Giving USA Foundation’s annual report provides valuable insights into the state of charitable giving in the United States. Researched and written by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, the Giving USA 2025 report offers a comprehensive look at the trends, challenges, and opportunities that shaped philanthropy in the past year. Let’s take a look at the key findings and shed light on the changing landscape of giving in the U.S.
Total giving is back on the rise
In 2024, giving from four sources—individuals, foundations, bequests, and corporations—to U.S. charities totaled $592.50 billion. Here are a few important takeaways:
• Total giving increased by 6.3%. When adjusted for inflation, the increase was 3.3%, marking the first time in three years that total giving outpaced inflation.
• Giving by individuals and corporations increased notably. Giving by individuals comprised 66% of total giving, growing from $374.40 billion in 2023 to $392.45 billion in 2024. Giving by corporations accounted for 7% of total giving, growing from $36.55 billion in 2023 to $44.40 billion in 2024.
• Bequests decreased by 1.6%. Bequests accounted for 8% of total giving in 2024 ($45.84 billion), decreasing 1.6% from 2023 and 10.4% from 2022.
A note on bequests
Bequests from estates with assets below $1 million rose. In 2022, bequest giving from this group amounted to $11.86 billion. This dropped to $7.70 billion in 2023 but rose to $10.24 billion in 2024.
Bequests from estates with over $1 million increased slightly. Estates between $1 and $10 million amounted to $9.99 billion in 2024 (up from $9.81 billion in 2023), and estates over $10 million amounted to $25.61 billion in 2024 (up from $25.16 billion in 2023).
So, although bequests have declined as a percentage of total giving, the gift amounts have remained relatively steady. Dr. Una Osili, Associate Dean for Research and International Programs at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, is optimistic about this source of giving, saying that, “with our rising population of older Americans, charitable bequests are poised to continue to grow as part of the philanthropic sector.”
A strong economy encourages giving
Strong market performance, compounded by a solid economy and stabilizing inflation, made individuals and companies more inclined to donate. In 2024, the S&P 500 increased by 19.8% in inflation-adjusted dollars, and the corresponding increase in total giving for the year reflected that trend. While the first half of 2025 saw some economic uncertainty, we can take comfort in the reality that giving may slow during times of volatility but bounces back with time. The new financial planning certainty introduced by July’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) could increase giving in the second half of the year.
A look at various subsectors
In current dollars, 2024 giving grew in all nine subsectors—religion; human services; education; health; arts, culture, and humanities; environment and animals; public-society benefit; international affairs; and foundations. However, while religion remained the largest recipient of total contributions, when adjusted for inflation, this subsector showed a decline of 1% from 2023 and a cumulative decrease of 4.1% from 2022.
According to the Giving USA 2025 Special Report, this decline in giving to religious organizations is not the result of a lack of engagement but instead simply reflects the fact that donors consistently give the same amount to their places of worship each year, without increasing their contributions to account for inflation. Meanwhile, donor interest and dollars are increasingly shifting toward organizations focused on international affairs and public-society benefit.
Donor-advised funds are growing rapidly
Donor-advised funds (DAFs) remained a powerful giving tool in 2024. Giving to DAFs rose by nearly 300% from 2023, totaling $3.02 billion and accounting for 18.7% of all giving. Grantmaking also saw a notable increase, with Fidelity Charitable, DAFgiving360, and Vanguard Charitable collectively distributing $22.35 billion to nonprofits in 2024, up 27.8% from 2023.
Key takeaways:
• DAF grantmaking is keeping pace with growth. Donors are actively using their funds to support the causes they care about. These dollars are already set aside for giving—so make sure your organization is visible and ready to receive them.
• Noncash contributions are becoming more common. Fidelity Charitable and DAFgiving360 reported that over 60% of contributions came in the form of noncash assets, including appreciated securities, privately held business interests, and cryptocurrency. Also, noncash gifts to the Jewish Communal Fund in 2024 more than doubled those in 2023.
• DAFs are reaching more donors. With over 1.78 million accounts and growing, DAFs are not just for major donors anymore. Awareness campaigns like DAF Day are helping everyday donors see the appeal.
This kind of momentum is a clear signal to keep DAFs front and center in your donor communications and to double-check that your team and systems are ready to receive and acknowledge these gifts.
Giving USA Special Report—preferred method of communication
This year’s special report included interesting responses and statistics regarding donors’ preferred communication channels by generation (Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and boomers).
• Word of mouth and email. These two methods of communication are the most likely to elicit a response, and they continue to have the highest overall appeal among the four generations.
• Social media and phone calls. These two methods of communication are the least likely to elicit a response from donors, with social media’s influence on motivating gifts decreasing from 2022 for all generations but boomers.
• Direct mail. Direct mail as a motivator for making gifts is on the rise, with 88% of all donors indicating they have given a gift in response to direct mail outreach. Direct mail also continues to be the preferred method of communication for boomers and older donors—38% of whom prefer the option to respond both by mail and online, making QR codes especially useful. One in eight donors reported using a QR code to visit a nonprofit’s website, up from one in 10 donors in 2022.
EDS offers various ways to educate and motivate donors using direct mail, email, and social media—click here to learn more.
Stay resilient in 2025
While the Giving USA 2025 report offers a welcome dose of optimism, especially after years of inflation-adjusted declines, it also underscores the importance of planning for uncertainty. As we navigate a potentially volatile economic year, planned giving professionals should lean into what works and be ready to adapt:
• Continue using proven outreach methods. Engage with donors using email, word of mouth, social media, and direct mail. Your supporters believe in what you do, with 63% believing that nonprofits are doing a good or excellent job, and they want to hear from you and support your work, even in tough times.
• Promote versatile gift options. Consistently remind donors that charitable bequests and beneficiary designations offer control and adaptability. Bequests are showing signs of recovery—so don’t pull back your marketing now.
• Remind donors to use their DAFs. The money set aside in a DAF is already earmarked for charitable purposes and is a great way for donors to support your organization without impacting their current finances.
• Keep yourself and your donors up to date on the latest legislative changes. Provisions in the OBBBA may encourage increased giving in the latter half of 2025 as donors respond to the higher standard deduction, the now-permanent estate and gift tax exemption, and the continuation of the 60%-of-AGI limit on cash gifts. To learn more about the new legislation and changes taking effect in 2026, read our post Gift Planning After the OBBBA.
