Charity Revenue Statistics (2026)
U.S. charitable giving hit $617.2 billion in 2025—a record high. Learn where the money comes from, which sectors lead, and what it means for your nonprofit.
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U.S. charitable giving has reached historic heights. In 2025, giving by individuals, bequests, foundations and corporations to U.S. charities increased 5.7% in current dollars (3.0% adjusted for inflation) to an estimated $617.20 billion — surpassing the $600 billion mark for the first time in history . Yet behind this headline number lies a more nuanced story: donor participation is declining, wealth is concentrating, and nonprofits face mounting operational pressures. This report breaks down the 2025 data to show nonprofit leaders where revenue actually comes from, how it's shifting, and what to expect. Part of our nonprofit industry statistics hub.
Key takeaways
The record-breaking headline (with caveats)
U.S. charitable giving reached $617.20 billion in 2025, growing 5.7% in current dollars and 3.0% after adjusting for inflation . This marks the first year giving has crossed $600 billion, and the second-highest inflation-adjusted total on record . The growth was powered by multiple sources: charitable bequests totaled approximately $62.2 billion in 2025, up 19.7% in current dollars and 16.6% after inflation , while foundation giving reached $117.15 billion in 2025, growing 5.7% in current dollars .
However, it is the second-highest total on record in real terms, and a meaningful signal of the sector's resilience in the face of economic uncertainty —not necessarily a sign of broad expansion. Despite record levels of giving, nonprofit revenue is concentrated among fewer, wealthier supporters, and donor counts continue to fall .
Where the money comes from: The four donor types
Charitable giving in the U.S. comes from four primary sources. In 2025, individuals provided 64% of total U.S. charitable giving, foundations 19%, bequests 10% and corporations 7%, out of $617.2 billion in total contributions .
In 2025, individual giving was estimated at $394.2 billion, up 4.1% in current dollars and 1.4% after inflation . Corporate giving reached roughly $43.7 billion, however, corporate giving grew more slowly in 2025 — up 3.1% in current dollars and remaining essentially flat when adjusted for inflation .
Individual donors remain the backbone—but their share is shrinking
Giving by individuals overall as a share of total giving continued to decline in 2025, with the share of giving by individuals falling from 67% in 2023 to 66% in 2024 to 64% last year . Over the long term, this trend is even more pronounced: giving by individuals is shrinking as a share of giving over the last 40 years, from about 80% in 1985 to 64% in 2025 .
At the same time, among the 91% of respondents who said last November they planned to continue their charitable giving, 79% expected to give the same or more—the highest percentage since 2021, when 80% said the same . The average charitable donor in the U.S. is 64 years old and makes two charitable donations a year .
Sector breakdown: Where charitable dollars flow
Religious organizations received the largest share of total giving (23%), followed by human services (15%), education (14%), foundations (12%), and public-society benefit (11%) . Education, public-society benefit, and environment/animals saw more than 10% growth in current dollars .
Notably, giving to the health sector reached an estimated $61.43 billion in 2025, growing from about 6% in 1985 to 9% of all charitable giving .
Foundation and bequest giving: The growth engines
While individual giving is holding steady, foundations and bequests are delivering outsized growth. Bequest giving surged 19.7% (16.6% adjusted for inflation) to $62.19 billion — the strongest growth of any source, and the Q4 2025 Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) report put total growth in giving at 5% for 2025 — the highest rate in five years .
Public-society benefit organizations — a category that includes national donor-advised fund (DAF) sponsors like Fidelity Charitable and Vanguard Charitable — grew 11.6%, and DAF assets have nearly doubled since 2020, reaching $326.45 billion in 2024, while the number of accounts has grown to more than 3.56 million .
DAFs now represent a significant share of charitable giving, with an estimated 15.1% of all contributions directed to these vehicles and nearly a quarter of individual giving flowing through them .
Nonprofit sector size and scale
Approximately 1.8 million registered nonprofit organizations, including about 1.3 million 501(c)(3)s operate in the United States. As of the third quarter of 2026, the nonprofit sector contributed an estimated $1.5 trillion to the U.S. economy, representing 5.7% of the U.S. GDP . U.S. nonprofits raise an aggregate $3.7 trillion and spend $3.5 trillion every single year .
US nonprofits generate a majority of their revenues on their own, from the program services they offer, which make up on average 20 percent of their revenues; and the funds they raise through donations (32 percent) . Earned income accounted for 71% of total nonprofit revenue, with contributions and government funding adding 18% and 11%, respectively .
The nonprofit revenue paradox: Growth masks declining participation
In fiscal year 2025, 62% of organizations reported revenue increases. But roughly two in five organizations either stagnated or declined, with 25% reporting revenue losses and 14% reporting no change . This unevenness reflects a deeper challenge: the Nonprofit Finance Fund's "2025 State of the Nonprofit Sector" survey found that 36% of nonprofits ended 2024 with an operating deficit—the highest rate in 10 years—and 85% expected demand to rise further in 2025 .
32% of nonprofit organizations report having less than three months of cash on hand, and 81% of nonprofits report struggling to raise enough funds to cover all their costs . Additionally, 45% expect declines in federal or national government grants, and 30% anticipate declines in state or regional grants this year, whereas in 2024, just 17% anticipated decreased government funding .
Volunteer contributions: The hidden economic value
Volunteers represent an enormous but often overlooked source of nonprofit value. An estimated 28% of U.S. adults—75.7 million Americans—volunteered between September 2022 and 2023, contributing an estimated 4.99 billion hours valued at approximately $167.2 billion . Generation X had the highest rate of formal volunteering (27%) compared to Gen Z, Millennials, and Baby Boomers, and Baby Boomers had the highest rate of informal volunteering (59%) .
