Bloomerang Releases 2026 Giving Signals Report

The 2026 Giving Signals Report, conducted with The Harris Poll, surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. donors and 400 nonprofit fundraising leaders to map how donor expectations are shifting and where nonprofit strategy needs to catch up.

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Bloomerang today released the 2026 Giving Signals Report, finding that Millennials have become the most generous, most acquirable and most strategically active donor segment in the United States. The report, conducted with The Harris Poll, surveyed more than 1,000 active U.S. donors and 400 nonprofit fundraising leaders between March 13-24, 2026. Sector headlines have focused on declining donations and eroding trust. The data says otherwise.

"We keep talking about the wealth transfer like it's on its way," said Dennis Fois, CEO of Bloomerang. "It isn't. It's already happening. 75% of Millennials plan to give more this year. 42% are already using donor-advised funds. They are not donors in waiting. They are the most active philanthropic generation in America right now. The window for cultivating the next generation is open."

Giving is about identity, not budget

Most nonprofit appeals open with need: what the organization does, what it costs to operate, what happens if donors don't give. The 2026 Giving Signals Report finds that's not what gets donors to act. While 97% of donors say caring about their community motivates them to give, just 68% cite having money to give as a motivator. The strongest appeals don't ask donors what they can spare. They show donors who they are when they give.

Specific beats inspiring by 88 percentage points

94% of donors say they're motivated to give when an organization tells them exactly where their money will go. 90% say the same about impact reporting. When comparing a generic "every dollar makes a difference" ask, and one that specifies what $50 or $200 buys, donors chose the specific version by 88 percentage points. If your appeal says "we matter" instead of "here's exactly what you're doing," you're losing gifts you already earned.

Donors trust nonprofits. They want proof anyway.

97% of active donors say the nonprofits they interact with seem aligned with what they care about. 95% trust the organizations they give to use funds effectively. The narrative around sector-wide trust collapse doesn't hold among people who are actually giving. Proof still matters, though. 69% of donors cite transparency in financial and program reporting as the top signal they use to judge whether a nonprofit is effective.

Millennials aren't the donors of tomorrow. They're giving right now.

At roughly 72 million strong, Millennials are the largest adult generation in the U.S. Three in four (75%) plan to give more this year than last, compared with 49% of Gen X and 36% of Baby Boomers+. Eight in 10 (80%) plan to give to at least one new nonprofit in 2026. And 42% have already used a donor-advised fund or other tax-advantaged vehicle in the past year. They check reviews. They respond to matching campaigns. They want outreach through the channels they prefer. More than any other generation, they give because it makes them feel part of something, and that's a first-gift driver, not a retention tactic.

69% of donors prefer email. Most nonprofits are leading with social.

Email is the top preferred fundraising communication channel across every generation. Nonprofit leaders report leading with social media. Social works as a generation-specific complement. It's not where donors are asking you to lead. Rebalancing toward email as your primary channel is one of the most direct improvements you can make without changing your message at all.

Access the full Giving Signals Report

Download the full Bloomerang 2026 Giving Signals Report for all findings, including first-gift motivators by generation, channel conversion data, DAF opportunity analysis and a full set of signal responses for your fundraising team.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT