Media Contact for the FOUNDATION: PC*********@***pr.com
Media Contact for the SCHOOL: Adriene Davis Kalugyer
317-278-8972
ad******@**.edu
Giving USA: U.S. charitable giving rose to $617.20 billion in 2025,
surpassing the $600 billion mark for the first time
Giving grew 5.7% amid strong financial markets, complex economy
What to Know
-
Key findings from Giving USA 2026: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2025 report that 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 in 2025.
-
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.
-
Education, public-society benefit, and environment/animals saw more than 10% growth in current dollars. The three types of recipient charities (subsectors) have seen the largest annualized rates of change over the last five years.
Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy, the longest-running and most comprehensive report on the sources and uses of charitable giving in America, is published by Giving USA Foundation, a public service initiative of The Giving Institute. It is researched and written by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IU Indianapolis.
Why this Matters
-
Total charitable giving reached a new high in current dollars and the second-highest amount on record in inflation-adjusted dollars, driven by strong financial markets and growth in other economic factors closely associated with giving.
-
Bequests have increased 20% or more in current dollars in three of the last four years. Historically, bequest giving fluctuates substantially from year to year.
-
All four sources of giving increased in current dollars in 2025, and three of the four grew after adjusting for inflation.
U.S. charitable giving exceeded $600 billion in 2025, a milestone that reflects the resilience of American generosity,” said Wendy McGrady, Chair of Giving USA Foundation and President and COO of The Curtis Group. “Amid a volatile economy and ongoing financial pressures for many households, it’s heartening to see generosity at this scale.”
“Giving through bequests and by foundations were among the most robust areas for generosity, a continuation of the trends seen in recent years,” said Amir Pasic, Ph.D., the Eugene R. Tempel Dean of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. “This likely is in part a reflection of growing asset values due to the strong performance of financial markets in recent years.”
Diving Deeper
- A strong stock market lifted individual giving 4.1% in current dollars (1.4% in inflation-adjusted dollars). However, consumer sentiment, which also influences giving, remained near historic lows and may have dampened giving by some households.
- Giving by foundations has remained above $100 billion each year since 2022 and has continued to grow at an annualized rate of 1.2% in inflation-adjusted terms. The most growth was seen in 2025.
- While giving by corporations saw the slimmest growth of any source in 2025, corporate giving has grown 60% over the last five years, outpacing the 29% growth seen in total giving.
2025 Charitable Giving by Source
|
Source |
Up/down |
Amount Given |
Adjusted for Inflation |
|
Total |
↑ 5.7% |
$617.20 billion |
↑ 3.0% |
|
Individuals |
↑ 4.1% |
$394.2 billion |
↑ 1.4% |
|
Foundations |
↑ 5.7% |
$117.15 billion |
↑ 3.0% |
|
Bequests |
↑ 19.7% |
$62.19 billion |
↑ 16.6% |
|
Corporations |
↑ 3.1% |
$43.67 billion |
= +0.5%* |
*Change of less than +/- 1% is considered flat
“At the macro level, most economic indicators were favorable for giving, and financial markets ended the year strong, which resulted in positive overall growth in giving in 2025,” said Jon Bergdoll, Interim Director of Data and Research Partnerships at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. “While individual giving grew, we see that consumer sentiment was low, perhaps reflecting concerns about financial security. Those concerns may have cooled giving by some households.”
Giving to eight of nine recipient subsectors grew in current dollars in 2025. The exception was giving to foundations, which declined 16.2% after reaching a current-dollar high in 2024 but remained among the highest years on record. Giving to education, human services, health, arts, culture and humanities, and environment/animals reached new highs in inflation-adjusted dollars. Giving to religion grew 2.4% in current dollars and was flat (-0.2%) after adjusting for inflation.
“For nonprofit leaders, the findings suggest a giving environment that remains strong overall,” said Gabe Cooper, Vice Chair of Giving USA Foundation and Founder and CEO of Virtuous. ”It was a positive year for charitable giving, with virtually all categories of recipient organizations achieving solid or better growth at the aggregate level.”