In 2023, the estimated national value of each volunteer hour was $33.49, a 5.3% increase from 2022 .
What this means for your volunteer program
The 2025 giving landscape presents both opportunity and urgency for nonprofit leaders. Record charitable totals mask deep structural challenges: donor counts are falling, competition for unrestricted funds is intensifying, and government funding—a critical revenue pillar—faces unprecedented uncertainty. At the same time, foundation and bequest giving are surging, and donor-advised funds represent a massive ($326 billion) opportunity for strategic outreach.
For organizations relying on volunteers and donors alike, the imperative is clear: verify who you're working with and build trust through transparency. This is where background screening becomes mission-critical. VolunteerBadge provides FCRA-compliant background checks with identity verification for just $5 per volunteer—with no monthly fees, no surprise costs, and results you can trust. When donors and board members see that your organization takes volunteer safety seriously, you strengthen their confidence, improve retention, and ultimately secure more funding.
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Download the data
Export the full dataset for this report, including all figures, sources, and metadata:
⬇ Download the data (.xlsx)Frequently asked questions
Q: Did total giving actually break $600 billion in 2025?
A:
Yes. Total U.S. charitable giving reached an estimated $617.20 billion in 2025 — surpassing the $600 billion mark for the first time in history
. However,
that represents a 5.7% increase in current dollars, or 3.0% when adjusted for inflation. It is the second-highest total on record in real terms
, meaning we haven't yet exceeded 2021 (the pandemic-era peak) in inflation-adjusted dollars.
Q: Where do most nonprofits actually get their money?
A:
The entire nonprofit sector earns more than 80% of its revenue via private fees for services and performing government grants and contracts
.
Earned income accounted for 71% of total nonprofit revenue, with contributions and government funding adding 18% and 11%, respectively
. Of charitable contributions,
giving by individuals totaled an estimated $394.2 billion, up 4.1% from 2024 in current dollars, accounting for 64% of total giving last year
.
Q: Are small nonprofits better or worse off than large ones?
A:
Among nonprofits with annual operating budgets above $500,000, the majority reported revenue increases. Organizations with budgets of $500,000 or less were less likely to report growth — but nearly three-quarters reported either no change or revenue increases, suggesting stability even without strong expansion
. However,
97 percent of nonprofits have budgets of less than $5 million annually, 92 percent operate with less than $1 million a year, and 88 percent spend less than $500,000 annually
.
Q: How is bequest giving trending?
A:
Bequest giving rose nearly 20% (16.6% adjusted for inflation) over 2024, the largest increase of any of the four sources of giving in 2025
.
The exact timing of when these gifts will be realized contributes heavily to this fluctuation, but it previews what is to come with the upcoming intergenerational wealth transfer. An estimated $124 trillion will transfer between now and 2048, with some estimates noting a significant portion of those funds possibly being gifted to charities
.
Q: What's the biggest threat to nonprofit funding going forward?
A:
45% expect declines in federal or national government grants, and 30% anticipate declines in state or regional grants this year
.
Government funding disruptions hit many nonprofits in early 2025, forcing them to accelerate revenue diversification plans
. Nonprofits should strengthen foundation relationships, expand earned revenue, and build recurring donor programs.
Sources & references
- Giving USA Foundation: Giving USA 2026 — The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2025 (2026)
- Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy: Giving USA 2026 Release (June 2026)
- Association of Fundraising Professionals: Giving USA 2026 Insights for Fundraisers (June 2026)
- National Philanthropic Trust: Charitable Giving Statistics (Updated February 2026)
- Candid: Key Takeaways from Giving USA on 2025 Philanthropy Trends (June 2026)
- NetSuite: Nonprofit Growth — The Lived Reality vs. Headline Numbers (2026)
- NonProfit PRO: Nonprofit Revenue Growth (FY 2025) — 2026 Philanthropy Pulse Report (February 2026)
- Independent Sector: Economy & Finance — Nonprofit Sector Trends (2026)
- Funraise: The State of the Nonprofit Sector (2026) — 150+ Nonprofit Statistics
- Zippia: 26 Incredible Nonprofit Statistics [2026]
- Kindsight: Useful Fundraising Statistics for Nonprofits in 2026
- Double the Donation: Nonprofit Fundraising Statistics to Boost Results in 2026 (May 2026)
- Zeffy: 75+ Nonprofit Statistics 2026 — Free Donor & Fundraising Data (June 2026)
- Stelter: Beyond the Record High — What Giving USA 2026 Numbers Reveal (June 2026)
- Candid: Diversifying Revenue Sources — Where Do Nonprofits Find Funding? (April 2026)
- Candid: Money in the U.S. Social Sector — Key Facts and Figures
- BWF Zuri: Giving USA 2026 Insights Report (June 2026)
- Virtuous: Giving USA 2026 — How to Turn the Data Into Your Next Move (June 2026)
- National Council of Nonprofits: Nonprofit Impact Matters — Downloadable Charts & Data (2026)
- NonProfit PRO: 15 Compelling Nonprofit Stats From 2024 (December 2024)
- Candid: 5 Takeaways on Individual Donors' 2025 Charitable Giving Plans (March 2025)
- World Metrics: Charity Donation Statistics (Fact-Checked 2026)
- Stanford Social Innovation Review: A New Look at How US Nonprofits Get Really Big (June 2024)
- Nonprofit Quarterly: Nonprofits by the Numbers — Sector's Vital Role in American Life (March 2025)
- Tax Foundation: 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Revenue Data — Details & Analysis (January 2024)
- Center for Effective Philanthropy: State of Nonprofits 2025 — What Funders Need to Know (May 2025)
