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 2026 report offers a comprehensive look at the trends, challenges, and opportunities that shaped philanthropy in 2025. Let’s take a look at the key findings and what they reveal about today’s charitable giving landscape.
Giving reaches a new milestone
In 2025, giving from four sources—individuals, foundations, bequests, and corporations—to U.S. charities totaled $617.20 billion, surpassing the $600 billion mark for the first time. Here are a few important takeaways:
• Total giving increased by 5.7%. When adjusted for inflation, giving grew 3.0%, marking another year in which charitable giving outpaced inflation.
• All four sources of giving increased in current dollars. Individual giving remained the largest source of charitable support at $394.2 billion, while foundation giving reached $117.15 billion, bequests climbed to $62.19 billion, and corporate giving totaled $43.67 billion.
• Individuals continued to account for the largest share of charitable giving. Individuals represented 64% of all giving in 2025, followed by foundations (19%), bequests (10%), and corporations (7%).
A note on bequests
Bequests were the fastest-growing source of charitable giving in 2025, increasing 19.7% over the previous year (16.6% after adjusting for inflation). At $62.19 billion, charitable bequests experienced the largest percentage increase of any giving source. Giving by bequest now represents 10% of all charitable giving, up from 8% the previous year. Giving USA attributes much of this growth to rising asset values fueled by strong financial markets.
For planned giving professionals, this is an encouraging reminder that charitable bequests continue to play an increasingly important role in philanthropy. Consistent marketing, donor education, and stewardship remain essential to helping supporters include charitable gifts in their estate plans. Giving USA also estimates that charitable bequests came from estates of every size, reinforcing that planned gifts aren’t reserved for ultra-wealthy donors.
A strong economy encourages giving
Strong financial markets once again played a significant role in charitable giving. Although consumer sentiment remained near historic lows throughout much of 2025, growth in household wealth and other favorable economic indicators helped drive giving to record levels.
The Giving USA report suggests that while some households may have been cautious because of concerns about financial security, overall philanthropy proved remarkably resilient. As nonprofit organizations look ahead, this serves as an encouraging reminder that charitable giving often remains strong even during periods of economic uncertainty.
A look at various subsectors
Eight of the nine charitable subsectors experienced growth in current dollars during 2025. Several subsectors—including education, human services, health, arts, culture and humanities, and environment and animals—reached their highest inflation-adjusted giving levels on record.
Education, public-society benefit, and environment and animals each grew by more than 10%, making them the fastest-growing subsectors of the year. Human services, health, arts, culture and humanities, international affairs, and religion also experienced increases in current dollars.
Religion remained the largest recipient of charitable giving, receiving $151.58 billion. After adjusting for inflation, however, giving was essentially flat (-0.2%), continuing the longer-term trend of slower growth relative to other charitable sectors.
The only subsector to decline was giving to foundations, which fell after reaching a record high in 2024. Even with that decline, giving to foundations remained among the highest levels on record.
Looking Ahead
The Giving USA 2026 report reinforces an encouraging message for gift planners: while annual giving tends to follow economic cycles, charitable bequests continue to be a growing and increasingly significant source of philanthropy. For organizations investing in long-term donor relationships and planned giving marketing, this year’s results underscore the value of staying the course.
As organizations prepare for the future, several strategies remain as important as ever:
• Continue marketing charitable bequests and beneficiary designations. The strong growth in bequest giving demonstrates that planned gifts remain a vital source of future support.
• Build and maintain relationships with donors through consistent, meaningful communication. Long-term stewardship continues to be one of the strongest predictors of future giving.
• Encourage gifts of appreciated assets and other tax-wise giving strategies that can benefit both donors and your organization.
• Stay informed about economic and legislative developments that may influence charitable giving, while remembering that philanthropy has consistently demonstrated resilience through changing economic conditions.
