American generosity reached a historic milestone in 2025: U.S. charitable giving totaled an estimated $617.20 billion, surpassing $600 billion for the first time. According to “Giving USA 2026: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2025,” total giving rose 5.7% in current dollars and 3.0% after inflation, making 2025 the second-highest year for charitable giving on record in inflation-adjusted terms. Total giving was not the only measure that rose in 2025; growth showed up across all four major sources of giving and across many parts of the nonprofit sector.
Individuals remain dominant
Individuals remained the largest source of charitable giving by a wide margin, contributing $394.20 billion in 2025. That represented an increase of 4.1% in current dollars and 1.4% after inflation. While the report also shows growth from foundations, corporations and bequests, individual donors continued to account for the largest share of total giving, reinforcing their central role in U.S. philanthropy.
Every major source of giving was healthy, but bequests stood out
Bequests stood out as the fastest-growing major source of giving in 2025. Bequest giving refers to charitable gifts made through a donor’s estate, often as part of a will or broader estate plan. An estate generally includes the money, property and other assets a person leaves behind. These gifts matter because they allow donors to extend their charitable priorities beyond their lifetimes, supporting values-aligned organizations and the causes they want to strengthen for generations to come.
In 2025, giving through estates rose to $62.19 billion, increasing 19.7% in current dollars and 16.6% after inflation. This was the largest percentage increase among the four major sources of giving. The report also says bequest giving has increased by 20% or more in three of the past four years, suggesting legacy giving is becoming an increasingly important part of the broader philanthropic landscape.
Giving was broad-based across the nonprofit sector
The 2025 giving data show charitable dollars reached a wide range of institutions and needs. These include faith communities, human services organizations, schools, health organizations, cultural institutions, public-society benefit organizations and environmental and animal causes. This breadth matters because it shows U.S. giving supports many parts of civic life, from immediate community needs to long-term educational, cultural, health and environmental priorities.
Several categories saw especially strong growth. Education, public-society benefit and environment and animal organizations each posted growth of more than 10%, making them some of the fastest-growing recipient categories in 2025. Taken together, the data suggest U.S. giving remained both large in scale and widely distributed across the nonprofit landscape.
What it means going forward
Crossing the $600 billion mark is a meaningful milestone for philanthropy, but the broader story is the continued strength and reach of U.S. giving. The 2025 data show growth across every major source of giving and support spread across many parts of the nonprofit sector.
Together, these trends point to a philanthropic landscape that remains large, active and widely engaged. Individual donors continue to anchor charitable giving, while growth in foundations, corporations and bequests shows generosity is moving through many channels to support organizations and communities across the country.
