Fact or fiction? Those who give have been given to first.

Barna’s new report, Why Giving Is Good—the third volume in The State of Generosityseries created with Gloo and a collective of partners—explores what leads U.S. adults and Christians to practice generosity in their own lives. For many, it is true that seeing kindness encourages them to extend kindness to others.

65% of Practicing Christians Have Directly Experienced Generosity Data from Why Giving Is Good show that this reciprocated generosity is especially prominent among practicing Christians—the majority of whom say they have been the recipient of someone’s generosity and now, are motivated to model generosity for others (65%).

Asked if they have ever been the recipient of someone’s extraordinary generosity, just under half of U.S. adults (46%) say yes. Another 43 percent indicate they have not, while 11 percent say they are unsure. This decline among the general population in receiving generosity compared to practicing Christians hints to the influence faith community and practice might have on one’s experience with generosity.

There are two potential implications the Church can take from this insight: