The Giving
Signals Report

2026 Fundraising Trends for Nonprofits

What donors are telling you and how to act on it.

Generosity isn't fading. Trust isn't eroding. We asked more than 1,000 donors and 400 fundraisers what's actually happening, and a hopeful picture came through: donors are sending the clearest scorecard we've seen in years on what earns a yes.

1,003donors surveyed 405fundraising decision-makers 95%confidence, fielded by The Harris Poll

Introduction

Generosity isn't fading.
Trust isn't Eroding.

The headlines have told a tighter story for months: donations declining, trust fraying, budgets bracing. But when we asked more than 1,000 donors and 400 fundraisers what's actually happening, a different picture came through.

Donors still trust the nonprofits they support. They still care deeply about the communities and causes that reflect their values. And they're still giving. For most, generosity isn't a transaction. It's an expression of who they are and the future they want to help build.

They want to know exactly where their money goes. They want proof that their gift mattered. They want the giving path to feel familiar and free of friction. This report is your field guide to what donors are saying right now, and where their expectations are running ahead of where nonprofits are aimed.

What's changed isn't the impulse to give. It's the way donors are Signaling what makes them say yes.

Methodology

How the research was conducted

1,003U.S. adults who donated to a nonprofit in the past 12 months (Donors) 405U.S. nonprofit workers with fundraising decision-making responsibility 95%confidence level for significance testing

Conducted online in the U.S. by The Harris Poll on behalf of Bloomerang, March 13 to 24, 2026. Donor data is weighted to U.S. population proportions; fundraiser data is unweighted. A note on Gen Z: active Gen Z donors were a small base (n=41), so all Gen Z findings are directional in nature.

Executive summary

What nonprofits need to know

This year's findings send a strong set of giving signals for nonprofit teams. Most gaps between donors and nonprofits are tactical, not fundamental, and that's good news.

Motivated by meaning

Donors are motivated by meaning. Caring about their community, wanting to make a difference, caring about the future, and seeing giving as part of their identity all rank among the strongest motivators. This is a values-driven landscape, not a transactional one.

Belonging matters

Especially for younger donors. Millennials are more likely than older generations to say they're motivated by feeling part of something. That matters for retention, and even more for acquisition.

Proof still matters

Donor trust isn't eroding, but proof still matters. Donors want visible evidence of effectiveness, and transparency is the top signal they use to judge whether a nonprofit is effective.

Convenience

Convenience shapes conversion. Email remains the leading communication channel overall, while preferences beyond email differ by generation.

Donors reconsider giving

Unexpected fees, and fees framed as tips, make donors reconsider giving. A donor ready to give can be stopped by a surprise at checkout. Tips are a separate ask from the platform that pull attention from the gift.

Potential gaps

Most gaps between donors and nonprofits are tactical, not fundamental. The bigger opportunities show up in channel mix, message emphasis, and friction in the giving process.

Millennials

A driving force in fundraising. Millennials are more likely than older generations to plan to increase their giving and support new organizations, and they respond to belonging, reviews, matching, and personalization.

For nonprofits, this is good news

The opportunity is to follow the signals donors are already sending and turn them into smarter outreach, stronger relationships, and next-level impact.

Part II · The Giving Signals

What donors are telling nonprofits Now.

Signal 01

Why donors give

Meaning, identity, and the desire to make a difference.

The first giving signal is deeply human. Donors are motivated less by transaction and more by meaning, identity, and the desire to make a difference. They care about the future. They care about helping others in a moment when many feel needs are rising.

That matters because it reminds nonprofits that giving is not primarily a rational decision. It is a values-led act shaped by identity, purpose, and belief in what is possible.

97%say caring about their community motivates them 96%want to make a difference 92%say giving is part of who they are 68%say "having money to give" is a motivator
Motivators for donating"I am motivated to give because…" Percentage who agree, split by strength of agreement. Base: 1,003 donors.
Strongly agree Somewhat agree
  • I care about the future72% strongly agree, 25% somewhat agree.97%
  • I care about my community66% strongly agree, 31% somewhat agree.97%
  • The specific causes I give to matter deeply to me59% strongly agree, 37% somewhat agree.96%
  • I want to make a difference57% strongly agree, 39% somewhat agree.96%
  • I care about my country68% strongly agree, 27% somewhat agree.95%
  • Giving is part of who I am48% strongly agree, 44% somewhat agree.92%
  • People need more help than ever right now58% strongly agree, 33% somewhat agree.91%
  • Giving makes me feel part of something44% strongly agree, 45% somewhat agree.89%
  • The government may not be helping as much as it needs to46% strongly agree, 31% somewhat agree.77%
  • I have money to give24% strongly agree, 44% somewhat agree.68%

Giving is not primarily a rational decision. It is a Values-Led act shaped by identity, purpose, and belief in what is possible.