2025 Charitable Giving to Recipients
|
Type of recipient organization |
Up/down |
Amount Given |
Adjusted for Inflation |
|
Religion |
↑ 2.4% |
$151.58 billion |
= -0.2%* |
|
Human Services |
↑ 5.3% |
$99.50 billion |
↑ 2.6% |
|
Education |
↑ 11.7% |
$92.01 billion |
↑ 8.9% |
|
To Foundations |
↓ 16.2% |
$79.05 billion |
↓ 18.3% |
|
Public-Society Benefit |
↑ 11.6% |
$72.06 billion |
↑ 8.7% |
|
Health |
↑ 6.1% |
$61.43 billion |
↑ 3.3% |
|
International affairs |
↑ 4.1% |
$33.02 billion |
↑ 1.4% |
|
Arts, culture, and humanities |
↑ 7.5% |
$27.31 billion |
↑ 4.7% |
|
Environment and animals |
↑ 11.0% |
$24.57 billion |
↑ 8.2% |
*Change of less than +/- 1% is considered flat
|
Giving USA estimates include two additional categories: giving to individuals and unallocated giving. Giving to individuals: the bulk of these donations are in-kind gifts of medications to patients in need, made through patient assistance programs of pharmaceutical companies’ operating foundations. Unallocated giving: this can be considered the difference between giving by source and use in a particular year. This amount includes the difference between itemized deductions by individuals (and households) carried over from previous years. The tax year in which a gift is claimed by the donor (carried over) and the year when the recipient organization reports it as revenue (the year it is received) may differ. |
Giving USA estimates represent aggregate private philanthropic giving to U.S. charities, or 501(c)(3) organizations; they do not include other forms of revenue charities may receive.
###
Note to Editors
The requested citation for Giving USA is Giving USA 2026: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2025, a publication of Giving USA Foundation, 2026, researched and written by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Available online at www.givingusa.org.
About Giving USA Foundation™
The Giving USA Foundation was established in 1985 by The Giving Institute. Today, the Giving Institute provides expertise and volunteer leadership to the Foundation and works in partnership with it to advance research, education, and public understanding of philanthropy.
About Giving USA
For 70 years, Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy in America, has provided comprehensive charitable giving data that are relied on by donors, fundraisers and nonprofit leaders. The research in this annual report estimates all giving to charitable organizations across the United States. Giving USA is a public outreach initiative of Giving USA Foundation and is researched and written by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IU Indianapolis. Giving USA Foundation, established in 1985 by The Giving Institute, endeavors to advance philanthropy through research and education. Explore Giving USA products and resources, at www.givingusa.org.
About The Giving Institute
The Giving Institute, the parent organization of Giving USA Foundation, consists of member organizations that have embraced and embodied the core values of ethics, excellence and leadership in advancing philanthropy. Serving clients of every size and purpose, from local institutions to international organizations, The Giving Institute member organizations embrace the highest ethical standards and maintain a strict code of fair practices. For information on selecting fundraising counsel, visit www.givinginstitute.org.
About the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IU Indianapolis is dedicated to improving philanthropy to improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy through its undergraduate, graduate, certificate and professional development programs, its research and international programs and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. For more information, visit philanthropy.indianapolis.iu.edu.
Giving USA Methodology
Giving USA estimates primarily rely on econometric methods developed by leading researchers in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector and are reviewed and approved by members of the Giving USA External Review Panel. Members of the External Review Panel include research directors from national nonprofit organizations, as well as scholars from such disciplines as economics and public affairs, all of whom are involved in studying philanthropy and the nonprofit sector.
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy prepares all of the estimates in Giving USA for Giving USA Foundation. Giving USA develops estimates for giving by each type of donor (sources) and for recipient organizations categorized by subsectors (uses). Most of Giving USA’s annual estimates are based on econometric analyses and tabulations of tax data, economic indicators and demographics. Data for giving by foundations come from Candid (formerly the Foundation Center).
Following the same approach used by leading public and private institutions that develop economic statistics, Giving USA researchers update data found within Giving USA each year. This is because current Giving USA estimates are developed before final tax data, some economic indicators and some demographic data are available. The estimates are revised and updated as final versions of these data become available. Final estimates are usually developed two or three years after their initial release.
For more specific details on Giving USA’s methodology, please refer to the “Brief summary of methods” section within Giving USA 2026 or contact the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at ad******@**.edu.