Beyond the Data: Reflections on Giving USA 2026
I recently attended AFP's Giving USA 2026 program, where The Curtis Group presented this year's findings from the annual Giving USA report. While the report is packed with data, I left thinking less about the numbers themselves and more about the conversations they sparked.
Here are a few takeaways I've been reflecting on since the session:
What counts as generosity?
One of the conversations that has stayed with me happened as the presenters were walking through the data. Someone raised the question of whether reports like Giving USA capture the full picture of generosity.
If someone isn't making a financial gift because of their circumstances, are they showing up in other ways? Are they volunteering, advocating for a cause, organizing within their community, or supporting neighbors directly? Giving USA measures charitable giving to nonprofits, so it isn't designed to answer those questions. But I think they're important ones for the nonprofit sector to keep asking.
It also made me think about how nonprofits define engagement. If someone stops giving financially, have they really disengaged? Or have they simply shifted how they're contributing? Creating opportunities for people to stay connected—even when giving isn't possible—may be just as important as acquiring new donors.
Giving is growing, but participation tells a different story.
The headline is impressive: Americans gave $617.2 billion in 2025—the highest amount ever recorded in current dollars and the first time charitable giving has surpassed $600 billion.
One idea the presenters shared was the concept of a "K-shaped economy." While some households are thriving financially, others continue to deal with the financial challenges of today. Philanthropy reflects that reality. Overall giving is increasing, but the number of people giving continues to decline. At the same time, larger gifts are becoming an increasingly important part of total giving, while many everyday donors are quietly stepping away.
It made me wonder how often we focus on total dollars raised without taking a closer look at participation. If donor counts are declining, are we asking enough questions about why—and what we can do to keep people connected to the mission?
National giving trends are helpful context, but they also serve as a reminder to look closely at your own data. Who are you retaining? Who are you losing? And what might those patterns be telling you?
Relationships continue to matter.
Another theme that resonated with me was that fundraising—regardless of the source—is increasingly relationship-driven.
Whether you're cultivating an individual donor, a foundation, or a corporate partner, people want to understand your impact, your values, and how their support connects to your mission.
The discussion around planned giving reinforced that idea, too. Bequests saw one of the largest increases this year, and the presenters noted the distinction between bequests and planned gifts. While a bequest is realized after someone's death, planned giving is about the conversations and commitments that happen long before that. With the Great Wealth Transfer expected to move an estimated $80–100 trillion over the next two decades, it reinforced the importance of starting those conversations early and helping donors understand the many ways they can support a mission they care about.
As someone who works alongside nonprofits, I left the session thinking less about the record-breaking numbers and more about the questions they raised. How are organizations defining engagement? Are we paying attention to participation as much as dollars raised? And are we creating meaningful ways for people to stay connected to our missions, regardless of how they're able to give?
Those are the conversations I'll continue to be thinking about long after the presentation.