Donors gave U.S. charities $617 billion in 2025, according to Giving USA report - MyNorthwest.com

Donors gave U.S. charities $617 billion in 2025, according to the Giving USA 2026 report, which describes a 3% year-over-year increase after adjusting for inflation. The report, “Giving USA 2026: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2025,” also says bequests jumped nearly 17%, continuing a pattern of double-digit gains in three of the last four years. It notes that giving rose across categories, including corporations, living individuals, bequests, and foundations, supported by strong markets and major donors even amid economic uncertainty and federal cuts. Wendy McGrady, chair of Giving USA, said charities’ outreach about needs helped donors respond. Jon Bergdoll of Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy said market performance influences wealth and large gifts. Cause-specific results include education (+8.9%), public-society benefit (+8.7%), and environment/animal nonprofits (+8.2%), while religious giving was down 0.2% after inflation.