Americans donated an estimated $617 billion to charitable causes in 2025, marking a 3% increase after adjusting for inflation as philanthropy held up during a year marked by economic uncertainty, federal funding changes and mounting humanitarian crises linked to the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan.
Donors increased their giving across all major categories, including individuals, corporations, foundations and bequests.
According to the latest Giving USA report, released Tuesday and conducted by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, overall giving rose from 2024 levels, helped by strong financial markets and economic growth. Wendy McGrady, chair of Giving USA, said organizations that effectively communicated their needs saw donors respond, according to the U.S. News & World Report.
Education nonprofits recorded one of the largest gains, with donations rising 8.9%, while organizations in the public-society benefit category posted an 8.7% increase and environment and animal groups saw an 8.2% rise. Smaller increases were reported for arts and culture, health, human services and international causes. Giving to religious organizations slipped 0.2% after adjusting for inflation.
Large donations played a major role in the annual total. Megagifts, defined as contributions equal to at least 0.1% of annual giving, amounted to $19.2 billion in 2025. MacKenzie Scott accounted for roughly one-third of that amount with $6.65 billion in donations. Michael Bloomberg contributed $4.3 billion, while Bill Gates donated $3.7 billion. A $3.1 billion bequest from the estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen also ranked among the largest gifts.
The report showed that bequests increased nearly 17% in 2025. Over the past decade, estate gifts have grown faster than overall charitable giving, though Bergdoll said additional years of data are needed to draw broader conclusions about long-term wealth transfers, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Some organizations said private donors helped offset disruptions caused by federal funding changes. International humanitarian group CARE reported its strongest fundraising year after cuts to USAID support affected aid programs. Sarah Taylor Peace, CARE's chief revenue officer, said many individual donors increased their contributions to ensure crisis operations could continue, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Environmental groups also reported increased support. The Natural Resources Defense Council said fundraising appeals tied to regulatory and policy changes resonated with donors, according to the Associated Press.
Not all sectors experienced strong growth, however. Foundation giving fell 18.3% after a particularly strong 2024, while corporate giving rose just 0.5%. Bergdoll noted that foundations had recorded near-record growth in the previous year, making the decline less severe in raw dollar terms.
Separate figures released earlier this year showed that donor-advised fund holders recommended a record $18.3 billion in grants during 2025, up 23% from the previous year, reflecting continued activity among individual and family donors, according to Fidelity Charitable.
