10 philanthropy trends shaping giving in 2026

In 2026, total giving is up, but individual donor counts are declining, staff are burnt out, and federal funding remains uncertain. At the same time, nonprofits are seeing growing expectations for transparency, stronger interest in recurring giving, and other trends impacting philanthropy.

While these shifts might sound overwhelming, don't panic. With the right strategies, you can make them work in your favor and raise more funds for your cause than ever before.

We'll cover which trends are the most important to watch and practical steps you can take to get ahead of them.

The 10 most important trends in philanthropy right now at a glance

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1. Donors expect radical transparency about impact

According to research, 38% of online donors don't believe nonprofits effectively communicate impact. On Reddit, nonprofits note that donors often seek complete transparency about how money is spent, rather than just generic mission updates.

For organizations looking to boost donations and donor retention, this presents an impactful, low-lift opportunity.

🗣️ What the experts are saying:

• Loree Lipstein, Founder & CEO, Thread Strategies: "Today's donors are often motivated by transparency, personal connection to the mission, and the opportunity to see tangible impact from their philanthropy."
• Morgan Gross, Founder & CEO, Fundraising Beyond Borders: "If your programs shifted, say so. If you made a mistake, own it and explain what you're doing differently. That kind of transparency doesn't erode trust—it builds it. Donors are more forgiving of honest organizations than polished ones."
• Angela Drake, Co-founder and Manager, Not Your Average American, LLC: “Impact means showing how money is being used—even when plans change, and a donation is redirected. As long as funds are used responsibly, donors do not seem to mind.”

💪 What nonprofits can do: Show donors exactly what their gift funded with impact-driven thank-yous and reports. Simplify the collection and sharing of this data with real-time giving dashboards, per-project tracking, and a robust CRM.

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2. Recurring giving is the most strategic investment of the year

Research from M+R found that, despite 64% of nonprofits defaulting their donation pages to one-time gifts, recurring giving continues to outpace one-time giving, which remained flat year over year. Even small recurring gifts help supporters feel like part of a community rather than a transaction, while also providing a more accessible entry point to giving.

🗣️ What the experts are saying:

• Ariel Glassman, Founder, CEO, Common Great: "In one recent analysis, more than half of all new recurring donors made their very first gift as a recurring donor. Nonprofits need to stop thinking about recurring giving purely as an upgrade strategy and start treating it as part of their acquisition strategy as well."
• Francesca Orsomarso, CEO & Creative Director, FMN Creative: "A $15/month donor who feels connected to your mission is worth more over a lifetime than a $100 one-time donor who forgets you exist by February. Monthly giving creates predictable revenue and a relationship. It's the on-ramp to your major donor pipeline, if you treat it that way."

💪 What nonprofits can do: Ensure every campaign has a recurring giving option and make it easy for current monthly donors to update their payment method and increase their gift amount.

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3. The generational giving shift is already here

While many people view younger generations as disengaged, they're not. They're giving on their own terms. The latest Gen Z philanthropy trends note that more than 70% gave just in the last week, compared with 65% of older generations.

🗣️ What the experts are saying:

• Nicole Henderson, Founder, CNH & Associates: "Younger donors love memberships, and we are in the era of MOD, Netflix, Peacock, and even Amazon."
• Francesca Orsomarso, CEO & Creative Director, FMN Creative: "Younger donors (Millennials and Gen Z) expect transparency, digital-first experiences, and a clear sense of what their dollars are actually doing."
• Morgan Gross, Founder & CEO, Fundraising Beyond Borders: "This generation isn't moved by lengthy impact reports or formal appeals. They're moved by stories: short, visually compelling, emotionally immediate. The hook has to land in the first three seconds, or you've lost them."

💪 What nonprofits can do: Design your campaigns with mobile-first pages, recurring options, and identity-aligned storytelling that clearly spells out your mission and impact.

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4. Direct mail is having a personalization renaissance

While digital campaigns and giving are still popular, direct mail is making a comeback. In fact, direct mail has an open rate of 80%–90%, whereas email has just 20%–30%. But it's not generic mail that's working; it's something much more personal.

