Charitable donations in the United States witnessed a 3% increase in 2025, marking a historical milestone by surpassing the $600 billion threshold for the first time. This substantial amount, totaling $617 billion, was directed towards a wide array of causes ranging from religious institutions to animal shelters.
Despite this notable growth, which outpaced the long-term average annual increase of 2.7%, the total still fell short of the record established in 2021 amid a surge of pandemic-related donations. This uptick in giving was buoyed by a relatively robust yet uneven economic performance, characterized by a thriving stock market and rising personal incomes, although consumer sentiment plummeted and inflation continued to exceed the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
As highlighted in the latest report from the Giving USA Foundation, developed in collaboration with the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, the landscape of charitable donations is increasingly shaped by the preferences of affluent donors.
Bequests and Foundations Fuel Growth
Bequests, or donations made posthumously, accounted for roughly 10% of total U.S. giving in 2025, a rise from 9% in 2024. These contributions swelled by 16.6% to $62 billion, outpacing all other donation types. This trend can be attributed to the anticipated “great wealth transfer,” where older generations pass on tens of trillions of dollars to younger heirs, as well as sustained stock market gains bolstering the wealth of the nation’s richest.
Bequests are subject to significant yearly fluctuations, influenced by large individual contributions. For instance, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s estate made a $3.1 billion bequest, positioning him as one of the largest donors of 2025. This unpredictability stems from the intricate nature of processing multibillion-dollar estates.
Foundation giving, making up about 20% of total charitable contributions in 2025, similarly grew by 3% to $117 billion, achieving a new peak even after inflation adjustments. The continuous increase in foundation-related donations since 2010 is largely linked to stock market prosperity, which enhances endowment values and thereby boosts disbursements.
While individual giving rose by 1.4% in 2025, it constituted just 64% of the total, marking one of the lowest shares on record. This trend mirrors the decline in consumer confidence, which hit historic lows in 2025.
Corporate philanthropy, accounting for 7% of all charitable donations in 2025, reached a record high of $44 billion, reflecting a 0.5% increase from the previous year and a nearly 30% rise since 2020 when adjusted for inflation.
Variety in Donation Growth
Seven out of nine charitable categories monitored by Giving USA experienced growth in 2025. However, religious donations remained stagnant, showing a slight 0.2% decline. Over the past 20 years, religious giving has increased by only 1.2%, yet it remains the largest category, accounting for $152 billion or 23% of all donations in 2025.
Conversely, donations to foundations dropped by 18.3% in 2025 after peaking in 2024, representing 12% of the total at $79 billion. Contributions to social services rose by 2.6%, reaching nearly $100 billion, while education and public-society benefit causes saw the most significant growth.
Educational donations, predominantly benefiting higher education institutions, increased by 8.9% to $92 billion. Public-society benefit donations rose by 8.7% to $72 billion, encompassing a range of organizations from advocacy groups to donor-advised funds.
Record highs were also noted in contributions to health-related causes ($61 billion), the arts ($27 billion), and environmental and animal-related nonprofits ($25 billion). Although overall giving expanded in 2025, categories favored by the wealthiest Americans experienced the most robust growth, while donations from less affluent individuals and religious contributions lagged.
Beginning in 2026, the introduction of a universal charitable deduction under President Donald Trump’s tax reforms is expected to encourage more Americans to engage in charitable giving.
