MALVERN, PA — Vanguard Charitable said donors recommended $3.9 billion in grants to nearly 67,000 nonprofit organizations in 2025, marking a 27 percent increase from 2024 and the organization’s ninth consecutive year of record giving.
More than a quarter of the grants were made between November 1 and December 31, a period often referred to as the giving season.
During that two-month period, donors distributed $953 million, a 130 percent increase compared with the same timeframe five years earlier, according to the organization.
Rebecca Moffett, president of Vanguard Charitable, said donor-advised funds allow contributors to respond to emerging needs while planning long-term charitable giving.
“What continues to inspire me most is how purposefully our donors act, whether responding to urgent community needs or providing ongoing support to causes close to their hearts,” Moffett said.
The organization said donors most frequently supported nonprofits in the areas of human services, religion, education, health, and environmental and wildlife causes.
The five nonprofits receiving the highest number of grants from Vanguard Charitable donors were Doctors Without Borders, World Central Kitchen, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
During a government shutdown in 2025, donors directed $19 million to more than 750 food banks and free food programs between October 1 and November 13.
Across the full year, donors granted more than $61 million to food banks and related programs, a 36 percent increase from 2024, the organization said.
About half of all grants issued during the year were unrestricted, totaling approximately $2 billion.
Vanguard Charitable administers donor-advised funds that allow individuals to contribute assets and recommend grants to charitable organizations.
Since its founding in 1997, the nonprofit said it has distributed more than $24 billion to charitable causes.
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