Charities received $592.5 billion in donations in 2024, a 3.3% increase over 2023 after adjusting for inflation, according to the most recent ” Giving USA ″ report, which takes a comprehensive look at U.S. philanthropy.
Only one major cause—religion—saw an inflation-adjusted decline in giving.
The increase, reported Tuesday, may be small comfort to nonprofits that in 2025 experienced a significant drop in federal funding, more than 20,000 layoffs, increased demand for services, and market uncertainty that has led some donors to pull back.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty, a lot of volatility, especially in financial markets,” says Una Osili, an associate dean at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. “When you’re not sure exactly what’s happening and the news is changing, that sometimes leads to donors just being uncertain and not acting. Uncertainty can dampen giving.”
Yet last year marked a return to typical giving patterns, says Jon Bergdoll, managing director for Giving USA. The pandemic and high inflation of recent years were atypical, he says, which meant giving patterns didn’t always align with traditional models. In 2024, things lined up as expected.
Strong performance by companies, particularly in the tech sector, pushed corporate giving up 6%, after adjusting for inflation. Individual giving was up 5%. Foundation giving was down by half a percent. Bequests (money given through wills) were down 4.4%—but Bergdoll notes bequests are historically volatile because the data can be shifted “by a single billionaire passing away.”
