Many Americans are not making concrete plans for end-of-year charitable donations, despite intense fundraising efforts by non-profit organizations. These groups often depend on a surge of contributions in December to meet their annual financial goals.
A recent national survey, conducted in early December, reveals that approximately half of U.S. adults have already completed their charitable giving for the year. Only a small fraction, 18%, indicated they have donated and plan to give again before the year concludes. A mere 6% stated they have not yet given but intend to do so by the end of December. The remaining 30% have neither donated nor plan to.
Key Takeaways
- Half of U.S. adults already finished their 2025 charitable giving.
- Only 6% plan to donate for the first time by year-end.
- Checkout donations are more popular than Giving Tuesday.
- Economic pressures like inflation impact lower-income households' ability to give.
Economic Pressures Affect Donor Decisions
Everyday donors faced a complex financial landscape this year. Several factors influenced their ability and willingness to contribute. These included federal policy changes and significant natural disasters.
In 2025, President Trump's administration implemented social services grant cuts and severe rollbacks in foreign aid. A freeze on SNAP benefits in November further constrained resources for many. Concurrently, natural disasters, such as historically destructive wildfires in Los Angeles, created urgent needs for heightened support across various causes.
Tax Incentives for Giving
New tax legislation offers an incentive for charitable giving. Most tax filers can claim a deduction of up to $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for married couples for charitable contributions.
Despite these incentives, weaker income growth and significant price inflation meant that lower-income households had less disposable income. This directly impacted their capacity for charitable redistribution.
Other recent surveys have also highlighted a multi-year decline in the number of individuals who make charitable donations. This trend suggests a broader shift in giving patterns.
December Remains Crucial for Non-Profits
Despite the current trends, December continues to be a critical period for charitable organizations. Many non-profits rely on a significant boost in donations during the final month of the year to meet their budget targets.
"December 31 does provide a target to make sure that they've given what they intended to give before the year is over," stated Dianne Chipps Bailey, managing director of Bank of America's Philanthropic Solutions division.
Bailey cited estimates indicating that nearly one-third of all annual giving occurs in December. This makes the final weeks of the year a very important deadline for both donors and recipient organizations.
Giving Tuesday Versus Black Friday
Giving Tuesday, a global generosity movement started in 2012, aims to encourage charitable giving on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Non-profits widely leverage this day to solicit donations.
This most recent Giving Tuesday, Americans donated an estimated $4 billion to various non-profits. However, consumer spending on Black Friday significantly outpaced charitable giving.
The survey found that nearly half of Americans made a purchase on Black Friday. In contrast, only about 1 in 10 reported donating to a charity on Giving Tuesday. This highlights a clear preference for retail spending over charitable contributions during the holiday season.
Donor Perspective: "Tightened the Financial Belt"
Oakley Graham, a 32-year-old from Missouri, explained his family's financial situation. "Black Friday gets the lion's share of things," he said. "And then you've got Giving Tuesday a couple days later. Most people have probably spent all their spending money at that point." Graham noted his family has "definitely tightened the financial belt" due to student loan debts and rising costs for their two young children. He still tries to help neighbors and donate clothes, but finds it "pretty tough to find the extra funds."
Checkout Charity Gains Popularity
One avenue for encouraging small donations appears to be more successful: giving at the checkout counter. The survey found that approximately 4 in 10 U.S. adults donated to a charity while checking out at a store this year.
These individual donations, while small, add up. Graham, the Missouri resident, is one of those who reported giving at the cash register. As an outdoor enthusiast, he is "always susceptible to giving for conservation." He recalled rounding up his purchase at a Bass Pro Shops store for this cause.
"With the finances, I don't do a lot of buying these days. But a couple cents here or there is like — I can do that," Graham stated. "It doesn't sound like much. But I know if everybody did it would make a difference."
Older adults, specifically those over 60, are more likely to donate at store checkouts compared to the general American population.
A Unique Approach to Year-End Giving
About one-quarter of Americans plan to donate in the final weeks of the year. Chuck Dietrick, a 69-year-old architect, is one of them. He describes his approach as a "shotgun approach" to end-of-year giving.
Dietrick and his wife make monthly contributions to Valley Hope, a non-profit addiction services provider where their son received inpatient rehabilitation. Additionally, they support about eight other organizations with year-end gifts.
"We're doing our own thing," Dietrick explained. "I don't do Black Friday or Cyber Monday, either... So, I don't do the Giving Tuesday thing."
The Dallas-Fort Worth couple estimates their household donated between $501 and $2,500 this year. They primarily contribute to organizations that have personally impacted their lives or the lives of their friends.
- The Florida hospice that provided care for Dietrick's mother.
- Disabled American Veterans.
- The Wounded Warrior Project, reflecting support for military relatives and friends.
Dietrick prefers to spread his donations. "I would rather give a smaller amount of money to a variety of institutions that I care about rather than giving a big chunk of money to one," he said.
Federal Cuts and Giving Decisions
Most donors in 2025 indicated that federal funding cuts or the government shutdown did not significantly affect the total amount they gave. However, about 3 in 10 stated these situations did influence their choice of charities.
The survey suggests that while private donors collectively mobilized millions to address funding gaps, and hunger relief groups saw a spike in donations last month, many Americans did not increase their personal contributions in response to the non-profit sector's new pressures this year.
Teacher Responds to Funding Gaps
Jeannine Disviscour, a 63-year-old Baltimore teacher, is an example of a donor who increased her giving due to federal cuts. "I did not donate on Giving Tuesday," she said. "But I did donate that week because I was feeling the need to support organizations that I felt might not continue to get the support they needed to get to be successful."
Disviscour estimates her household gave between $501 and $2,500. Her contributions included support for National Public Radio, which faced a $1.1 billion budget cut allocated to public broadcasting this summer. She emphasized the importance of ensuring journalism reaches "news deserts" where residents have few media options.
Living in an area with many refugees, Disviscour also dedicated her time and money to the Asylee Women Enterprise. This local non-profit assists asylum-seekers with essential needs like food, shelter, clothing, transportation, and language classes.
"There is a gap in funding and there's more need than ever," Disviscour noted. "And I wanted to step up. And it's in my community."