The 2026 edition of Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy is officially out. In it, you’ll find the most recent, comprehensive look at the trends shaping charitable giving in the United States. Drawing on the most robust aggregate data available, this year’s findings are especially valuable for fundraisers, given the evolving patterns in donor behavior, channel performance, and sector-specific growth.
Total charitable giving reached $617.2 billion in 2025, surpassing the $600 billion mark for the first time in current dollars. This represents a 5.7% increase over the previous year in nominal terms, and a 3% increase when adjusted for inflation. These results provide both context and critical benchmarks for nonprofits that are evaluating strategic plans and setting future goals.
Here, we unpack the key findings and trends and suggest areas of opportunity and action. (Our fundraising experts will be analyzing this data and discussing what's next during a live event on Thursday, July 23rd at 2 p.m. ET. Reserve your spot for this free event).
In 2025, the share of total giving broke down as follows:
Individual giving remains the largest group of donations, but its share continues to decline. This is a signal that although individuals are still central to the nation’s philanthropic engine, nonprofits cannot rely solely on broad-based individual giving for growth.
All four sources grew in current dollars, with bequests and foundations leading the way:
Bequest giving’s robust growth stands out, marking its third 20%-plus increase in four years and suggesting shifts in wealth-transfer patterns. Foundation giving’s steadiness, with year-after-year increases in current dollars for 15 years, demonstrates once again how important foundations can be for a nonprofit’s revenue goals. Corporate giving reached a record in nominal terms, driven in significant part by pharmaceutical in-kind donations rather than cash outlays.
Among recipient sectors, established patterns are evolving:
One of the more striking developments is the increased share of giving to “individuals,” which now accounts for about 4% of all giving, up from less than 1% in previous decades. This shift is being driven primarily by the escalation in pharmaceutical in-kind contributions through patient assistance programs.
Seven of nine recipient categories saw growth after adjusting for inflation, signaling broad-based donor resilience and expanding sectoral opportunity.
The influence of mega-gifts continues to shape philanthropic totals. In 2025, gifts of $600 million or more accounted for $22 billion (about $19 billion from individuals, and $3 billion from bequests). Mega-giving has been especially pronounced since the pandemic and accounted for roughly an extra one to two percentage points in this year’s growth over the previous year. This trend highlights the continuing concentration of giving among high-net-worth individuals and estates.
Conversely, everyday donor participation continues to decline. Research in Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy includes analysis from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project and detailed donor cohort studies, and it reveals that most growth in giving is being driven by larger contributions, with most individual donors either not being retained or giving less over time. However, those donors who are retained year after year disproportionately drive total contributed revenue.
Macroeconomic fundamentals for 2025 were strong on paper — with rising markets, income growth, and cooling inflation — yet consumer sentiment hit its lowest point since the 1950s, reflecting persistent donor uncertainty and caution, especially among middle-income households.
This dichotomy — with strength in economic aggregates but weakness in confidence — has clear implications for fundraising. Aggregate growth masks significant variations in household experience, and generosity remains strong even when confidence does not. Nonprofits must recognize that donors who give during uncertainty are making decisions grounded in trust and connection, not just economic capacity.
Policy changes — notably, the implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025 — have influenced giving behavior. There is evidence that some donors and corporations “timed” or “bunched” giving to maximize incentives before new rules took effect, particularly via donor-advised funds and other giving vehicles. Nonprofits should anticipate continued shifts in the timing and composition of gifts as donors and institutions respond strategically to tax incentives.
It is also important to note that not all giving vehicles qualify for recent policy changes. For example, direct gifts to donor-advised funds do not meet the requirements for new universal charitable deductions. However, qualified charitable distributions from IRAs remain a valuable technique, especially for retirees.
There is so much valuable information in Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy that it can be challenging to know where to start. Here are some key takeaways worth remembering:
Use Giving USA’s data as a mirror, comparing your organization’s results not just to headline numbers but also to subsector trends and peer experiences. The national trend is “the weather,” but your organization’s trajectory is unique. Examine where you mirror national growth and where you diverge, and then develop hypotheses for the differences.
The everyday donor is not vanishing, but retention is increasingly critical. Small and mid-level donors who stay engaged account for a sharply disproportionate share of revenue over the long term. Direct response strategies must focus on stewardship, donor journeys, and meaningful engagement across all channels.
Despite repeated discussions, and although bequest giving is surging, the “great wealth transfer” has not led to explosive sector-wide growth. Continue to make planned-giving marketing a priority, and educate donors on new and evolving giving vehicles.
Donors at all levels increasingly expect transparency and measurable outcomes. Integrate impact reporting and clear communications into every campaign to build trust and demonstrate value.
The 2026 edition of Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy presents both affirmation and challenge. The aggregate giving climate looks healthy, especially for organizations that can adapt quickly, leverage data for benchmarking, and focus on the nuances beneath the top-line numbers. Now is the time to double down on stewardship, tell compelling stories, and make your data work for you in strategic planning and donor communication. Knowledge is leverage, so let’s make it count together.
Join TrueSense Marketing on Thursday, July 23, at 2 p.m. ET for our popular Giving USA 2026 Webinar, during which we’ll discuss the 2026 Giving USA insights, fundraising benchmarks, brand tracking data, and performance trends.