Americans gave an estimated $617.2 billion to charity in 2025, the most ever recorded in current dollars. Here's who gave it, where it went, and the less cheerful trend underneath the headline.
Where these numbers come from
The standard yardstick for American philanthropy is Giving USA, an annual report published by the Giving USA Foundation and researched by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The edition released in June 2026, Giving USA 2026, covers giving during calendar year 2025. Its figures are estimates built from tax data, economic indicators and surveys, and the team revises the prior year as better data arrives. For example, the 2024 total was revised to $592.5 billion, as The NonProfit Times reported.
So treat any single number here as a well-informed estimate, not an audited tally. The direction and the proportions are the useful part.
The headline: a record year
Total giving reached an estimated $617.2 billion in 2025, up 5.7% in current dollars and 3.0% after adjusting for inflation (Innovest summary of Giving USA 2026). It was the first year above $600 billion. In inflation-adjusted terms it was the second-highest year on record, according to The NonProfit Times, which also noted 2025 inflation of 2.6%.
Who gives: giving by source
A common assumption is that big foundations and corporations fund most charity. They don't. Ordinary individuals, giving while they're alive, account for nearly two-thirds of the total.
| Source | 2025 amount | Share of total |
|---|---|---|
| Individuals | $394.2 billion | 64% |
| Foundations | $117.15 billion | 19% |
| Bequests (gifts by will) | $62.19 billion | 10% |
| Corporations | $43.67 billion | 7% |
Source: Giving USA 2026, as summarized by BBB Wise Giving Alliance.
- Individuals$394.2B64%
- Foundations$117.15B19%
- Bequests$62.19B10%
- Corporations$43.67B7%
The big mover was bequests, which rose 19.7% in current dollars (16.6% after inflation), per The NonProfit Times. Bequests are lumpy by nature: a handful of very large estates can swing the category from year to year.
Where it goes: giving by cause
| Recipient type | 2025 amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Religion | $151.58 billion | 23% |
| Human services | $99.50 billion | 15% |
| Education | $92.01 billion | 14% |
| Gifts to foundations | $79.05 billion | 12% |
| Public-society benefit | $72.06 billion | 11% |
| Health | $61.43 billion | 9% |
| International affairs | $33.02 billion | 5% |
| Arts, culture & humanities | $27.31 billion | 4% |
| Gifts to individuals | $25.77 billion | 4% |
| Environment & animals | $24.57 billion | 4% |
Source: Giving USA 2026 via BBB Wise Giving Alliance. Giving USA estimates each recipient category separately, so the rows don't add up exactly to the overall total. "Gifts to individuals" is mostly in-kind pharmaceutical patient-assistance donations, according to The NonProfit Times.
Where 2025 giving went, in billions of dollars
What changed in 2025
- Education grew 11.7%, helped by very large gifts (NonProfit Times).
- Public-society benefit and environment and animals each grew about 11% (same source).
- Religion is still the largest single category but rose only 2.4%, roughly flat after inflation. Its share has fallen a long way: religion received 62% of all giving in 1984, versus 23% now (same source).
- Gifts to foundations fell 16.2%, the one category that shrank (same source).
The catch: more dollars, fewer donors
Record totals hide a long-running slide in how many people give at all. The Lilly School's Philanthropy Panel Study, which follows the same households over time, found that about two-thirds of American households gave to charity in 2000. That fell to 50.9% in 2018 and 46.9% in 2020 (IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, 2024). Meanwhile, the average gift among households that did give rose to $3,116 (same source).
Fundraising data from nonprofits shows the same pattern. The Fundraising Effectiveness Project's Q4 2025 report found dollars raised up about 5% in 2025 while the number of donors fell 3.6%. Donors giving more than $5,000 a year made up 3.4% of donors but 78.6% of dollars.
Few donors, most dollars (2025)
Why it matters: A charity sector that leans on a shrinking pool of large donors is more fragile in a downturn. Small, regular gifts from many people are what keep a local food pantry or youth program steady. Your $25 a month counts for more than the national totals suggest.
Generosity beyond dollars
Money is only one way Americans give. In the Census Bureau and AmeriCorps survey covering September 2022 to September 2023, 28.3% of people 16 and older formally volunteered through an organization, and 54.2% informally helped neighbors, for example by running errands, house sitting or lending tools (U.S. Census Bureau). Our volunteering guide covers how to find a good fit.
Giving time, not just money (Sept 2022–Sept 2023, Americans 16+)
formally volunteered through an organization
informally helped a neighbor
Putting the numbers to work in your own giving
National statistics are interesting. A plan is more useful. A few ways to turn them into action:
- Pick a percentage, not a mood. Decide on a share of income (1%, 3%, 10%, whatever is honest for you) and give against that number rather than whenever an appeal lands.
- Set it aside monthly. Treating your giving budget like a sinking fund means December appeals and disaster relief don't strain your checking account. A simple sinking-fund tracker like SinkJar (a free web app that works offline) makes the jar visible.
- Vet before you give. Ten minutes on a rating site prevents most mistakes. See our guide on how to vet a charity.
- Mix local and global. Human services and local causes often need steady small donors. If you want maximum impact per dollar, read about effective giving.
- Know the tax rules, but don't let them drive. Starting with tax year 2026 there's a new deduction for people who don't itemize. Our charitable tax deduction basics explain it.
Frequently asked questions
How much did Americans give to charity in 2025?
An estimated $617.2 billion, according to Giving USA 2026. That is up 5.7% from 2024 in current dollars and 3.0% after inflation.
Who gives the most: individuals, foundations or corporations?
Individuals, by far. Living individuals gave about 64% of the 2025 total ($394.2 billion), foundations 19%, bequests 10% and corporations 7%.
What cause receives the most donations?
Religion, at an estimated $151.58 billion (23%) in 2025, followed by human services (15%) and education (14%). Religion's share has been falling for decades.
Are fewer Americans giving to charity?
Yes. The share of households that give fell from about two-thirds in 2000 to 46.9% in 2020, per the Philanthropy Panel Study, and nonprofit data showed donor counts dropping again in 2025 even as total dollars rose.
When does the next Giving USA report come out?
Giving USA is typically released each June. The 2026 edition covering 2025 came out in June 2026, so the next edition, covering 2026, would be expected around June 2027.
Sources
- BBB Wise Giving Alliance — As America nears 250, Giving USA 2026 highlights changing giving trends
- The NonProfit Times — Giving USA: $617.2B was given to nonprofits during 2025 (June 23, 2026)
- Innovest — Giving USA: US charitable giving rose to $617.20 billion in 2025
- IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy — Drop in share of Americans who give to charity accelerated in first year of COVID-19 (Oct. 24, 2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau — New Census Bureau and AmeriCorps Research Tracks Virtual Volunteering for First Time (Nov 2024)
- Neon One — The Q4 2025 FEP report is out (Fundraising Effectiveness Project data)