JENKINTOWN, PA — National Philanthropic Trust (NPT), one of the largest grantmaking institutions in the United States, reported a dramatic rise in donor-advised fund giving in Fiscal Year 2025, with donor-recommended grants soaring to more than $6.61 billion — a 20 percent jump over the previous year. The surge marks one of the strongest periods of philanthropic activity in the organization’s nearly three-decade history.
According to NPT, donors issued 161,515 grants to nonprofits across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 67 countries, representing a 25 percent increase in grant volume. In total, 48,685 charitable organizations received funding, up 18 percent year-over-year. Officials say the growth reflects rising donor engagement and a heightened commitment to addressing both immediate community needs and global challenges.
“Both the value of NPT donor-recommended grants and the number of charitable organizations receiving NPT grants grew to new heights this year,” said Holly Welch Stubbing, NPT’s president and chief executive officer. She noted that donor generosity remains a stabilizing force for nonprofits at a time of economic uncertainty and shifting social priorities.
NPT’s data shows widespread growth across all eight charitable fields of interest, including Arts and Culture, Education, Environment and Animals, Health, Human Services, International, Religion, and Public and Societal Benefit. Environmental and animal-related giving experienced the most significant increase, rising 41 percent, closely followed by the health sector, which saw a 39 percent jump in grantmaking.
Unrestricted giving — often the most valuable form of support for nonprofits — increased sharply as well. Two-thirds of all grants issued by NPT were unrestricted, a 72 percent rise over the prior fiscal year, allowing recipient organizations greater flexibility to address operational and programmatic needs.
International giving grew substantially, with $439 million awarded globally — a 25 percent increase over last year. NPT reported 1,242 grants to international organizations, a remarkable 428 percent jump in volume, reflecting donor interest in global impact initiatives. NPT’s affiliates, NPT UK and NPT Transatlantic, also reported increased year-over-year activity.
Stubbing said she expects strong momentum to continue into 2026, pointing to donor-advised funds as increasingly vital tools for sustained charitable support and strategic, long-term giving.
Founded in 1996, NPT has raised more than $80.2 billion in charitable funding since its inception and has distributed more than 930,000 grants exceeding $37.7 billion worldwide. More information about donor-advised funds and NPT’s impact investing options is available at NPTrust.org and NPTGivingPoint.org.
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