Each year, the release of Giving USA provides nonprofit leaders with an opportunity to pause, reflect and look beyond their own organizations to better understand the broader philanthropic landscape.
This year’s report offers encouraging news. Americans gave an estimated $617.2 billion to charitable causes in 2025, representing growth in both current and inflation-adjusted dollars and demonstrating the continued resilience of philanthropy.
At first glance, the headline seems clear: giving is up.
Yet one of the lessons I’ve learned through my work with nonprofit organizations is that headline numbers rarely tell the whole story.
Many organizations continue to navigate rising operating costs, workforce challenges, uncertainty surrounding government funding and growing demand for their services. For many nonprofit leaders, those realities define their day-to-day experience far more than aggregate giving totals.
That’s why my own takeaway from this year’s report is that the philanthropic environment remains strong, shifting and competitive.
The generosity is there. But success will continue to depend on an organization’s ability to build trust, communicate impact and adapt thoughtfully to a changing philanthropic landscape.
As I reflect on this year’s findings, four themes stand out.
Invest in Relationships
Individual giving remains the cornerstone of philanthropy, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all charitable giving. At the same time, donor participation continues to decline, and giving remains concentrated among major donors.
That reinforces something I have seen repeatedly in my work with nonprofit organizations: fundraising has always been, and will continue to be, about relationships.
The organizations best positioned for long-term success will continue investing in stewardship, trust and meaningful donor engagement for both everyday and major gift donors. Throughout 2025, donors responded when organizations clearly communicated need, impact and opportunity.
Plan for the Future
One of the most notable findings in this year’s report is the continued growth in bequest giving, which increased nearly 20% in 2025. This marks the third time in the past four years that bequests have grown by 20% or more.
While annual fluctuations are common, the broader trend is difficult to ignore.
The Great Wealth Transfer appears to be underway. Although its full impact will unfold over many years, organizations that begin building stronger planned giving programs today will be better prepared to benefit from that opportunity in the future.
Planning for tomorrow while meeting today’s needs has never been more important.
Demonstrate Impact
Today’s donors increasingly want to understand the difference their philanthropy makes.
Whether communicating with individuals, foundations or corporations, organizations that clearly connect generosity to measurable impact will be better positioned to inspire confidence and deepen donor commitment.
It is no longer enough to explain what an organization does. Donors want to understand what changes because of their investment.
Follow the Data, But Lead with Strategy
One of the reasons I value Giving USA so highly is that it provides context.
The report helps nonprofit leaders understand the broader philanthropic environment, identify emerging opportunities and ask better questions about their own fundraising programs. But aggregate data should never replace organizational strategy.
The most important question is not whether your organization mirrors Giving USA’s findings. It is how those findings can help you better understand your own donors, strengthen your fundraising strategy and prepare for what comes next.
Data informs decisions. Strategy determines success.
As Chair of the Giving USA Foundation, I have the privilege of working alongside colleagues who are deeply committed to ensuring this report remains the nation’s most trusted resource on philanthropy. As President and COO of The Curtis Group, I also have the privilege of seeing how organizations put these insights into practice every day.
Together, those perspectives reinforce an important truth: the generosity is there. Organizations that invest in relationships, communicate impact effectively and plan thoughtfully for the future will be best positioned to thrive.