Belonging is a younger-donor signal

Millennials are more likely than Gen X and Baby Boomers+ to say they give because it makes them feel part of something. The gap is even sharper on "strongly agree," which suggests belonging isn't a mild preference. For many younger donors, it's a powerful emotional driver, and a powerful acquisition signal: 46% of Millennials considering a first-time gift named "makes me feel part of something" as a top-three motivator, versus 28% for a repeat gift.

Giving and belonging"I'm motivated to give because giving makes me feel like I'm part of something." By generation.
Strongly agree Somewhat agree
  • Millennials57% strongly agree, 39% somewhat agree.96%
  • Gen Z*55% strongly agree, 35% somewhat agree.90%
  • Baby Boomers+33% strongly agree, 53% somewhat agree.86%
  • Gen X42% strongly agree, 44% somewhat agree.86%

*Gen Z is a small base (n=41); results are directional.

Signal response · What to do next

Show donors where they belong in the story

Audit your top appeals: does the copy speak to who the donor is, not just what they can do?

Thank donors for who they are, a generous person or a helper, not only for the gift.

Build first-gift messaging that welcomes new donors into the family and creates belonging.

Feature supporter participation with quotes, campaign counters, and donor spotlights that show collective momentum.

Signal 02

What makes donors say yes

While the last signal was about why donors feel inclined to give, this one is about what moves them from intention to action. The signal here is clarity.

98%of donors are motivated to give to organizations working on issues they care about, the strongest motivator by far.

After issue alignment, the biggest motivators are all about clarity. Donors want a concrete line of sight between their generosity and the outcome it creates.

94%are motivated when told exactly where their money will go 90%are motivated when told about the impact of their donation

Clarity is a top motivator, but most appeals don't deliver it

Here's a typical appeal, and a sharper version. The "before" says "we matter." The "after" says "here's exactly what you're doing."

Before

"Your gift today helps us continue our vital work serving families in need throughout the community. Every dollar makes a difference."

After

"$50 buys a week of groceries for a family in our pantry program. $200 keeps the lights on at our resource center for a day. Where would you like your gift to go?"

88 percentage points. Donors chose the specific "after" version over the vague "before" by 94% to 6%.

Signal response · What to do next

Connect cause, clarity, and confidence

Rewrite asks so the use of funds appears above the fold in email, direct mail, landing pages, and donation forms.

Pair every major appeal with one specific outcome: meals served, students reached, acres restored, calls answered.

Build a small proof library of reviews, testimonials, ratings, and media mentions to reuse across campaigns.

Confirm a new supporter can quickly grasp three things: the issue, the use of funds, and the impact.

Signal 03

Signaling effectiveness

Trust in nonprofits is strong, but proof still matters.

97%say the nonprofits they support seem aligned with what they care about 95%trust the nonprofits they donate to use funds effectively 91%say nonprofits have a role in closing gaps left by government cuts

Transparency is the top proof point

Overall, 69% of donors name transparency, clear reporting on finances and programs, as a top signal of effectiveness, ahead of impact data and statistics (58%) and beneficiary stories (48%). Donors want both evidence and meaning: measurable outcomes, understood in human terms. Nearly four in five donors (79%) also trust nonprofits at large to use funds effectively, not just the ones they already support.

Factors that signal effectiveness"Which most clearly signals that a nonprofit is effective?" Select up to 3, by generation. Base: 1,003 donors.
Baby Boomers+ Gen X Millennials Gen Z*
70%
67%
71%
68%

Transparency

60%
60%
56%
46%

Impact data

50%
50%
46%
44%

Beneficiary stories

24%
29%
44%
32%

Reviews

Younger donors lean more on reviews and ratings. *Gen Z is a small base (n=41); directional.

Signal test · The 30-second donation page test

Open your donation page on a phone. Can a first-time visitor answer these in 30 seconds?

What does this nonprofit do?

Plain language. No jargon.

Where does my money go?

One sentence. No PDF download required.

Has giving worked before?

One stat. One story of impact. That's it.

If a first-time donor can't answer all three in 30 seconds, you're losing gifts at the moment of highest intent.

