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Nonprofit Trends for 2026
- Jeremy Springer
- Oct 31
- 4 min read
We work with nonprofits every day in our offices. We are seeing donor trends, management styles, and general operations shift. Of course, shifts are nothing new in the world of fundraising and telling impactful stories. Taking what we see -- and don't' see -- we've got ten trends we see coming for 2026.
1) Giving rebounds—but it’s shifting by channel and vehicle
Charitable giving climbed to a record $592.5B in 2024 (up 6.3% nominal; ~3.3% after inflation), with strength from individual and corporate donors; religion’s growth was modest while public-society benefit, international affairs, and education saw larger gains. That rebound sets a sturdier baseline for 2026 budgets.
What to do
Benchmark your category: are you in a segment that’s rising or lagging?
Plan for volatility in bequests and foundation flows; grow individual mid-level and monthly programs to stabilize revenue.
2) Recurring and mobile-first giving become the default
Recurring programs continue to outpace one-time online gifts; multiple studies show double-digit growth in monthly revenue and donors’ clear preference for monthly cadence. At the checkout layer, donors increasingly expect wallets like PayPal/Venmo, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, which shorten mobile checkout and lift conversion.
What to do
Treat monthly as a flagship product (unique story, benefits, and upgrade paths).
Offer at least card + PayPal/Venmo + Apple/Google Pay on every donation form and event page, not just the main donate page.
3) Text messaging and “big tent” giving days widen the top of funnel
GivingTuesday continued to grow in 2024 (estimated $3.6B, +16% YoY), and SMS retains eye-popping open rates—useful for confirmations, nudges, and rapid response. Expect 2026 calendars to lean harder on tent-pole moments supported by text and social.
What to do
Build a year-round SMS list (with clear consent and value exchange) and map 3–4 “big moments” with pre-built CTAs and landing pages.
4) Donor-advised funds (DAFs) keep maturing
DAFs remain a durable—and sometimes faster—pipeline for major and mid-level gifts, with continued growth in accounts and payouts. Understanding how and when DAF donors recommend grants (and any restrictions under new tax rules) will matter more in 2026 planning.
What to do
Add explicit DAF instructions and links to your giving pages and acknowledgments.
Steward DAF donors just like other major donors—impact reporting still drives renewals.
5) Workforce: retention, vacancies, and new staffing models
Across the sector, leaders cite burnout, vacancies, and hiring difficulty, especially in leadership and human services roles. Expect continued use of fractional/outsourced finance (accounting, controller/CFO) to fill skill gaps while controlling costs.
What to do
Offer flexible work, clearer career paths, and supervisor training to blunt burnout.
For lean orgs, evaluate a fractional CFO/outsourced accounting stack to improve close speed, grant compliance, and board reporting without a full-time hire.
6) Policy & compliance: new grant rules and filing realities
The Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) was revised in 2024 with effective dates tied to new/modified awards starting Oct. 1, 2024; agencies are implementing through 2025–26. Expect changed definitions, thresholds, and administrative flexibilities to ripple through federal and pass-through grants. Meanwhile, e-filing of 990-series returns is now standardfor most nonprofits.
What to do
Train grant and finance staff on your current award terms (not just old templates) and document internal controls accordingly.
Confirm you’re e-filing the right 990 (990/990-EZ/990-N) on time to avoid penalties or revocation.
7) State fundraising registration stays a must as online expands
If you solicit across states (even through a donate button), you likely need to register in multiple jurisdictions—requirements vary, and enforcement is real. Build this into campaign timelines.
What to do
Inventory where you solicit (email, events, peer-to-peer) and ensure registrations/renewals align before big pushes.
8) Cybersecurity becomes a board-level responsibility
Ransomware and account takeover threats keep rising sector-wide. CISA’s Stop Ransomware guidance and 2024–25 updates emphasize prevention basics and response planning that nonprofits can adopt without big budgets.
What to do
Enforce MFA everywhere, privileged-access hygiene, timely patching, offline backups, and tabletop exercises; enroll in CISA resources.
9) Events & community experiences remain core revenue, especially for smaller orgs
Post-pandemic, hybrid and in-person events plus peer-to-peer campaigns are back as reliable revenue engines, particularly for organizations under $1M in revenue. Tie them to recurring programs and easy mobile checkout to improve lifetime value.
What to do
Design events with on-site recurring enrollment (QR codes → mobile wallets) and a 90-day follow-up plan to convert attendees to sustainers.
10) Limited AI, high-impact use cases
Expect pragmatic adoption: copy drafts, segmentation assists, donor-journey testing, basic RPA in finance. Use it to reduce busywork, not replace stewardship. Pair with strong governance and human QA.
Tax-Law Watchlist for Fundraisers
Recent federal law (often dubbed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill”) adjusts deductions and interacts with charitable giving:
Creates a permanent non-itemizer charitable deduction from 2026 ($1,000 single / $2,000 joint; DAFs excluded).
Introduces a 0.5% income floor on itemized charitable deductions starting 2026 (plan timing for larger gifts).
Confirms higher standard deduction amounts for 2025–2026.Build donor education into year-end 2025 and calendar-year 2026 campaigns.
Legal Disclaimer: This post contains general information for taxpayers and should not be relied upon as the only source of authority. Taxpayers should seek professional tax advice for more information. This information was current at time of posting; we are not responsible for updating this or any blog post/article for subsequent changes in the law or its interpretation.
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