Three Data Points Every Nonprofit Must Know Before Signing Off on the 2026 Fundraising Plan
Giving USA just handed us the fresh set of numbers covering calendar-year 2024. Before you vote on next year’s budget, make sure you anchor the conversation in these three data points. These will help reveal where the money is really coming from on a national level and how fast each revenue spigot is opening (or closing).
1. Giving from Individuals Still Supply the Lion’s Share, but Their Slice Shrunk to 66%
Households gave $392.45 billion in 2024, up 8.2 % (5.1 % after inflation) thanks to a roaring stock market and rising wages.
Yet their market share slid from 67 % to 66 %—the lowest ever recorded for the individual share of giving. This change obviously isn’t world-shaking, but it’s worth noting that individual giving trends went down instead of up in comparison to other giving sources.
Your unrestricted revenue, annual fund stability, and future major-gift pipeline still depend on more “everyday” donors. A shrinking slice means you must budget for:
Robust retention in the <$250 tier (low or no-cost stewardship journeys).
Mid-level upgrades ($500–$5 k). This is a group to start treating like major donors.
Stock-gift, QCD, and RMD prompts woven into every appeal. Sometimes liquidity rather than intent drives big household gifts during bull markets.
2. Foundation Giving Topped $109.8 Billion, but Growth Barely Beat Zero After Inflation
Foundations granted $109.81 billion, a 2.4 % uptick that rounds to flat (-0.5 %) in real dollars after inflation.
Share of total giving held steady at 19 %.
The “easy money” narrative around skyrocketing foundation assets no longer fits like it used to. Competition for program grants will intensify, so allocate staff hours toward:
Multi-year asks that mirror foundation priorities.
Co-created impact metrics.
Relationship depth over application volume will likely generate more revenue. So essentially, fewer but bigger bets.
Expect longer cultivation cycles and internal costs tied to customized reporting.
3. Corporate Giving Grew Fastest to$44.4 Billion—Up 9.1 %Yet Remains Just 7 % of the Pie
Corporate philanthropy hit a record $44.40 billion in current dollars (6 % in real growth).
Even with that surge, companies still represent only 7 % of all U.S. giving, and less than bequests (8%). This means that you will still statistically get more money from those who are deceased than you will from corporations.
The buzz around ESG budgets and employee-match platforms isn’t unjustified, but it’s a supplemental revenue stream, not a replacement for individual or foundation dollars. Plan accordingly:
Prioritize longer term mission-aligned partnerships over churning through one-off/event sponsorships. Always be weighing time investment for dollar return.
Automate matching-gift look-ups in every online receipt (if this applies to you).
Carve out a modest but consistent line item for corporate relations, while guarding staff capacity for higher-yield individual, foundation, and even planned giving work.
Need help with your 2026 fundraising plan? It’s hard to hit your goals if you don’t have a roadmap of how to get there. Schedule a call with us if your nonprofit is considering possible outside help in scaling up your fundraising revenue.