Signal 04

Meeting donors where they are

Channel fit and convenience shape the giving experience. Motivation alone doesn't determine whether a gift happens. The path to giving matters too.

69%of donors say email is a preferred fundraising channel, the top choice overall and the leading preference in every generation.

Email anchors the mix for everyone. Beyond email, preferences segment sharply by generation. Direct mail still leads for Baby Boomers+, social media climbs for Millennials and Gen Z, and text holds more appeal for younger donors. A relevant message in the wrong place still misses.

Communication channel preference by generation"Which channels do you prefer a nonprofit use to reach you for fundraising?" Select all that apply. Base: 1,003 donors.
Baby Boomers+ Gen X Millennials Gen Z*
67%
75%
70%
58%

Email

55%
35%
28%
23%

Direct mail

7%
20%
43%
38%

Social media

16%
28%
33%
23%

Text

6%
5%
15%
19%

Phone call

*Gen Z is a small base (n=41); results are directional.

Signal response · What to do next

Rebalance the channel mix by audience

Compare your channel mix to donor preferences by segment, starting with email, direct mail, social, and text.

Build channel-specific campaign plans instead of repurposing identical copy everywhere.

Use donor preference data to set communication defaults, and let supporters update them easily.

Segment by generation and deliver through the channels each group prefers most.

Signal 05

The friction factor

How fees and tips quietly interrupt generosity. Channel fit determines whether a message reaches donors. What happens after the click determines whether the gift goes through.

79%say unexpected fees may cause them to reconsider donating 70%say a prompt to add a tip may cause them to reconsider donating 44%of nonprofits still ask donors to add a tip at checkout

Fees

An unavoidable cost of processing a gift. The issue isn't that they exist, it's that donors meet them as a surprise. The fix is transparency: disclose fees before checkout, explain what they cover, and give donors the full picture before they commit.

Tips

A discretionary ask the platform inserts into your donor's experience, often on your behalf. The donor who just decided to give is now asked to fund something else. The fix usually isn't better framing. It's to turn the prompt off, or default it to zero.

Friction check

Run your donation form through this audit. Each "yes" is a point.

Does your form ask for a tip or "platform support"?

Does it surprise donors with processing fees at the end?

Does it require more than six fields to give?

Does it bury the "give now" button below the fold on mobile?

Does it require account creation before giving?

0–1 points: You're respecting your donors. Keep going.

2–3 points: You have low-hanging fruit. Fix the easiest one this week.

4+ points: Every point is gifts walking away. This is your priority.

Signal 06

Millennials aren't the donors of tomorrow

They're the donors of right now. If you want to know where fundraising is headed, listen to the generation already leading the way.

75%expect to give more this year than last, versus 49% of Gen X and 36% of Baby Boomers+ 80%plan to give to at least one new nonprofit this year, versus 52% and 30% 42%have already given through a DAF or other tax-advantaged vehicle

Millennials are more likely than any other generation in this study to say they plan to increase their giving and support new organizations.

The headline isn't just how much Millennials give. It's how they decide to. They're checking reviews, looking for matching campaigns, and wanting personalization and mobile-friendly experiences. More than any other group, they're looking for a sense of belonging.

They aren't the biggest donors yet. But with the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in history underway, they will be.

Planning to give more, and to give newShare who expect to increase their giving, and who plan to support a new nonprofit this year, by generation.
Millennials Gen X Baby Boomers+
75%
49%
36%

Expect to give more this year

80%
52%
30%

Plan to support a new nonprofit

Signal strategy

Four components of a Millennial donor strategy

Acquisition message. Test copy that leads with belonging and visible impact, not need.

Mobile experience. Audit your top three campaign pages on a phone. Fix what's broken before you spend on traffic.

Reporting. Track Millennial acquisition, retention, and average gift as their own line in your dashboard.

A feedback loop. Stand up a small panel of 10 to 20 recurring Millennial donors and test messaging before you roll out.

Signal 07

DAFs and tax-advantaged giving

An opportunity with an education gap. Interest in tax-advantaged giving is growing, but familiarity hasn't caught up.

Use of donor-advised fundsMade a DAF donation in the past year, and interested in the coming year. By generation.
Used in past year Interested this year

Millennials

  • Used42%
  • Interested55%

Gen Z*

  • Used19%
  • Interested35%

Gen X

  • Used13%
  • Interested25%

Baby Boomers+

  • Used10%
  • Interested14%

*Gen Z is a small base (n=41); results are directional.

