | None of the above | 25% | ||
| I give to other organizations that need money more | 11% | I give to other organizations that need money more | 15% | I give to other organizations that need money more | 13% | ||
| I only give money to my local church | 8% | I only give money to my local church | 10% | I only give money to my local church | 12% | ||
| Lots of other people listen and probably give | 3% | I did not know they needed my support | 1% | I did not know they needed my support | 2% | ||
| I did not know they needed my support | 3% | Lots of other people listen and probably give | 1% | Lots of other people listen and probably give | 2% | ||
| The broadcaster hasn’t made a compelling case for the need | 1% | My contribution won’t make much of a difference | 1% | My contribution won’t make much of a difference | 1% | ||
| My contribution won’t make much of a difference | 1% | The broadcaster hasn’t made a compelling case for the need | 1% | The broadcaster hasn’t made a compelling case for the need | 0% |
| Adults 55-64 | Adults 65+ | |||
| I have a limited income and can’t give right now | 44% | I have a limited income and can’t give right now | 39% | |
| None of the above | 24% | None of the above | 25% | |
| I give to other organizations that need money more | 15% | I give to other organizations that need money more | 20% | |
| I only give money to my local church | 13% | I only give money to my local church | 12% | |
| I did not know they needed my support | 2% | I did not know they needed my support | 2% | |
| Lots of other people listen and probably give | 1% | My contribution won’t make much of a difference | 1% | |
| The broadcaster hasn’t made a compelling case for the need | 1% | The broadcaster hasn’t made a compelling case for the need | 1% | |
| My contribution won’t make much of a difference | 1% | Lots of other people listen and probably give | 0% |
Easily the #1 answer for non-givers to Christian radio to not give is “I have a limited income and can’t give right now.” As we look at the trends younger to older, the percentage for that answer drops. So, it’s not that your station hasn’t communicated that you need support (between 1 and 3%) or that you haven’t made a compelling case for the need (at 1% or 0% across each demo).
It’s curious to us the answer at #2 – “None of The Above,” between 21% and 25% of all responses. If it’s not “limited income/can’t give right now” or “giving to other organizations that need the money more” or “only giving to my local church,” what is it? And, more importantly, is it something we can do something about? Or is it simple reluctance to answer in this sensitive area?
Coming in Finney’s Fast Five for June: We begin a series comparing Christian Radio listeners to Christians in general nationwide. How are Christian radio listeners different from or the same as Christians in general? And what can we learn from that to reach beyond the listeners we have now?
