MALVERN, PA — A new survey from Vanguard Charitable shows that Americans who build charitable giving into their annual budgets are contributing significantly more than those who donate on an ad-hoc basis — and they are increasing their support at a faster pace.
The Harris Poll survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults found that 75% donated to charity in the past year, with overall giving rising sharply. Americans contributed an average of $1,394 over the past 12 months, a 29% jump from the organization’s 2024 study.
Nearly half of donors now include charitable giving in their annual budget. Those who plan ahead gave an average of $3,001 — almost 3.5 times more than donors who do not budget, who contributed $808 on average. The planned-giving group was also much more likely to have increased its giving year over year, at 43% versus 17%.
Rebecca Moffett, president of Vanguard Charitable, said donors continue to demonstrate “remarkable power of generosity” and argued that planning and intentional giving amplify impact. She said donor-advised funds are helping many contributors sustain and expand their support for nonprofits.
Donors using donor-advised funds gave an average of $4,341 over the past year, more than triple the amount given by donors without such accounts. Nearly nine in ten DAF donors also maintain a charitable giving budget, with almost half reporting increased giving compared to the previous year.
Disaster relief giving saw some of the biggest gains. Donors with a DAF contributed an average of $1,874 to disaster relief — roughly three times the amount given by donors without one. Across all respondents, the average disaster-relief gift rose to $757, up from $477 last year. On average, these donors directed 59% of their total annual giving to disaster response efforts.
Planned giving again made a noticeable difference: donors with a charitable budget contributed an average of $1,039 to disaster relief, compared to $397 among those without a budget.
Vanguard Charitable donors delivered another strong year of support for nonprofits, increasing grants by 21% from November 2024 through October 2025. In total, $3.4 billion was distributed to roughly 64,000 organizations.
During the recent government shutdown from October 1 to November 13, Vanguard Charitable donors granted $20 million to 775 free-food programs and food banks. That total was more than triple the amount granted during the same period last year, with grant units and the number of supported organizations also rising sharply.
The Harris Poll survey was conducted online from October 21–23, 2025, among 2,065 U.S. adults, including 1,478 who donated to charity in the previous year. The results carry a Bayesian credible interval of ±2.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
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