Giving USA 2025: Nonprofit Challenges & How OneCause Can Help
Charitable giving hit a record high in 2024, totaling $592.50 billion – a powerful sign of generosity and impact.
But even with this encouraging momentum, many nonprofits, are still feeling the pressure to keep pace with evolving donor expectations and a changing fundraising landscape.
The Giving USA report shines light on what’s really happening in fundraising, from emerging giving trends to changes in donor behavior. The latest data confirms it: giving may be up, but so are the fundraising challenges that nonprofits are facing.
What is the Annual Giving USA Report?
The annual Giving USA report is the largest, longest running, and most comprehensive study on the sources and uses of charitable giving in the United States.
Each year, the Giving USA Foundation, a public service initiative of The Giving Institute, partners with the research team at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy to present a detailed analysis of giving to charitable organizations.
Fundraisers, board members, and nonprofit organizations leverage Giving USA’s report as a strategic tool to understand giving trends and refine their fundraising approach. As a proud member of The Giving Institute, OneCause is committed to helping you put this data into action.
So, how can you turn these insights into impact? Let’s explore a few key fundraising challenges highlighted in the report and how to confidently tackle them with OneCause.
Retaining Everyday Donors
Individual giving remains the cornerstone of philanthropy, accounting for 66% of total giving in 2024. While individual giving was up 8.2%, donor participation continues to decline – with giving becoming increasingly concentrated among major donors.
Even as gifts made by megadonors grow each year, it’s more important than ever to recognize and retain individual and small dollar donors. These supporters still play a vital role in fundraising success, program delivery, and building community engagement. But with fewer small donors making gifts today, retention efforts have become of mission-critical.
Retention is no longer just about stewardship – it’s about creating meaningful, lasting connections to build trust.
That’s where OneCause can help. Our all-in-one fundraising platform makes giving easy, seamless, and personal — helping you turn one-time donors into long-term supporters.
OneCause provides:
- Mobile-optimized donation forms for giving on-the-go.
- Simple, customizable recurring donation options for consistent support.
- Built-in tools for follow-up and donor acknowledgement.
- Text2Give® to reach donors where they are.
Offering a seamless giving experience to your everyday donors is just one simple way to strengthen relationships. And with OneCause, those relationships turn into sustained support that fuels your mission forward.
Personalizing Donor Experiences
Charitable giving grew 6.3% in the past year, reaching a new high by that measure with 3.3% growth when adjusted for inflation. Giving increased in seven of the nine categories in the Giving USA report, while contributions to foundations remained steady and giving to religion saw a slight decline.
Although charitable donations are on the rise, donors seem to be more selective, choosing to support causes that feel personal and timely. In a crowded fundraising landscape where nonprofits are competing for donor attention, offering flexible giving options and maintaining donor satisfaction are key to engagement.
That’s why personalization matters. From custom donation journeys to mission-aligned messaging, tailoring each interaction helps supporters feel seen, valued, and motivated to give more. OneCause empowers nonprofits like yours to do just that.
Here’s how OneCause personalizes the donor experience:
- Customized event sites that highlight your nonprofit brand and messaging.
- Auction AI® tools like Suggested Sort and Recommended Lot for a tailored bidding experience.
- Anonymous giving options that respect donor privacy while still allowing them to participate meaningfully.
- Impact statements that let donors know the impact of their donation, helping them give toward what matters most to them.
The result? A stronger connection that drives repeat giving.
Keep in mind, personalizing donor experiences goes beyond your donation form. If you’re hosting a gala or auction, it’s important to work with fundraising software that meets all your needs.
In fact, our first-ever State of Nonprofit Auctions Report shows that:
- 62% of auction attendees are very likely to become annual donors
- 64% are likely to become monthly donors
This highlights the power of engagement done right – another reason to rely on an all-in-one fundraising platform built for the modern donor journey.
Adapting to Donor Giving Preferences
Today’s donors want to support causes in ways that are quick, easy, and impactful. According to the Giving Experience Study, 62% of first-time donors are motivated by the ease of donating – and 59% said the same about being able to give immediately.
Over the last five years, giving by individuals grew steadily at an average rate of 5.4%. And with growth have come new forms of giving. Donor-advised funds, for example, are one of the fastest-growing ways people are giving back today.
The giving landscape is shifting according to the findings of Giving USA, meaning nonprofits need to keep up with what their donors are looking for. Whether through a single click or a digital wallet transaction, your fundraising software should be equipped with flexible giving options.
With the OneCause Fundraising Platform, expect:
- Seamless and secure giving through OneCause Payments™
- Complete Digital Wallet including ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and PayPal
- Mobile-friendly giving so donors can give anytime, anywhere
Want to stay ahead of all these trends? OneCause has you covered with free webinars and podcast episodes featuring industry expert insights along with fundraising resources to help you stay one step ahead.
Engaging the Next Generation of Donors
As nonprofits continue to navigate evolving technology, the right fundraising software can make all the difference in how you connect with donors. Still, only 6% of organizations plan to allocate more than 15% of their overall budget to technology this year, according to the 2025 Fundraising Outlook Report. That’s a big gap considering how tech-savvy the next generation of donors really is.
Ease and accessibility matter more than ever. Even Giving USA suggests investing in that technology when it comes to attracting younger generations. In their Giving by Individuals section, the report notes, “young donors are most likely to use a smartphone to make online gifts, so be sure donation pages are mobile-friendly.”
To overcome this challenge, OneCause incorporates key features that resonate with the future generation of giving, including:
- Outbid notifications via text message, which 65% of Gen Z and Millennials find valuable.
- Automatic suggestions for similar items were found to be a helpful tool for 59% of young auction donors.
- Fixed-price or buy-it-now items, which are appreciated by 61% of Gen Z and Millennials.
- Digital wallet option, used by nearly 40% of young donors on their last donation.
At OneCause, we’re building intuitive tools to help you meet donors where they are — and where they’re headed. Connect with a OneCause team member and see how simple it is to engage the next generation of donors.
How to Overcome Nonprofit Challenges
To capture the generosity that’s out there, nonprofits need to lead with intention, connection, and strategy. With data-driven strategies and the right technology in place, your organization can navigate challenges and turn them into lasting momentum.
The Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy is just one of many studies available to fundraisers and nonprofits. Learn more about accessing their full report here or check out more research-focused resources to drive your mission forward:
