What We Learned from the 2025 Giving USA Report

This week, the 70th annual Giving USA Report, the most comprehensive look at charitable giving in the U.S., revealed how Americans gave in 2024.

Charities across the country received $592.5 billion in donations last year, which is up 3.3% from 2023 when adjusted for inflation. That’s good news, especially since this is the first time in three years that giving has outpaced inflation.

Here are a few takeaways that stood out:

• Giving by foundations hit a record high, topping $100 billion for the third year in a row.

• Corporate giving stayed steady at 1.1% of pre-tax profits.

• Giving to religious organizations dropped slightly when adjusted for inflation, the only major area to see a decline.

• Individual giving keeps shrinking as a share of the pie, from 78% of total giving in 2004 to 66% in 2024.

Even though the economy finished 2024 in a strong spot (which usually means more generous donors), market ups and downs plus changes in federal programs make the future a bit unpredictable. Still, total giving followed long-term growth trends, and with inflation cooling down, that’s a positive sign.

Key findings, infographic, and slides are available for download at GivingUSA.org. The 2025 Annual Report will be available in mid-July.

Purpose Possible is in the planning process for the return of The Purpose of Giving—an engaging Atlanta event, where we will explore the latest trends and findings from the 2025 Giving USA report. This will be our second time presenting this information with industry experts, followed by audience Q&A. Stay tuned for more details coming soon.

Click here for key insights and takeaways from our 2024 Purpose of Giving event.

Data provided by the Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2024, a publication of Giving USA Foundation, 2025, researched and written by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Available online at www.givingusa.org