Between 2016 and 2017, total annual charitable giving in the US rose about 9.85 percent, reflecting steady solid growth in most giving categories and major recipient subsectors. foundation giving was up 6.0 percent, to an estimated $66.9 billion in 2017.i

All research and sector forecasting reports indicate that foundation giving will continue to grow steadily in the US for the foreseeable future. Although foundation giving is closely tied to behavior in the stock market and total economic health, it has continued to increase independent of variances in both S&P and GDP over the past five years.

Changing demographics and technologies will also play a powerful role in boosting foundation giving in the coming decade. Upwardly-mobile Millennials have been shown more likely to use their wealth to greater social impact than any preceding generationii. This trend has been illustrated by such groups as the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, along with the rise in popularity of donor-advised funds and online fundraising platforms. Millennials tend to give more in-line with their values and integrate philanthropic activities into everyday life, so campaigns that capitalize on these trends will prove highly successful.

GDS carefully considers broad giving trends as well as high-growth opportunities within the NPO and charitable sector when matching client programs to specific fundraising bodies. In addition to trend forecasting and research, our researchers use a cutting edge tool called My Best Prospects to identify the prospects most likely to fund a certain cause or project.