U.S. Charitable Giving Reached $617.2 Billion in 2025

Business operators should track how market-driven asset growth shifts philanthropic capital and funding priorities.

Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in Philanthropy

U.S. Charitable Giving Reached $617.2 Billion in 2025

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Total U.S. charitable giving reached $617.2 billion in 2025, marking a 3% increase after adjusting for inflation. The growth was largely supported by the strong performance of financial markets and rising asset values.

Why it matters

For business operators, this surge in capital highlights a shift in liquidity flows that can influence corporate social responsibility budgets and institutional funding cycles. The data suggests that fluctuations in financial market performance remain a primary driver of the philanthropic sector's total capacity.

Total 2025 charitable giving grew by 5.7% to $617.2 billion, with individual giving rising 4.1% to $394.2 billion. Corporate giving totaled $43.67 billion, while bequests rose 19.7% to $62.19 billion.

The details

The increase in charitable funding reflects broader asset appreciation driven by financial market performance. Despite total growth, giving to the foundation category fell 16.2% to $79.05 billion, while donations specifically targeting education increased 11.7% to $92.01 billion. These shifts indicate that donors are reallocating capital away from intermediary vehicles and toward specific institutional outcomes.

2022: Foundation giving consistently remained above $100 billion.
2024: Giving to foundations reached a record high.
2025: Total U.S. charitable giving reached $617.2 billion.

Market Landscape

This performance marks a departure from recent years, during which foundation giving hit record highs. The current redistribution of assets contrasts with previous cycles where growth was more evenly distributed across charitable vehicles.

Business operators should monitor how shifting donor preferences toward education affect nonprofit competition for local funding. Finance teams should account for how broader market volatility may limit future philanthropic outreach effectiveness.

The takeaway

The rise in total giving suggests that market-linked asset growth continues to dictate the scale of available social capital. Operators should track these high-level annual reports to anticipate whether their local nonprofit partners are facing increased or decreased competition for available donor dollars.