How Is Fundraising Going in 2026? Signals Are Mixed.

We’re six months into 2026. The “Giving USA” report just offered insights into the giving trends of 2025, but how is fundraising going in 2026?  

The reviews are mixed. Some nonprofits say strong giving is continuing, but many express concern about inflation, economic uncertainty, and the potential impact of the midterm elections. 

Here’s how fundraisers are adjusting their strategies to current conditions and what they see on the horizon.

Foundations Homing In

So far in 2026, nonprofits have noticed foundations are going deep with the causes that mean most to them, says Anna Glass, executive director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

“Funders and donors are really shifting their thinking around what they want to support,” she says. “We’re seeing a lot of organizations that would typically fund the arts pulling back. They’re saying, We believe in your work, but we really need to focus in this area right now.”

Ellen Roche, chief media and philanthropy officer at the education charity, Trust for Learning, experienced a similar vibe. “For funders who were already really in on the mission, they’re still right there,” she says. “For people who were giving a bit more casually, they have faded.”

To maintain funding, Roche and Glass say they’re trying to keep close ties with their strong supporters and even deepen those connections.

Giving Horizons Shorten 

The “K-shaped economy” — the in-vogue term to describe growing financial inequality, in which the wealthy can afford to spend and the poor and middle class struggle — is shaping how fundraisers work, says Mollie Marsh-Heine, chief development officer, of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“The more you have this growing wealth class that just is getting wealthier, it almost mandates that you have a major gift program of some sort,” Marsh-Heine says. Some small and midsize organizations, despite the costs to create major gifts programs, are finding that the investment is paying off, she says.

However, while wealthy donors are giving more money, they also are wary of today’s unpredictability. Major donors are hesitant to make multi-year pledges, which “is a real bellwether about the uncertainty that individuals are seeing in the economy and the geopolitical context,” Marsh-Heine says.

Everyday Donors Feel the Pinch

Wendy McGrady, chair of this year’s Giving USA, says growing wealth inequality threatens giving by small-dollar donors. “Studies point to a continued trend where the smaller donors are not participating at the same rate that they participated at before,” she says. “Some of them have stepped out altogether and have not come back. So that is alarming.”

Everyday donors are pulling back, agrees Jennifer Paul, executive director of Families Together NC, which assists homeless families.

“We’re seeing a little bit of softening in our individual giving,” Paul says. “We’re hearing from individual donors that they’re really committed; they’re still passionate about our mission and want to give, but their own personal financial security has given them pause or resulted in lower gifts this year.”

The new tax law allows non-itemizers, who tend to give smaller amounts, to get a charitable deduction of $1,000 as single filers, or $2,000 as married couples. McGrady thinks this “will encourage some donors to get back in the game and feel like they’re making a difference with their philanthropy.” Nonprofits should focus on stewarding donors, “making sure that they feel valued for those gifts that are not easy to give in some years,” McGrady says.

The Colorado Gives Foundation, which spearheads a giving day that collects and distributes donations to almost 5,000 nonprofits in the state, has found monthly giving to be effective for retaining donors. In recent years, the foundation has offered to match a donor’s first monthly gift up to $100. Seventy percent of donors who take that offer stay 12 months, says executive director Kelly Dunkin. They’ve seen a 30 percent increase in donors and in monthly recurring gifts. 

The Community Foundation for Mississippi says some donors are changing the frequency with which they give to better accommodate their finances. For example, donors may give two smaller gifts rather than one big one, says Jay Philpott, vice president of growth and development. 

“Staying aware is really important as a fundraiser — looking at the data, seeing how you’re tracking, seeing how you can change or motivate people to follow through,” Philpott says. 

“I’ve added a couple of extra touches and extra mailings, because I want to be mindful and responsive to that data.”

Elections Are Likely to Complicate Fundraising

Several nonprofits expressed concern that the midterm elections may negatively affect giving. “Sometimes [elections] can suck up a lot of attention.” says Roche, with Trust for Learning. “People’s giving will possibly be held up by some of that uncertainty, plus the fact that they might be deploying resources in more election-focused ways.”

Chris Maddocks, head of integrated strategy at the political advisory firm Blue State, says elections can drive up the costs of printing direct mail appeals as candidates keep printers busy with their campaign mailers. In 2024, Blue State surveyed donors on their attitudes about giving to charities during a presidential election year and found a 25 to 40 percent drop in “intent to donate” to charities from August to November. 

“This midterm is already distinct,” Maddocks says, because political spending in big markets like Texas, California, and New York, is expected to be high. That means nonprofits seeking donations from wealthy individuals are competing with political candidates for gifts in places where their best donors live, Maddocks says. 

Donors’ attention will be limited, too, and they may stop opening emails and following social media feeds. “Channels like SMS, podcast ads, and creator content … are worth leaning into during the election window,” he says.

However, there are some benefits to elections for fundraising. “An election year brings its own momentum just by virtue of everybody’s excited,” says Marsh-Heine, with NRDC, and that “momentum is helpful for fundraising efforts.”

Corporate Giving Shifts

Pundits suspect corporations will give less money in 2026 because of tax law changes that require corporations to donate at least 1 percent of profits to qualify for a tax break. Some nonprofits already see a softening in corporate giving this year.  

“Corporations are changing the way they want to invest,” says Gina Santagati, chief development officer at the United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County.

Santagati says businesses are shying away from event sponsorship and buying tables at fundraising events. Instead, they are focused on how a nonprofit’s work is making a difference in areas they care about.  “Corporations want to see that you’re aligned with their corporate social responsibility goals,” Santagati says, and they want to invest locally where their employees are living.

Inflation Clouds the Horizon

The other elephant in the room is inflation. It reached 4.2 percent in May. That means being level with last year won’t carry the same bang for the buck, says Roche, with Trust for Learning.

“I’m trying to learn to communicate to funders that that same $100,000 is going 70 percent as far right now,” she says. “Flat funding is essentially a decrease.”

Demand for services is also increasing, says Christine Ann Stevens, development director of the Houston Humane Society, which is grappling with growing needs in its community. “We will require significant increases in contributed revenue to keep up with the need that has been produced by all of this uncertainty.”

For those who have DAFs, Stevens is talking about the massive need for services coupled with inflation that is driving up costs of pet food, medicines and other supplies. 

“Somebody who we know traditionally gives through their DAF, we want to encourage them if it’s in their capability to give even more this year,” Stevens says. “We’re encouraging them to do so in response to the needs of our community. Our messaging is focusing around the need, the impact, and what we can accomplish.”