Know and Respond to What the New Data Says About Giving

Christian News Network / WIRE / Bradenton, FL — To win with your year-end giving and create a runway for 2026, you need to know the trends. Today, I am going to run through them so you can make the most of this year and next.

Total U.S. Giving

Total U.S. giving hit ~$592.5 in 2024, up 6.3% in current dollars (≈3.3% inflation-adjusted), buoyed by strong markets and GDP—ending a three-year stretch where inflation eroded gains. Most subsectors saw increases, led by education, civil rights/community, and international affairs.

Donor Participation

Donor participation keeps shrinking. 2024 closed with fewer donors and lower retention rates; Q1-2025 continued the pattern: dollars increased by ~3–4%, while donors decreased by ~1–4%, with the steepest drop among small donors ($1–$100). New donor retention remains weak. Translation: giving is concentrating among fewer, larger givers.

Online and Direct Response

• Online revenue increased by ~2% in 2024; monthly giving rose by ~5% and now accounts for ~31% of online revenue. Direct mail revenue also ticked up (~3%), and channels work best together.
• End-of-year held firm in an election cycle. Blackbaud reports the 2024 election did not deter EOY giving; several subsectors posted gains (healthcare, animal welfare, environment).
• Giving Tuesday 2024 climbed to ~$3.6B, +16% YoY—evidence that concentrated, community-driven moments still scale.

Donor Advised Funds (DAFs)

Note that DAFs continue to accelerate—and diversify.

• Fidelity Charitable granted $14.9 billion in 2024 (five times what it did a decade ago), including 1,971 grants of $1 million or more. Half of Giving Account balances were under $25,000, showing that DAFs aren’t only for the ultra-wealthy
• Sector-wide benchmarks show DAF-sourced revenue up ~6%; for every $1 raised online, orgs averaged $0.13 from DAFs (varies by vertical). Build DAF-ready pipelines.
• The Debate continues over payout dynamics, but ultimately, DAFs are now a core channel you must design for.

Christian-Sector Signals

Pay attention to attendance, identity, and next-gen givers.

• Religious affiliation and in-person attendance continue to decline long-term (2023–24 Landscape Study), which correlates with fewer habitual givers in many churches—but not uniformly.
• Barna’s generosity research highlights that GeZ’s “generosity identity“ skews toward action and cause alignment, with lower default to monetary tithes and higher interest in visible impact and peer cues.
• Many churches reported increases in giving in 2024, although the distribution is uneven; digital giving continues to rise.

Your Seven Pivots in 2025

Here are seven pivots for you to consider for year-end giving in 2025 that will set up the 2026 runway.

• #1 Fight “Dollars-Up, Donors-Down” with a Base-Builder Plan

  Create a micro-donor ladder: <$50 welcome + quick second-ask within 60–90 days; an evergreen welcome series; first gift → monthly upgrade path by Day 45. (FEP shows small-donor and first-year retention are where leakage is worst.)

• #2 Ensure Monthly Giving is Your Default

  Pre-select “make it monthly,” offer gentle nudges (e.g., “$18/month funds ____”), and design a simple benefits stack (impact notes, prayer updates, quarterly Zoom briefings). Benchmarks show that recurring is the growth engine online.

• #3 Be DAF-first—Before December

  Add a DAF widget/link on all appeals and receipts; include language like “Give from your Fidelity/Schwab/BNY DAF in two clicks.” Map your DAF households and run a fall cultivation sprint (impact sprints, asset-gift guidance, year-end pledge forms). Use GivingTuesday as a DAF mobilizer.

• #4 Blend Channels

  It is crucial to utilize a combination of media, including mail, email, text messaging, and social media. M+R shows direct mail and online are complementary; coordinate calendars, mirror creative, and sync landing pages to letters (scan-to-give). Use SMS for reminders and monthly ask cadences.

• #5 Message for Impact and Trust

  Impact and trust are significant to Gen Z and the DAF set. Tie every gift to clear outcomes with short time horizons; show cost-per-impact. Barna/Pew suggest younger donors respond to cause clarity, authenticity, and visible community benefit—in Christian contexts, that includes stories of spiritual fruit + measurable social impact.

• #6 Engineer Year-end Like a Product Launch

  Maximize the giving arc (Thanksgiving → Dec 31). Anchor moments between Giving Tuesday and mid-December, Dec 29–31. Display matching gifts and asset-giving prompts (stock/crypto/DAF) when markets are strong, as this historically correlates with higher giving levels.

• #7 Retention is the 2026 Multiplier

  New-donor plan: instant confirmation + 2 emails in 7 days; 30-day impact note; 45-day monthly upgrade; handwritten note or pastor/ED voicemail for larger first gifts. Monitor cohort retention monthly; aim to increase first-year retention by 3–5 points, as this is the most reliable growth lever, according to FEP trends.

Quick Plays Tailored to Christian Nonprofits

• Tithe-adjacent options: Offer “first-fruits month” (recurring) and “above-and-beyond” project funds with 90-day reporting windows. (Aligns with GeZ’s “show me impact” posture.) Barna Group
• Sermon plus appeal integration: Pair a teaching moment with a live act of generosity (benevolence, local mission), then follow with a DAF/stock/IRA QCD tutorial the same week. (DAFs/asset gifts are surging.) Fidelity Charitable
• Share community proof, short testimonies beat lengthy appeals. Use a GivingTuesday-style montage before Dec 15 to prime year-end momentum. AP News

What to Watch in 2026

• Market-sensitive giving: With 2024’s market tailwinds behind the 2025 rise, keep an eye on equity performance and HNW liquidity (Giving USA notes how markets/GDP map to giving). Giving USA
• DAF normalization: Expect continued mainstreaming of smaller-balance DAFs and larger gifts via DAFs. Build stewardship that treats DAF grants like household gifts (because they are). Institutional.fidelity.com
• Participation problem: Reversing the small-donor slide is a sector-wide priority; plan for list growth, low-friction asks, and fast second gifts. Association of Fundraising Professionals

Sources & Further Reading

• Giving USA 2025 (covering 2024 data): total giving, macro drivers, subsector performance. Giving USA
• Barron’s and Axios coverage of Giving USA 2025 Barron’s +1+1
• Blackbaud Institute (2024/25): subsector growth; election-year EOY resilience. Blackbaud
• M+R Benchmarks 2025: online + monthly + DAF ratios. M+R Benchmarks 2025+1
• FEP (AFP): donor counts, retention declines, concentration among larger gifts. Association of Fundraising Professionals+1
• GivingTuesday 2024 topline. AP News
• Barna’s generosity (Gen Z) and pastors’ giving concerns. Barna Group+1
• Pew Research 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study update (beliefs & practices trends). Pew Research Center
• Fidelity Charitable 2025 Giving Report (DAF growth & composition). Fidelity Charitable+1

Chris McDaniel is the Vice President of Sales for vTECH io. He leads a sales team that delivers cutting-edge technology solutions, combining industry knowledge with a passion for exceptional service.

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