What 2024’s Philanthropy Data Tells Us About the Road Ahead


With economic uncertainty looming large in 2025—rising global tensions, tariff threats and inflation worries—it can feel hard to find solid ground. But the latest Giving USA data reminds us that looking back can help us look forward.

According to the 2025 Giving USA report, charitable giving reached $592.5 billion in 2024, a 3.3% increase over 2023 after inflation. That growth—driven by a strong market and stabilizing inflation—brought giving patterns back to a familiar rhythm. “The fundamentals of giving are still working like they historically have in the U.S.,” said Jon Bergdoll, managing director for Giving USA.

So, what are the most important signals fundraisers and nonprofit leaders should be tracking as we navigate the rest of this year?

In 2024, individuals gave 66% of all charitable dollars. While still the largest share, it’s a slow decline from 72% in 2014 and 82% in 1984. This shift underscores a longer-term trend: while donors are still giving, the landscape of how they give—and who gives—is changing. According to Chronicle of Philanthropy reporting (and our own client data), many fundraisers are seeing average gift sizes rise, even as total donor numbers decline.

Meanwhile, mega gifts (donations of $450 million or more from a single donor or family to a single recipient or initiative in a given year) totaled $11.72 billion holding steady with recent years, providing a boost to overall totals but not changing the broader philanthropic story.

Corporate giving accounted for 7% of total giving in 2024—the highest percentage in the past four decades. Inflation-adjusted, corporate giving rose 6%, thanks in part to strong market performance in sectors like tech and consumer staples. But as The Chronicle notes, this growth may come with strings attached: potential tax policy changes are prompting corporations to reevaluate how they structure philanthropy going forward.

Of the $592 billion donated:

• 23% went to religious organizations (still the largest share, but down from 62% in 1984)
• 14% to education
• 14% to human services
• 6% to international affairs
• 4% to arts and humanities
• 3% to environment and animal welfare

Some of the biggest growth in 2024 came in sectors that had declined in 2023. According to Giving USA and reported by The Chronicle, public society benefit groups (like United Way) saw 16.1% growth, international organizations grew 14.3% and education grew 9.9%.

There’s a saying fundraisers know well: If you’ve seen one recession, you’ve seen one recession. Giving patterns during downturns vary:

• In the early ’90s: giving dipped slightly and recovered by year three.
• After the early 2000s Dot Bomb: giving plateaued and recovered by year four.
• The 2008 Great Recession was most severe, with two years of decline, two years of flat growth, and recovery in year five.
• COVID, uniquely, saw an increase in giving.

And while 2025 carries new headwinds, there’s reason for hope. As Una Osili of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy told the Chronicle, “Historically, Americans continue to give during economic crises.” At Sea Change, we see that too—when things get shaky, most donors don’t stop giving—they just cut back or only give to their most trusted and cherished organizations.

Despite the good news from 2024, many nonprofit leaders are bracing for a tougher year. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that over 20,000 layoffs have already hit the nonprofit sector, federal funding has dropped and donor priorities are shifting—sometimes toward more urgent basic needs.

But the most successful organizations aren’t waiting passively. They’re doubling down on connection. As Chronicle columnist Wendy McGrady noted, the fundraising strategies that worked in 2024—clear, consistent communication and centering donor impact—will be even more important in 2025.