As Americans celebrate Independence Day and our nation’s 250th birthday this weekend, I’ve been reflecting on one of the qualities that has always made our country unique.
Nearly 200 years ago, French political thinker Alexis de Tocqueville traveled across the United States looking for clues about America’s success. What fascinated him most wasn’t our government or our economy. It was our people.
Again and again, he observed Americans coming together to solve problems, improve their communities and help one another. He described the United States as a “nation of joiners” — a country where ordinary people didn’t wait for someone else to act. When Americans needed help, they organized, volunteered and gave to support one another. That observation still rings true today — both in the United States, as we celebrate our 250th, and globally.
Whether mentoring a student, delivering meals to an older adult, coaching youth sports, responding to a natural disaster or supporting a favorite charity, Americans continue to show up for one another.
This year’s Giving USA report gives us another reason to celebrate: Americans donated a record $617.2 billion to charity in 2025, surpassing the $600 billion mark for the first time. That is not just an impressive statistic. It is a powerful reminder that generosity remains one of our nation’s defining strengths.
But the real story is not simply how much people gave. It is also how they are choosing to engage.
Giving USA 2025: By the Numbers
If you do not have time to read the full Giving USA report, here are the headlines every nonprofit leader should know.
Overall giving reached $617.2 billion in 2025, a 5.7% increase in current dollars and 3% increase after adjusting for inflation.
Giving increased across all four major sources:
- Individuals: $394.2 billion, up 4.1% in current dollars and 1.4% after inflation. Individuals remain the largest source of giving.
- Foundations: $117.15 billion, up 5.7% in current dollars and 3% after inflation. Foundation giving has remained above $100 billion each year since 2022.
- Bequests: $62.19 billion, up 19.7% in current dollars and 16.6% after inflation. This was the fastest-growing source of giving in 2025.
- Corporations: $43.67 billion, up 3.1% in current dollars and essentially flat after inflation.
Giving USA also found that eight of the nine major recipient subsectors grew in current dollars. Education, public-society benefit, environment and animals each grew by more than 10%. Giving to religion grew in current dollars but was flat after inflation.
That is the good news.
The challenge is that while generosity remains strong, the giving landscape is becoming more complex. Strong financial markets helped lift giving. Bequests are rising. Donor-advised funds and other giving vehicles are reshaping how people give. And even when giving grows, inflation can still leave nonprofits feeling squeezed.
In other words, generosity isn’t disappearing, but the rules of engagement are changing. Nonprofit leaders will need to change with them.
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As I reflected on this year’s Giving USA report, along with the latest Edelman Trust Barometer, the Bank of America Study of Philanthropy and Points of Light’s renewed national focus on volunteerism, I found myself returning to a framework that has shaped how I think about leadership and service since childhood.
The future of philanthropy is not just about raising more money. It is about inviting more people to participate as changemakers.
Each person wants to make a difference. Our job as nonprofit leaders is to help connect with them through their time, talent and treasure. And I believe that journey begins in the head, moves through the heart and finds expression in the hands. Each person needs a different combination, and nonprofits need to be able to respond to all three.
Head: Build Confidence Before Commitment
Today’s donors are doing more homework than ever before. They compare organizations by reading impact reports, visiting websites, reviewing financial information, searching social media and talking to friends. Increasingly, charitable giving looks a lot like every other important investment people make: You do your due diligence first.
Giving USA points to another trend worth watching: Philanthropy is increasingly connected to financial markets. As more charitable contributions come from appreciated assets, donor-advised funds, bequests and large gifts, nonprofit revenue may become more sensitive to market performance.
That does not mean nonprofits should panic every time the market hiccups. It means leaders need stronger forecasting, more diversified revenue streams and deeper donor relationships.
We are also witnessing two major shifts at once. The first is the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in history. The second is extraordinary wealth creation through technology and artificial intelligence. Many of these newer philanthropists bring an investor’s mindset to giving. They still want to change the world, but they also want evidence that their investment is producing results.
Donors still give with their hearts. They simply expect their heads to come along for the journey.
That is why trust has become one of the nonprofit sector’s greatest competitive advantages. Trust is not built through a better tagline. It is built through clarity, transparency, accountability and measurable results.
When people use their head, they are asking the question: Can I trust you?
Heart: Help People Care
Once people believe in your organization, they need to feel connected to it. No one gives because they were deeply moved by your pie chart. (Sorry, fellow data lovers — it’s true!) People give because they care about people.
The latest Bank of America Study of Philanthropy reinforces that affluent donors are giving more with purpose, even as fewer households are giving. It also found that donors increasingly value personal connection, local impact and meaningful engagement. That is where storytelling becomes one of your greatest strengths.
