🚀 Thrive with Data: 2025 Trends from Giving USA & Data Commons
We’re proud partners of the Giving Tuesday Data Commons, bringing you actionable insight to make smarter fundraising decisions. This week, they published a brand new report that is full of insights to inspire creativity and innovation - and rooted in the latest data.
Similarly, according to the Giving USA 2025 report:
- U.S. charitable giving reached a record $592.5 billion in 2024 - up 6.3% (3.3% inflation‑adjusted)
- Individual giving (66% of all donations) rose 8.2% year-over-year - showing individual donors remain the backbone of philanthropy
- Corporate giving hit an all-time high, up 9.1% (7% of total giving) - the highest share in 40 years!
But young donors are giving less frequently, and one-time gifts remain flat, meaning nonprofits need smarter strategies to build loyalty and predictability (source: AFP).
🧭 Your Nonprofit’s 5‑Step Survival Plan
Data informs action - and that’s where Pledge comes in! Here are our top 5 tips to thrive in the second half of 2025:
1️⃣ Make Monthly Giving the Default 💳
Monthly gifts now make up 31% of online revenue and grew 5% in 2024 - an essential pillar of stability. Create content that attracts & retains recurring donors, preselect recurring giving on your donation widgets, and highlight cumulative impact attributed to recurring giving.
✅ The subscription economy is booming, so provide the opportunity to donors to give regularly (just like their subscriptions!).
2️⃣ Launch Peer-to-Peer Campaigns 🔁
New donors now account for 21% of all online donors, especially in sectors like health. Peer-to-peer campaigns and fundraising events help you engage fresh audiences and spark viral giving. Start small with your community of board members, team members, and active donors - and tap into the flow of peer-to-peer giving!
✅ Remember: people give more when they are asked by a friend.
3️⃣ Diversify Giving Options for Flexibility 🌐
Pledge enables nonprofits to accept 11+ donation methods, from Venmo to crypto, stocks, DAFs, wire transfers, and more. This flexibility meets donor expectations and boosts conversion.
✅ Meet donors where they are - and invite them to give in simple ways.
4️⃣ Harness Corporate Gifts 🤝
With corporate giving at historic highs, companies and employees are eager to support charitable missions. Matching tools, employee campaigns, round-up at checkout, loyalty programs, and co-branded cause-marketing make corporate giving scalable and repeatable.
✅ Offer Pledge’s free tools to potential brand partners and automate giving through their brand experiences.
5️⃣ Use Data to Fuel Strategy 🔍
Optimize your donor journey using analytics: revisit lagging cash donors, test recurring defaults, and tailor campaigns per donor behavior. The Data Commons equips you with benchmarks and donor insights - and your free account in the Pledge Impact Hub provides you with real-time donor and donation data (priceless!).
✅ Pledge's real-time donation data & analytics are yours - use them with any CRM to maximize your fundraising efforts!
✨ Ready to Thrive in 2025?
The era of fragmented, one-off fundraising is over. The nonprofits that survive and grow will be those who diversify revenue, tailor campaigns, and tap into recurring and corporate power.
💡Generosity is rising, but only for nonprofits ready to act with strategy and flexibility. Use data, experiment boldly, and rethink how you engage donors - and you'll be well-positioned to survive and thrive in this year and beyond.
Make every strategy count with Pledge and the power of data!
👉 Try Pledge’s free fundraising tools👉 Contact us for integration support
👉 Sign up and get started instantly