> Skip to content
FEATURED:
  • Philanthropy 50
  • Nonprofits and the Trump Agenda
  • Impact Stories Hub
Sign In
  • Latest
  • Commons
  • Advice
  • Opinion
  • Webinars
  • Online Events
  • Data
  • Grants
  • Magazine
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Data
    • Reports
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Webinars
    • Featured Products
    • Data
    • Reports
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Webinars
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Advice
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Advice
Sign In
  • Latest
  • Commons
  • Advice
  • Opinion
  • Webinars
  • Online Events
  • Data
  • Grants
  • Magazine
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Data
    • Reports
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Webinars
    • Featured Products
    • Data
    • Reports
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Webinars
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Advice
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Advice
  • Latest
  • Commons
  • Advice
  • Opinion
  • Webinars
  • Online Events
  • Data
  • Grants
  • Magazine
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Data
    • Reports
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Webinars
    • Featured Products
    • Data
    • Reports
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Webinars
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Advice
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Advice
Sign In
ADVERTISEMENT
News
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Show more sharing options
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Copy Link URLCopied!
  • Print

Giving Rose 14% Last Quarter, Mainly Due to Big Gifts

By  Timothy Sandoval
November 27, 2018

Title: 2018 Third Quarter Report

Organization: Growth in Giving Initiative/Fundraising Effectiveness Project

Summary: Dollars raised by nonprofits increased 2.6 percent in the first nine months of 2018 compared with the same period last year, according to a new report.

The spike was driven by a surge in charitable dollars in 2018’s third quarter — from July through September — when giving rose 14 percent compared with the same three months in 2017. The growth comes after a sluggish first half of the year: Charitable dollars were down 2.1 percent through June compared with the first half of 2017.

We're sorry. Something went wrong.

We are unable to fully display the content of this page.

The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network.

Please allow access to our site, and then refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one, or subscribe.

If you continue to experience issues, please contact us at 571-540-8070 or cophelp@philanthropy.com

Title: 2018 Third Quarter Report

Organization: Growth in Giving Initiative/Fundraising Effectiveness Project

Summary: Dollars raised by nonprofits increased 2.6 percent in the first nine months of 2018 compared with the same period last year, according to a new report.

The spike was driven by a surge in charitable dollars in 2018’s third quarter — from July through September — when giving rose 14 percent compared with the same three months in 2017. The growth comes after a sluggish first half of the year: Charitable dollars were down 2.1 percent through June compared with the first half of 2017.

Big contributions drove the third-quarter growth. By midyear, donations of $1,000 or more declined 2.1 percent over the first half of 2017. By the end of September, however, such donations had grown by 3.1 percent. (See more about big donations in our free database of gifts of $1 million or more.)

ADVERTISEMENT

“At this point, there’s one major reason giving is increasing, and that’s money raised from donors giving larger gifts,” said Elizabeth Boris, chair of the Growth in Giving Initiative, a project that seeks to increase charitable giving in the United States, in a statement. The report is based on an analysis of data from the Growth in Giving database, which includes information from national charities and large fundraising-software firms. The Fundraising Effectiveness Project, which conducted the report, is a partnership between the Urban Institute and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Small Donations Fall

The report, however, highlights a concerning trend for nonprofits that other studies have also found:

The amount charities are raising from small donors is dropping.

Money generated from contributions under $250 dipped 0.3 percent through September, while money from gifts of $250 to $999 dropped 1.1 percent.

The number of donors over all was down 4.3 percent in the first nine months of 2018.

ADVERTISEMENT

“What these figures show is the continuing trend of charities receiving more revenue from a smaller group of donors,” said Ben Miller, chief analytic officer of the research firm DonorTrends, in a statement.

Charities must do more to keep donors loyal and attract new ones, Miller said, because relying on a small pool of big donors is unsustainable.

Among the findings:

  • Only about 14.4 percent of new donors in 2017 gave again during the first three quarters of 2018. Last year, 17.3 percent of donors who gave for the first time in 2016 donated once more in 2017.
  • The number of donors who have given to the same organization for two years in a row grew nearly 1 percent through September, compared with the same period in 2017.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Finance and RevenueFundraising from IndividualsMajor-Gift FundraisingResults and Reporting
Timothy Sandoval
Sandoval covered nonprofit fundraising for The Chronicle of Philanthropy. He wrote on a variety of subjects including nonprofits’ reactions to the election of Donald Trump, questionable spending at a major veterans charity, and clever Valentine’s Day appeals.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
SPONSORED, GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
  • Explore
    • Latest Articles
    • Get Newsletters
    • Advice
    • Webinars
    • Data & Research
    • Podcasts
    • Magazine
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
    • Impact Stories
    Explore
    • Latest Articles
    • Get Newsletters
    • Advice
    • Webinars
    • Data & Research
    • Podcasts
    • Magazine
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
    • Impact Stories
  • The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Our Mission and Values
    • Work at the Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Gift-Acceptance Policy
    • Gifts and Grants Received
    • Site Map
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Chronicle Fellowships
    • Pressroom
    The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Our Mission and Values
    • Work at the Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Gift-Acceptance Policy
    • Gifts and Grants Received
    • Site Map
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Chronicle Fellowships
    • Pressroom
  • Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
  • Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Site License Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
    Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Site License Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Philanthropy
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin