# Can I Give My Tithe to the Poor? What Faith-Based Nonprofits Hear

Christian and Jewish traditions give different answers to where a tithe belongs. This article lays out the range with sources, reads what the question says about the donor, and shows how a faith-based nonprofit can ask without competing with the donor's congregation.

## Key takeaways
- Traditions differ: a 2013 Southern Baptist Convention resolution urges tithing to the local church, the United Methodist Church treats the tithe as a minimum goal, and the Catholic Catechism asks each member to support the Church according to ability without naming a percentage.
- In Jewish practice, ma'aser kesafim, setting aside a tenth of income for tzedakah (charitable giving), goes first to people in need, with relatives in need taking precedence (Chabad.org), and authorities disagree on whether it is an obligation (Orthodox Union).
- Religion received $151.58 billion in 2025, up 2.4% before inflation and flat after it, while human services received $99.50 billion, up 5.3% (Giving USA 2026).
- A 2025 meta-analysis of 89,570 participants found that identifying with a charity's beneficiaries correlates with giving at r = .24, and that identification of every kind was linked to giving only when gifts went through charities (r = .34), not when people gave directly to individuals (r = .04) (Chapman et al., NVSQ).
- A faith-based nonprofit should leave the tithe question to the donor and their tradition, name its reason for serving in its own terms, and show a specific person helped, never positioning its appeal against the donor's congregation.

Can I give my tithe to the poor instead of church? The honest answer is that it depends on the donor's tradition, and traditions disagree. Some Christian teaching directs the whole tithe to the local congregation, some treats a tenth as a starting point with wide freedom beyond it, and Catholic teaching sets no fixed percentage. In Jewish practice, the tenth of income set aside for charity, called ma'aser kesafim, is directed first to people in need, as [Chabad.org](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/6991331/jewish/What-You-Need-to-Know-About-Maaser-Tithes.htm) explains. A faith-based nonprofit does not need to settle that question, and should not try. What it can learn from the question is who is asking it: a donor who sees their giving as a religious act and wants it to reach people directly. This article lays out the range of views with sources, reads the question against 2025 giving data, and shows how to write to that donor with respect.

## Can I give my tithe to the poor instead of church, according to each tradition?

A tithe means a tenth. The [United Methodist Church](https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-what-does-the-united-methodist-church-teach-about-tithing) defines it as "the giving of one-tenth of one's income for God." Where that tenth should go is where teaching divides. The table below summarizes the published positions of several traditions in their own sources. It reports each view and does not rank them.

Where a tithe or tenth should go, in the published teaching of several traditions, plus one individual Christian author's opinion piece (labeled)

| Tradition or source | What it teaches about where giving goes |
| --- | --- |
| Southern Baptist Convention, 2013 resolution | Urges members to tithe "to their local churches" (the storehouse view: the tenth goes to the congregation, with other giving beyond it) |
| United Methodist Church | Treats the tithe as a "minimum goal of giving" to move toward and then beyond |
| Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 2043 | The faithful have a duty to provide for the Church's material needs "each according to his abilities", with no fixed percentage |
| Crosswalk opinion piece (Cindi McMenamin, 2022) | Keeps disciplined giving to the local congregation but argues tithing can also support other Christian organizations and people in need |
| Jewish practice: ma'aser kesafim (Chabad.org) | A tenth of income set aside for tzedakah, which goes first to people in need, with relatives in need taking precedence, and may also support communal institutions |
| Jewish law on its status (Orthodox Union) | Authorities disagree on whether ma'aser kesafim is an obligation or a custom, and all agree it is praiseworthy |

The sources behind each row: the [Southern Baptist Convention resolution](https://www.sbc.net/resource-library/resolutions/on-tithing-stewardship-and-the-cooperative-program/) (June 2013), the [United Methodist Church](https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-what-does-the-united-methodist-church-teach-about-tithing), paragraph 2043 of the [Catechism of the Catholic Church](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P75.HTM), [Crosswalk](https://www.crosswalk.com/church/giving/does-it-count-as-tithing-if-you-dont-give-directly-to-the-church.html), [Chabad.org](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/6991331/jewish/What-You-Need-to-Know-About-Maaser-Tithes.htm), and the [Orthodox Union](https://outorah.org/p/50046). Jewish teaching also ranks forms of giving. In the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides places highest supporting a fellow Jew who has fallen into poverty, through a gift, a loan, a partnership, or finding them work, so that they will not have to ask others ([Gifts to the Poor 10:7](https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Gifts_to_the_Poor.10.7), Touger translation). Many individual congregations and teachers hold views that differ from their denomination's statement, so a donor's own clergy is the right place for the question to be answered.

## What does the tithe question say about the donor who asks it?

The question pairs two commitments. The donor already thinks of their giving in religious terms, since the word they reach for is tithe. And they want at least part of it to reach people in need. Our reading, which is an inference rather than a measured finding, is that this donor is not choosing between faith and service. They are asking whether their faith allows the gift to go where the need is.

