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Latest RatesBest Church Rate:5.80%+
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DSCR calculator

Will lenders say your church can afford the loan?

Check your debt service coverage ratio. The single number church lenders weigh most before approving a loan.

Your church's cash flow

$1,200,000
Total annual revenue, including tithes, offerings, designated giving.
70% of giving
Salaries, programs, utilities. Everything before debt service.
$0
Total existing loan payments per year (principal + interest).
$134,100
Annual payment on the loan you're considering.
Don't know your proposed debt service? Run the loan payment calculator →

Your DSCR

2.68×
Strong

Comfortable cushion. You'll qualify with the best lenders at the best rates.

0x1.0x1.2x1.5x2x3x
Net operating income
$360,000/yr
Borrowing headroom
+$165,900/yr

Estimate only. Not a loan offer or commitment. Actual underwriting depends on giving history, reserves, leadership, and the specific lender's thresholds.

See what you'd actually qualify for

Where every dollar of giving goes

The lender wants to see $1.20of NOI for every $1 of debt service. Here's how your dollars stack up.

70%
11%
19%
Operating expenses$840,000
Current debt service$0
Proposed new debt service$134,100
Coverage cushion (NOI after all debt)$225,900
1.48× cushion above the lender minimum. You have room to absorb a soft giving year.

How DSCR works

Debt Service Coverage Ratio is the single number church lenders weigh most. It answers one question: does your cash flow comfortably cover the loan payments?

The formula
DSCR = Net Operating Income ÷ Annual Debt Service
Where NOI = annual giving minus operating expenses, and annual debt service = total loan payments (current + proposed) for the year.

What the bands mean

< 1.0x
Insufficient
Cash flow won't cover debt
1.0 to 1.2x
Tight
Below most lender minimums
1.2 to 1.5x
Adequate
Qualifies, little cushion
1.5x+
Strong
Best rates, best lenders

Frequently asked questions

What is DSCR for a church?
Debt Service Coverage Ratio = Net Operating Income ÷ Annual Debt Service. It measures whether your cash flow can comfortably cover loan payments. For churches, NOI is annual giving minus operating expenses, before debt.
What DSCR do church lenders require?
Most require a minimum of 1.20× (some 1.25×). Below that, you'll see higher rates, smaller loan sizes, or outright declines. Above 1.50× puts you in the strongest borrower tier.
How can we improve our DSCR?
Three levers: grow giving (capital campaign, stewardship), cut operating expenses (audit programs, refinance staff costs), or reduce debt service (refinance existing loans, shorter campaign, smaller borrow).
Does DSCR include the new loan?
Yes. Lenders calculate "pro-forma DSCR" including the proposed new debt. That is what this calculator does: it adds your proposed debt service to current debt and tests the combined coverage.

DSCR is 1 of 7 factors

See your full readiness score across every underwriting factor lenders weigh.
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