🗣️ What the experts are saying:

• Pooya Pourak, Co-founder & CEO, MatchNice: "Direct mail still outperforms all channels, making matching more engaging and gamified—working across generations, especially for donor acquisition and conversion."
• Ariel Glassman, Founder & CEO, Common Great: "Some lower-trust channels, like social media, aren't carrying the same weight they once did, while higher-trust channels like direct mail and more personal forms of communication are seeing renewed value."

💪 What nonprofits can do: Send direct mail with QR codes linking to digital giving pages, so each outreach channel reinforces the others.

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Get the complete nonprofit guide to direct mail →

5. Revenue diversification is now a survival necessity

In 2025, one-third of nonprofits reported experiencing at least one type of government funding disruption in the first 4–6 months of the year, including funding cancellations, freezes, or stop-work orders. While that stat may be a bit concerning, there's plenty that nonprofits can do to build stability.

🗣️ What the experts are saying:

• Jonathan Lipton, Founder, Lipton Strategies: "Clients weren't prepared. They are trying to make up for a loss, but were never prepared for the contingency. The focus is now on budget-relieving opportunities as well as new sources of earned revenue and joint-venture partnerships."
• Stephanie Schwartz, Founder & CEO, Little Bean Group: "Every client is working to diversify revenue in light of the elimination of government grants. For some clients, it's the push they need to invest in an individual giving program."
• Loree Lipstein, Founder & CEO, Thread Strategies: "Unrestricted revenue is what gives nonprofits room to innovate, adapt, and serve more people."
• Francesca Orsomarso, CEO & Creative Director, FMN Creative: “Clients are building more sustainability into their own efforts—diversifying into small gifts, regional Giving Days, and marketing with measurable results.”

💪 What nonprofits can do: Resilient nonprofits navigate challenging fundraising years with a variety of income, including earned revenue, corporate partnerships, major individual donors, and P2P campaigns. Map your current revenue mix, identify the most underinvested channel, and start from there.

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6. In-person events are being reimagined, not just revived

According to Christina Edwards, Founder of Splendid Consulting, supporters want in-person connection again, and don't need all the extra bells and whistles. For small nonprofits, fundraising events can be low-cost opportunities to raise money, build community, and cultivate major donors.

🗣️ What the experts are saying:

• Nicole Henderson, Founder, CNH & Associates: “We're seeing a major shift back to relationship-driven fundraising—events, volunteers, ambassadors, and peer-to-peer fundraising are becoming stronger drivers of long-term impact. People give to causes, but they stay connected through relationships.”
• Christina Edwards, Founder, Splendid Consulting: "People don't want another stale chicken dinner gala. They want connection that feels meaningful, energizing, and worth leaving the house for. I'm seeing more interest in low-lift, high-impact gatherings: small meetups, BBQs, community events, behind-the-scenes experiences, volunteer moments, and mission-centered gatherings that build belonging without turning into a massive production."

💪 What nonprofits can do: Focus on what really matters, such as an engaging program, a compelling ask, or a digital experience that can be integrated into the event, like an online auction where attendees can bid or give right from their phones.

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7. Peer-to-peer fundraising reaches new audiences through existing supporters

52% of online donors would serve as social media ambassadors for their favorite nonprofits if asked, and agreed to dedicate 1–2 hours monthly. That's an immense opportunity, especially for small nonprofits trying to spread the word about their cause without incurring extra costs.

🗣️ What the experts are saying:

• Francesca Orsomarso, CEO & Creative Director, FMN Creative: "In my opinion, nonprofits that miss out [on peer-to-peer fundraising] are the ones that simply don't ask their existing supporters for help with getting the word out."
• Morgan Gross, Founder & CEO, Fundraising Beyond Borders: "Peer-to-peer fundraising isn't just a tactic for this generation; it's how trust travels."
• Jonathan Lipton, Founder, Lipton Strategies: "There is a desperate need to think about volunteers, as well as programmatic staff, as key components of the cultivation and stewardship cycle."

💪 What nonprofits can do: Set up a peer-to-peer campaign where supporters create personal fundraising pages to share with their networks. Encourage supporters to ask employers about matching gifts or workplace giving programs to expand your reach.