The 2025 giving data fits that reading, though it cannot prove it. According to [Giving USA 2026](https://givingusa.org/giving-usa-charitable-giving-rose-to-617-20-billion-in-2025-surpassing-the-600-billion-mark-for-the-first-time/), giving to religion reached $151.58 billion in 2025, up 2.4% in current dollars and flat (-0.2%) after inflation. Giving to human services, the category that includes food, shelter, and family services, reached $99.50 billion, up 5.3% before inflation and 2.6% after. Religion remains the largest single category, about a quarter of the $617.20 billion Americans gave in 2025 (our calculation from the report's totals), but human services grew faster.

**5.3% vs 2.4%** — growth in 2025 giving to human services versus giving to religion, in current dollars ([Giving USA 2026 (2025 data)](https://givingusa.org/giving-usa-charitable-giving-rose-to-617-20-billion-in-2025-surpassing-the-600-billion-mark-for-the-first-time/))

## Why does connecting a donor to the people served matter for the ask?

A donor who asks whether a tithe can go to people in need is telling you they want to feel connected to the person helped. Research on social identification measures exactly that feeling. In a 2025 meta-analysis in [Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly](https://doi.org/10.1177/08997640251317403), Cassandra Chapman, Jessica Spence, Matthew Hornsey, and Lucas Dixon combined 109 effect sizes from 40 years of studies covering 89,570 participants. Identifying with a charity's beneficiaries correlated with giving at r = .24. A correlation coefficient, r, runs from -1 to 1, where 0 means no relationship and 1 a perfect positive one, so .24 is a modest positive association. It is correlational, meaning it shows that people who identify with those served tend to give more, not that identification alone causes the gift.

**r = .24** — correlation between identifying with a charity's beneficiaries and giving, across 89,570 participants in 109 effect sizes ([Chapman, Spence, Hornsey & Dixon (2025), NVSQ](https://doi.org/10.1177/08997640251317403))

Two further results in the same meta-analysis matter for a faith-based nonprofit. The link between identification and giving appeared when the gift went through a charity (r = .34) and not when people gave directly to individuals (r = .04). Because the studies are correlational, this shows where the association appears, not why, but it suggests the organization in the middle matters. The link was also weaker for actual giving behavior (r = .20) than for giving people reported about themselves (r = .33), so the effect on real gifts is smaller than surveys suggest.

Trust points the same way. In [Independent Sector's July 2026 trust survey](https://independentsector.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Trust-in-Nonprofits-and-Philanthropy-Report-July-2026.pdf) with Edelman Data and Intelligence, an online survey of 3,000 U.S. adults fielded April 3 to 20, 2026, human service organizations were the most trusted type of nonprofit at 67% (the share rating their trust 7 to 9 on a 9-point scale), against 56% for nonprofits overall (asked as a separate question) (pages 6 and 9). Many faith-based nonprofits run human services, so they start with the trust the donor is looking for.

## Is a gift to a nonprofit that serves the poor tax deductible?

There is a practical reason the organization in the middle matters too. [IRS Publication 526](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p526) says a donor cannot deduct contributions to "individuals who are needy or worthy", but can deduct a contribution to a qualified organization that helps needy individuals, as long as the gift is not earmarked for a specific person. Money handed directly to a neighbor in need is generous and not deductible. The same money given to a qualified nonprofit that serves neighbors in need is deductible, including, starting with tax year 2026, for donors who take the standard deduction, up to the limits described in our guide to whether [church donations are tax deductible](https://donorinsights.com/articles/church-donations-tax-deductible). This is general information, not tax advice.

## How should a faith-based nonprofit write to donors who ask this question?

The goal is an appeal that respects the donor's tradition, states the organization's own reason for serving, and shows a person helped. Three pairs of do and don't cover most of it:

Three do and don't pairs for appeals to donors who give from faith and want to reach people in need

| Do | Don't |
| --- | --- |
| Say why your organization serves, in your own words, and let the donor connect it to their faith | Tell the donor what their tradition requires, or quote teaching at them |
| Present your gift as one part of a life of giving that already includes their congregation | Suggest the donor move their tithe away from their church, or compare your work with a congregation's |
| Show one specific person helped and what the gift paid for | Lead with totals and overhead percentages the donor cannot picture |

Here is how that looks in practice. The example is illustrative, for a fictional organization, Harbor Light Family Shelter. A typical opening reads: "Many people ask whether they can give their tithe to help the poor. At Harbor Light, we believe you can." That sentence answers a religious question the shelter has no standing to answer, and it quietly sets the shelter against the donor's church. A rewrite in the donor's terms reads: "Our faith is why Harbor Light opens its doors every night. Last month, a gift of $60 gave Maria and her two children a safe room, dinner, and breakfast before school. If helping neighbors like Maria is part of how you live out your faith, you can do that here, alongside the giving you already do in your own congregation."

