Religious institutions receive about half of the money given away by the private sector in America.
Although these institutions use most of the money they raise to pay for their own programs, organized religion is also a major source of funds for secular nonprofits. However, reliable studies show that organized religion's philanthropic giving to nonreligious activities exceeds that of foundations and corporations combined, putting churches right behind individuals as the largest source of charitable giving. You will need to be familiar with each denomination's regional and national structures to understand the giving process of most religious bodies. Many orders of nuns and priests provide funding to local groups as well. To learn more about formal giving programs such as these, research them as you would foundations and approach them in much the same way.