8. Donor retention is the hidden crisis behind the numbers

Total dollars raised increased 3.6% in Q1 2025. But the number of donors declined 1.3% year over year, and retention slipped from 18.3% to 18.1%. This presents a problem for nonprofits that want to keep costs low and remain sustainable.

🗣️ What the experts are saying:

• Loree Lipstein, Founder & CEO, Thread Strategies: "Organizations with well-maintained CRMs are better positioned to identify giving trends, personalize donor engagement, uncover opportunities, and make smarter fundraising decisions."
• Stephanie Schwartz, Founder & CEO, Little Bean Group: "I see donors defining 'impact' as the organization following through on what they say they will do and communicating that message with both data and stories. If organizations can do that well and in a timely manner, they will likely give again."
• Stephanie Barnhill, Founder, Honey and Ginger: “Relational giving is absolutely key. Donors do not want transactional relationships.”

💪 What nonprofits can do: Segment donors and launch a lapsed-donor reactivation sequence before year-end, send personalized impact reports, include recurring giving upgrade prompts in every campaign, and use a nonprofit CRM to identify and prioritize at-risk donors before they stop giving.

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9. DAF giving is surging—and nonprofits need a stewardship strategy

Contributions to DAFs jumped 38.6% in FY 2024 to $90.57B, while the number of DAF accounts reached a record 3.59M. However, these donors are often anonymous, prompting nonprofits to rethink their stewardship approach.

🗣️ What the experts are saying:

• Christina Edwards, Founder, Splendid Consulting: "DAFs are not just for the ultra-wealthy anymore. More donors are using donor-advised funds as part of their regular giving strategy, and nonprofits that don't make that option visible may be leaving serious money on the table."
• Francesca Orsomarso, CEO & Creative Director, FMN Creative: "Friction is the enemy of generosity. Whether it's a 22-year-old giving $25 on their phone or a 52-year-old granting $2.5K from their DAF account, if the process is confusing or clunky, the donation will not be given."

💪 What nonprofits can do: Add a DAF giving option to donation pages, then build a stewardship sequence specifically for DAF donors to convert them into recurring supporters through email and direct mail.

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10. Burnout is threatening the sector's capacity to deliver

In a Givebutter survey of 46 respondents, 44 said they or a colleague had experienced burnout in the past three years. Research from other studies, such as the State of Nonprofits 2024, supports this finding: 95% of leaders express some level of concern about burnout, and 34% report that staff burnout has been “very much” a concern in the last year.

While this is an alarming stat, it's important to remember that burnout is a structural, industry-wide issue, not personal failure, and is solvable.

💪 What nonprofits can do: Automate workflows and consolidate your tech stack to reduce cognitive load and protect your team's well-being. Additionally, audit your fundraising calendar to ensure your staff has time to recover between campaigns.

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See the nonprofit burnout stats every leader should know →

Build a fundraising strategy that bends without breaking

The philanthropic landscape is changing, and Givebutter helps nonprofits adapt with the tools they need for sustainable, long-term fundraising.

With a free nonprofit CRM with donor segmentation, recurring donations, peer-to-peer fundraising, events, and DAF giving, Givebutter has everything you need to act on these trends. For teams ready to go even further, Givebutter Plus adds automated workflows, text messaging, and deeper donor insights—so your nonprofit can succeed no matter what philanthropy trend emerges.

Sign up for Givebutter for free and get up and running in minutes.

FAQs about philanthropy trends

What are the biggest philanthropy trends in 2026?

The biggest philanthropy trends in 2026 include radical donor transparency, a generational giving shift toward monthly giving, revenue diversification, and nonprofit burnout.

What are the current trends in philanthropy and nonprofit fundraising?

New trends in philanthropy include a growing demand for transparency, evidence of impact, and flexible giving options, alongside shifts driven by younger generations of donors, federal funding uncertainty, and economic volatility.

What are the major trends in philanthropic giving?

Today, donors are looking to give in smaller, recurring increments through different giving methods: on mobile, through DAFs, and even at in-person events.