Measuring the Impact of CSR Programs

Federal financing cuts; attacks on equity, immigrants, the rule of law, and the country's democracy; a brand-new tax bill; and the growing usage of synthetic intelligence are just a few of the aspects that have upended the not-for-profit world. Amid this turmoil, how can funders and their grantees get ready for 2026 and beyond? In this special plan, you'll speak with structure leaders and significant donors about providing patterns in the coming year and efforts to react to Trump administration risks.

You'll discover strong predictions from leaders and thinkers across the sector about what lies ahead, including what the sector will look like five years from now, and how to react to what promises to be another extraordinary year. It's time to shed our fear and acknowledge that those who desire change will fail if individuals closest to the cash lack the nerve to bear the most risk.

Kathleen Enright, president & CEO, Council on Foundations The humanitarian sector need to be clear-eyed about the obstacles ahead: the pattern of targeted attacks and federal government overreach developed to suppress our most basic freedoms. John Palfrey, president, MacArthur Foundation Nonprofits are addicted to the hamster wheel of fundraising, and in 2026, AI may supersize both the wheel and the addiction.

Michael McAfee, CEO, PolicyLink It's hard to think of passage anytime soon of legislation requiring greater payout rates. Bella DeVaan and Chuck Collins collaborate the Charity Reform Initiative, Institute for Policy Studies Communication is no longer background sound. It's a battlefield. Matt Watkins, CEO, Watkins Public Affairs Funders will converge around pluralism, not because it's simple but because it's essential.

Why Strategic Philanthropy Supports Children's Health

Dimple Abichandani, author of A New Era of Philanthropy. Lighthouse illustration by Greg Mably for The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Findings from Church Mutual can help guide nonprofits as they browse 2026 and modifications in generational providing.

With that, here are 5 key takeaways from the Church Mutual 2026 study: The Church Mutual study discovered houses of praise continue to take in the lion's share of contributions. All 4 generations represented (Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers) contributed mostly to locations of praise, making up 74% of charitable contributions.

Organizations that have religious ties should emphasize this connection to donors, particularly if they actively support homes of praise or schools. Another important finding from the survey was that donors tended to make their contributions towards the end of the year (OctoberDecember). Throughout the four generations, end-of-year contributions comprised the highest portion, with JanuaryMarch taking 2nd place, followed by AprilJune, then JulySeptember.

In addition, out of the four generations, Gen Z was most likely to provide during the slowest time of the year (JulySeptember). Those who work in the not-for-profit space should take note of the end-of-year increase in contributions, which suggests that OctoberDecember campaigns such as Providing Tuesday events, matches, and so on, could bring in a fundraising windfall.

How Strategic Giving Supports Pediatric Health

That stated, "slow-down" durations need to not be neglected, as the more youthful generations may still be inclined to offer even when the older ones are not. The survey contains a section that information "donation expectations" for 2026, and it is these findings that might sound alarm bells. On the one hand, around half of donors (48%) stated they will not make any modifications to their financial contributions, with Boomers being the group probably to leave their charitable giving unchanged.

Millennials were recognized as the group more than likely to cut their providing, whereas Gen Z was not just recognized as the group least most likely to cut their providing, but likewise the group most likely to increase their offering in 2026. Church Mutual has a few areas dedicated to the primary financial issues of donors, something that falls beyond the scope of this post.

One finding that nonprofits must likewise know is that a majority of donors have issues about the financial health of the groups they support. Church Mutual discovered that 54% of donors are stressed over the financial health of the recipients of their contributions. By generation, Gen Z was the most concerned, followed by millennials and Gen X respectively, while Boomers were the least worried.

They should be prepared to deal with younger donors' concerns and be proactive in dealing with any issues afflicting the organization internally. Doing so might make a difference in winning over younger donors during financially unpredictable times. While lower financial contributions may be uneasy for nonprofits, there might be some good news.

When asked if they would increase "time and effort" to assist in other methods ought to they reduce their monetary contributions, a bulk of donors indicated they would; 26% stated they were "highly likely" and 32% said "rather most likely," equating to 58% of donors in general. The study recommends these reactions might suggest "strong capacity to convert lowered monetary giving into more volunteering, advocacy, or other non-financial assistance." In the face of smaller financial contributions, nonprofits need to lean into other channels to engage their donors.

The Value of Mission-Driven Charity Alliances

There are other findings from Church Mutual that were not covered in this article, such as contribution methods and the leading monetary concerns of donors, and so I motivate all those in the nonprofit space to check out through the report. The findings from Church Mutual can assist direct nonprofits as they navigate 2026, especially as Gen Z starts to handle a more prominent role in the giving world.

Register for the Johnson Center's e-mail newsletter! This year marks a milestone for the Johnson Center: the tenth edition of our 11 Trends in Philanthropy report. What started in 2017 as a modest supplement to our yearly report has turned into a widely checked out and gone over publication, reaching more than 100,000 readers each year.

Normally, these posts explore brand-new shifts or developing movements across the field of philanthropy. For this tenth edition, however, we have actually taken a different approach. Rather than determining an entirely new set of emerging trends, we have turned our attention backwards to show on the styles that have formed our sector over the previous 10 years, and to name both withstanding shifts and new developments.

It is likewise a recommendation of the moment we discover ourselves in a moment of hyper disturbance, that integrates both great anxiety about where we are headed and terrific possibility for what could follow. Our future feels more unsure than ever, but the chance to create and scale life-changing innovations for our communities feels present, as well.

Future-Proofing Your Social Framework for 2026

As executive orders, legal contests, and legal disputes play out, we do not have a clear image of just how much federal funding has actually been rescinded or withheld from nonprofits and neighborhoods. We do not know the number of nonprofits have actually closed or will close their doors, the number of personnel have actually lost their tasks, or how numerous communities have lost access to critical services.