Millennials are by far the most active users, and the most likely to say they're interested in giving this way in the year ahead. But nonprofit interest is running ahead of donor familiarity.

12%of donors are unsure whether they even made a DAF gift last year 29%are unsure whether they're interested this coming year 64%of organizations are prioritizing DAFs and tax-advantaged giving

When a donor asks about DAFs

Have a confident answer ready

"Can I give through my donor-advised fund?"

"Yes, and we'd love that. Here's our EIN and legal name to use with your DAF sponsor. Want a quick one-pager you can forward to them?"

"What even is a DAF?"

"It's like a charitable savings account. You put money in, get the tax benefit upfront, and recommend gifts to nonprofits over time. Many of our donors use one, happy to walk you through it."

"Is my gift tax-advantaged if I give this way?"

"Yes. The tax deduction happens when you fund the DAF. Your gift to us comes from money already set aside for charity, which is why it can sometimes mean a larger gift than you'd give from your checking account."

Part III · Responding to the Signals

How nonprofits are adapting, and where to go Next.

How nonprofit leaders are responding

Adapting, investing, and meeting the moment

Fundraising pressure is real, and nonprofit leaders are responding with intention. They're listening, adjusting, and investing.

91%say donor contributions will make up a larger share of revenue than last year 97%are adjusting outreach to reflect younger donors, 46% significantly 90%expect to rely on major donors to meet targets, with recurring and new donors close behind 4%say they are not significantly customizing communications
Messages nonprofits are prioritizing"How heavily is your organization prioritizing each message?" Bar shows total prioritizing; darker = "a lot." Base: 405 fundraisers.
A lot Some A little
  • Mission and organizational needs52%
  • Belonging to a community49%
  • Supporting a specific community or region48%
  • Recent impact reports41%
  • Pressing need (disasters, crises)41%
  • Matching-donation campaigns37%
How nonprofits customize communications"In what ways are you customizing donor outreach?" Select all that apply. Base: 405 fundraisers.
  • By the time of year a donor typically gives72%
  • Via a donor's preferred channels71%
  • Personalization and relevant content68%
  • Referencing a donor's past donations61%

"It's important to not assume you already know where donors want to hear from you. In addition to this report, follow up directly with your donors via surveys and conversations."

Claire Axelrad · Principal, Clairification & Fundraising Coach

The opportunity gap

Where donor signals and nonprofit strategy diverge

The opportunity isn't a fundamental rift. It's a series of small, fixable mismatches in how strategy shows up in the moments that matter most.

The message gap

Donors want alignment, clarity on where money goes, and proof of impact. Nonprofits often lead with mission and need. Those resonate, but donors want the what-next spelled out alongside the why.

The channel gap

Donors say email is their top channel, by a wide margin, across every generation. Nonprofits report leading with social. Social isn't wrong, it's just not what donors are asking you to lead with. Rebalance.

The friction gap

70% of donors say tip prompts make them reconsider, 79% say the same about surprise fees. Meanwhile 44% of nonprofits still ask donors to tip at checkout. Fees need transparency; tips usually need turning off.

The Millennial gap

For younger donors, reviews, ratings, matching, and channel fit carry real weight. Most strategies don't yet reflect that. The donors most likely to give more are the ones whose preferences are least consistently met.

The Gen Z growth gap

71% of leaders say they're counting on younger donors, including Gen Z, to hit targets. But Gen Z is less likely to give than any other generation, a gap between expectation and reality worth watching.

The good news

None of this is structural. Donors aren't asking for a new mission. They're asking for sharper execution on the one you already have.

"To level up fundraising messaging, nonprofits need to also focus on identity. Who am I when I give? That's massively more powerful than why do I give."

Rachel Muir Girlstart Founder and Nonprofit Consultant

Conclusion

Follow the giving signals

Generosity is still here, and it is speaking clearly. Donors care about the causes they support. They trust nonprofits. They want to make a difference, and they're giving you a clear set of signals about what helps them move from caring to giving.

Caring to giving Relevance Transparency Belonging Convenience Connection

When organizations follow the giving signals, they meet supporters with greater precision, create more confident giving experiences, and build momentum that lasts. See what's changing. Shape what's next. That is how nonprofits turn insight into action and keep pushing purpose higher.

Get the full Report

Fifty pages of donor research, generational breakdowns, and signal-by-signal playbooks you can hand straight to your team.

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