There is a difference between saying, “We served 2,500 families this year,” and saying, “Because of your support, Maria’s children went to bed with full stomachs for the first time in weeks.”
Both statements are true. Only one creates an emotional connection.
One of my favorite examples comes from a Meals on Wheels program that invited prospective donors to participate in a ride-along with one of its volunteer drivers. Reading about food insecurity is one thing. Delivering a hot meal, sitting at a kitchen table and watching an older adult light up because someone cared enough to visit is something entirely different.
The experience transformed statistics into stories — and donors into advocates.
In my experience, one of the fastest ways to turn a donor into champion is to let them experience the mission firsthand. A ride-along. A classroom visit. Packing food boxes. Planting trees. Once people see the work, they are much more likely to invest in it.
When people use their heart, they are asking the question: Why should I care?
Hands: Make It Easy to Help
Understanding and caring are only part of the journey. People also need meaningful ways to act — to build agency and ownership, which then reinforce understanding and caring.
Nonprofits often do not ask because they assume people are busy. But I find they under-ask and do not give people the opportunity to experience the “helper’s high” when they volunteer, advocate, mentor or donate.
Many nonprofits also fail to offer a menu of engagement opportunities. Some people will give. Some will volunteer. Some will advocate. Some will wait until they have more time or money. The easier you make it to participate, the more likely people are to do so.
That is one reason I am excited to see Points of Light launch a national strategy tied to America’s 250th anniversary with a bold goal: doubling volunteering in the United States by 2035. That is exactly the kind of aspiration we need right now.
But volunteers do not simply appear because we need them.
Effective volunteer management is both an art and a science. It takes thoughtful recruitment, meaningful assignments, strong training, clear communication, genuine appreciation and consistent follow-up. The best volunteer managers are not just filling slots. They are designing experiences that deepen commitment.
Bank of America’s research found that volunteering is rebounding among affluent households and that volunteers donate more than twice as much as non-volunteers. That statistic should stop us in our tracks. Volunteering is not separate from fundraising. It is often the front door to deeper engagement.
When organizations invest in volunteer engagement, they are not simply filling volunteer shifts. They are developing future donors, board members, ambassadors and lifelong champions.
When people use their hands, they are asking the question: How can I help?
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Five Ways Nonprofits Can Adapt
The research is clear: generosity is still strong, but donors are more intentional. They want confidence (head), connection (heart) and opportunities (hands) to make a difference.
Here are five moves nonprofits should make now:
1. Build trust before making the ask.
As we have shared before, transparency is not a nice-to-have. It is part of your fundraising and communications strategy. Share your results. Explain your model. Be honest about challenges. Show donors how their investment makes a difference.
2. Tell stories backed by data and vice versa.
Data builds confidence. Stories build connection. Use both. Your impact report should have numbers, but it should also have names, voices and heartfelt examples from clients, staff and volunteers that help people understand why the numbers matter.
3. Create multiple pathways for engagement.
Not everyone starts with a major gift. Some people begin by volunteering, attending an event, joining a committee, making a small monthly gift or introducing you to a friend. Participation often comes before philanthropy.
4. Invest in volunteer leadership.
Volunteer management is a strategic function, not an administrative task. Treat volunteers with the same intentionality you bring to donor stewardship. Recruit well. Train well. Thank well. Follow up well. This may mean your next hire needs to be a volunteer manager, or you need to train someone to take on that role. It is no longer just about filling a slot on the schedule.
5. Design relationships, not transactions.
Every interaction should move someone one step farther — from understanding your mission, to caring about it, to becoming part of it. We recently did a fun webinar in partnership with the Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center on “The New Rules of Relationship Management: Designing Connections That Last With Donors & Volunteers.” Consider watching it as a lunch-and-learn with your team, then discuss how behavioral psychology can strengthen your donor and volunteer relationships.
Final Thoughts
Nearly two centuries ago, Tocqueville marveled that Americans did not wait for someone else to solve problems. They joined together. As we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, perhaps that is still our greatest strength.
Giving USA reminds us that Americans remain remarkably generous. But the bigger lesson is that generosity is becoming more personalized. Today’s donors want more than a chance to give — they want confidence that their time, talent and treasure will make a meaningful difference.
Our job as nonprofit leaders is to invite more people to become part of the solution:
- Win the head with evidence.
- Connect the heart with stories.
- Invite the hands into the work.
That is how a nation of joiners becomes a nation of changemakers. We’d love to hear from you: How are you adapting your fundraising and volunteer management strategies to today’s giving trends?
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