Many thanks to the AFP-GLAC, in conjunction with the Pasadena Humane Society for opening their doors to host Cassie Carter’s talk on “Navigating Uncertainty: What Giving USA 2025 Tells Us About the Future of Philanthropy.” As Vice President of Campbell and Company and former president of the AFP-GLAC chapter, Cathy presented a data-rich look to a full house from Giving USA 2025, a report published by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. With interest and active participation from the audience, the session took a deep dive into how multi-generational donors are behaving, how giving patterns are shifting, and what fundraisers should anticipate in the years ahead.
The State of Giving in 2025
Giving USA’s 2025 estimates place total charitable contributions at $617.2 billion, with individuals dominating the philanthropic landscape. The breakdown highlights:
Despite economic uncertainties, individual giving remains top tier, buoyed by strong markets despite weaker donor confidence. Long-term trends show steady growth in individual contributions over the past four decades.
Donor Retention: A Persistent Challenge
One of the most pressing issues that surprised the room was donor retention. Overall retention sits at 43.3%, and 70–80% of first-time donors never make a second gift. However, there is a silver lining:
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Monthly sustainers retain at ~80%, with an average lifetime of more than seven years.
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Sustainer gifts outperform one-time gifts by 600–800% over time.
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Peer-to-peer campaigns continue to be powerful, bringing in large numbers of new donors who may not otherwise engage.
These patterns underscore the importance of marketing and building strong stewardship and investing in recurring giving programs.
Shifting Patterns in Charitable Giving
Giving USA’s long-range data reveals significant shifts in donor priorities from 1985 to 2025:
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Religion has declined from 53% to 24% of total giving.
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Foundations and Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) have grown as donors increasingly route gifts through intermediaries.
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International affairs, environment/animals, and health have all seen steady increases.
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Giving to individuals has emerged, driven largely by crowdfunding and corporate in-kind gifts (i.e.: the popularity of GoFundMe during the Eaton and Palisades fires).
These shifts reflect broader cultural, economic, and technological changes influencing how multi-generational donors choose to engage, which are oftentimes done by messaging nuances depending on audience, plus emotional giving (by large-scale media events and causes).
Looking Ahead: Questions for Fundraisers
The session concluded with strategic questions posed for organizations navigating political, economic, and social uncertainty:
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For human service organizations serving mission-driven constituencies that may be experiencing political headwinds, what trends are you seeing in donor support?
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Is your organization experiencing a decrease in the number of annual donors? What can you do to grow your base and keep the donors you have?
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How can you include trends in the economy to strengthen your donor strategy?
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How can you leverage the areas that donors support when crafting your storytelling?
Although there wasn’t a formal panel with participants tackling every question, the audience was thoughtfully engaged. Several members spoke to the room how their organizations have considered these concerns through marketing pivots in messaging and re-branding job roles to a multi-generational donor base. Onlookers were clearly interested and reacted positively with smiles and nods.
A Call to Adaptation and Strategy
The overarching message of the presentation was clear: philanthropy is changing, but opportunity remains strong for organizations willing to adapt and engage with mindfulness. By understanding donor behavior in wealth transfer, the rise of donor-advised funds, retention initiatives, and responding to emerging trends, fundraisers can position their organizations for resilience and growth.
I appreciated the eager engagement of the audience. They hung on to every slide of how and to whom the $617.2B was raised in 2025 – and didn’t hold back sharing their experience in relation. Surprising for myself along with the audible gasp of attendees is the fact that 70-80% of first and one-time donors never return to an organization. My assessment is emotional giving is real through (political) causes and catastrophic news events from wars to weather as we saw with the more recent Palisades/Eaton fires.
In taking these points to heart, fundraisers - with data in hand, must know and grow their audience and messaging. Have that Board member engage with a direct phone; grab a pen and paper and mail the thank you card. It’s all about elevating the gratitude from what the gift creates in maintaining that white-glove stewardship.
A Special Thank You to the Pasadena Humane Society
Lastly, a huge thank you again to the Pasadena Humane Society and Kim Burbank for leading the optional tour after the session that included an operational overview of animal care, medical facilities, adopter/foster/volunteer opportunities as well as the historical overview of their beautiful facility! It’s clear that thought was put into its design, donor recognition and the engagement with the animals waiting for their forever homes.