1. Name your reason for serving once, near the top, in your organization's own words.
2. Tell one story about one person, with what a specific gift amount provided. The Chapman meta-analysis ties identification with beneficiaries to giving, and a named person is easier to identify with than a total.
3. Acknowledge the donor's congregation as part of their giving, in one sentence, and never ask them to redirect a tithe.
4. State that the gift is to a qualified nonprofit and that the donor will receive a receipt, since a gift through your organization is deductible where a direct gift to a person is not.
5. Report back after the gift with what happened to the person the donor helped, which is how the trust the survey measured is kept.

The same reasoning applies to identity language in general, which our guide to [donor identity priming](https://donorinsights.com/articles/donor-identity-priming) covers, and the sector numbers above come from the [Giving USA 2026](https://donorinsights.com/articles/giving-usa-2026) report. On your own file, the useful question is whether donors who gave in response to a story about a specific person give again. Donor Insights reads your contacts and gifts so you can compare those donors with donors who gave to a general appeal. The [methodology](https://donorinsights.com/methodology) starts from your own giving records, and the [platform](https://donorinsights.com/platform) shows how each group of donors stays with you over time.

## FAQ

**Can I give my tithe to the poor instead of church?**

Traditions answer differently. Some Christian teaching, such as a 2013 Southern Baptist Convention resolution, directs the tithe to the local church. Other teaching treats a tenth as a minimum goal or sets no fixed percentage. In Jewish practice, ma'aser kesafim goes first to people in need. A donor's own clergy is the right person to answer it for them.

**What is ma'aser kesafim?**

It is the Jewish practice of setting aside a tenth of income for tzedakah, or charitable giving. According to Chabad.org, the money goes first to people in need, with relatives in need taking precedence, and it may also support communal institutions. The Orthodox Union notes that authorities disagree on whether it is an obligation or a custom.

**Should a faith-based nonprofit tell donors their tithe can go to it?**

No. That answers a religious question the organization has no standing to answer and sets it against the donor's congregation. State your own reason for serving, show a person helped, and let the donor decide how the gift fits their giving.

**Is giving directly to a person in need tax deductible?**

No. IRS Publication 526 says gifts to needy individuals are not deductible. A gift to a qualified nonprofit that serves people in need is deductible, as long as it is not earmarked for one specific person. This is general information, not tax advice.

**Why does a story about one person help an appeal?**

A 2025 meta-analysis by Chapman and colleagues found that identifying with a charity's beneficiaries correlates with giving (r = .24). A named person with a specific need is easier for a donor to identify with than a total or a percentage. The finding is correlational, so test it on your own donors.

## Sources
- [Giving USA Foundation (2026). Giving USA 2026: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2025 (press release, giving by recipient type). 2025 data.](https://givingusa.org/giving-usa-charitable-giving-rose-to-617-20-billion-in-2025-surpassing-the-600-billion-mark-for-the-first-time/)
- [Chapman, C. M., Spence, J. L., Hornsey, M. J., & Dixon, L. (2025). Social Identification and Charitable Giving: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 54(6), 1308-1341. DOI 10.1177/08997640251317403 (meta-analysis of correlational studies).](https://doi.org/10.1177/08997640251317403)
- [Independent Sector & Edelman Data and Intelligence (2026). Trust in Nonprofits and Philanthropy, July 2026. Online survey of 3,000 U.S. adults, April 3-20, 2026.](https://independentsector.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Trust-in-Nonprofits-and-Philanthropy-Report-July-2026.pdf)
- [Internal Revenue Service. Publication 526, Charitable Contributions (contributions to individuals). IRS.gov.](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p526)
- [Southern Baptist Convention (2013). On Tithing, Stewardship, and the Cooperative Program. Resolution, Houston, June 11-12, 2013.](https://www.sbc.net/resource-library/resolutions/on-tithing-stewardship-and-the-cooperative-program/)
- [United Methodist Church. Ask The UMC: What does The United Methodist Church teach about tithing? UMC.org.](https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-what-does-the-united-methodist-church-teach-about-tithing)
- [Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2043 (the precepts of the Church). Vatican.va.](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P75.HTM)
- [McMenamin, C. (2022). Does It Count as Tithing If You Don't Give Directly to the Church? Crosswalk.com, November 15, 2022 (opinion).](https://www.crosswalk.com/church/giving/does-it-count-as-tithing-if-you-dont-give-directly-to-the-church.html)
- [Shurpin, Y. What You Need to Know About Maaser (Tithes). Chabad.org.](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/6991331/jewish/What-You-Need-to-Know-About-Maaser-Tithes.htm)
- [Orthodox Union, OU Kosher Halacha Yomis. Is Everyone Required to Donate 10% of their Income to Tzedakah?](https://outorah.org/p/50046)
- [Maimonides. Mishneh Torah, Gifts to the Poor 10:7, trans. Eliyahu Touger (Moznaim). Sefaria.](https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Gifts_to_the_Poor.10.7)

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