MALVERN, PA — A new national survey shows Americans are giving more to charity than they did a year ago, with donor-advised fund contributors and budget-conscious donors driving some of the strongest increases in philanthropic support during a year marked by economic uncertainty and a lengthy federal government shutdown.
According to an online Harris Poll conducted for Vanguard Charitable, 75% of U.S. adults donated to charity in the past 12 months, and among those donors, 30% said their giving increased over the previous year. Average charitable contributions rose sharply, climbing to $1,394 — a 29% jump from the organization’s 2024 findings.
Nearly half of donors surveyed, 48%, reported that they include charitable giving in their annual budget. Those donors gave significantly more, averaging $3,001 in contributions, compared with $808 among donors who do not budget for charitable giving. Forty-three percent of budget-focused donors said they increased their giving this year, compared with 17% of donors without a giving plan.
“Year after year, Americans demonstrate remarkable power of generosity with their continued increase in giving,” said Rebecca Moffett, president of Vanguard Charitable. “When we choose to make giving a priority — when we plan, budget, and act with intention — our impact multiplies.”
Donor-advised fund (DAF) holders showed especially strong support over the past year. The survey found that DAF donors contributed an average of $4,341 — roughly 3.5 times more than donors without DAFs. Nearly nine in ten DAF donors maintain a charitable giving budget, and 49% said they increased their total giving compared to last year.
Disaster relief giving also surged. Across all donors, average disaster-relief contributions rose to $757, up from $477 in 2024. Donors allocated an average of 59% of their total charitable giving toward disaster-related causes. DAF donors again gave at higher levels, averaging $1,874 — nearly triple the amount given by non-DAF donors.
Vanguard Charitable donors mirrored these broader trends. Between November 1, 2024, and October 31, 2025, donors increased their total dollars granted by 21%, distributing $3.4 billion to nearly 64,000 nonprofits. The organization processed 257,039 grants with an average value of $13,586.
The nonprofit noted a significant spike in emergency giving during the federal government shutdown from October 1 to November 13, 2025. During that period, Vanguard Charitable donors granted $20 million to 775 food banks and free meal programs — more than triple the amount distributed during the same period last year. The number of grant units rose 150%, and the average grant amount increased 23% to $5,688.
The survey included 2,065 U.S. adults, 1,478 of whom reported donating to charity in the past year. The results carry a Bayesian credible interval of +/- 2.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
Vanguard Charitable said the findings reflect a consistent pattern: donors who plan their giving tend to give more, give more frequently, and increase their contributions even during turbulent periods.
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