14 Year-End Giving Statistics with Surprising Facts [2025]
Planning your year-end campaign? These 14 end-of-year giving statistics will help you shape smarter strategies, stronger appeals, and better results.
Kristine Ensor![14 Year-End Giving Statistics with Surprising Facts [2025]](https://donorbox.org/nonprofit-blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/year-end-giving-statistics.png.webp)
Planning your year-end campaign? These 14 end-of-year giving statistics will help you shape smarter strategies, stronger appeals, and better results.
Year-end fundraising always sneaks up on you, and it seems like the planning is starting earlier and earlier every year. Many organizations rely on year-end giving to fill any gaps in funding and continue those donor relationships they’ve worked so hard to steward all year.
In 2024, small to midsize donors decreased by 14%. Since these lower-tier donors make up 96.9% of all donations, this could spell out trouble for fundraisers – and makes year-end fundraising in 2025 all the more important.
These 14 stats are here to guide your decisions this 2025 giving season, and help you build stronger, more effective year-end campaigns that bolster donor relationships.
Most people would agree that the holiday season is one of giving and charity. It’s wise to assume that charitable giving during end-of-the-year campaigns would raise the most money for nonprofits. For many organizations, that’s true.
Imagine collecting a third of your fundraising revenue during the holiday season! That would really take the load off your organization’s shoulders and help you breathe easy.
While the season of giving is obviously a time of generosity, some of you may be surprised that most end-of-year giving isn’t on Giving Tuesday.
A record-breaking amount, and a 16% increase from the $3.1 billion raised on Giving Tuesday 2023.
These statistics may make you want to rethink your campaign plans for this year’s holiday campaign. Giving Tuesday is an excellent time to start your year-end giving campaign. This year, Giving Tuesday is on December 2nd, but don’t stop there. You’ll want to reach out and connect with new, current, and lapsed donors throughout the season.
Pro tip: Read this article for more tips to get the most out of this year’s giving season.
There are several viewpoints on the best time to start a year-end campaign. Best practices suggest starting your campaign in September or October. While this may seem difficult, it is definitely not impossible. See why:
That’s not a significant number, but what if these are the nonprofits that are easily meeting their fundraising goals by the end of the year? There’s no harm in jumping on the bandwagon! All it takes is getting your team ready on time and starting a month or two early.
This number grows exponentially for the month of October.
It is evident that most nonprofits are finding it effective to start their holiday season planning way in advance. So, if you can’t make it in September, you should definitely aim for October!
Many nonprofits may start in November because that’s when most stores and communities in the United States start their Christmas season. Thanksgiving is also an essential giving holiday for many. Thanks to the abundance of cheer and giving everywhere, people are more inclined to give starting in November.
The number declines further and about 30.8% of nonprofits end up starting their year-end asks in December. This leaves them with little opportunity to send follow-ups.
Economic factors may have played a big part in the 2024 decline in donors, but relationships also come into play.
That’s a growth of 6.3% compared to 2023! Plus, for the first time in three years, giving grew in inflation-adjusted dollars, too.
It was the number of donors that decreased. All decreases in donors for nonprofits were for individuals who gave $500 or less. So where did that decrease come from?
New donors are essential to the success and sustainability of any nonprofit, but sometimes we don’t put in the effort necessary to connect with new audiences.
Regardless of the economy, there are steps you can take to strengthen relationships with donors and raise more funds. Nonprofits need to stay updated on each generation and type of donor. Knowing what they like to donate to and how they’d like to be contacted will help your giving season strategies.
Check out our article Why Do People Donate? to learn more.
At the end of the year, many organizations (us included) assume that a primary reason people give is for tax deductions. But seeing the impact of their donation can help drive more enthusiasm and participation.
Don’t forget your volunteer base when sending appeals for year-end donations. They do not need convincing that your nonprofit is working diligently toward its mission. Plus, they’re your most ardent supporters!
Pro tip: Learn more ways volunteers can help your organization.
During the last few months of the year, people are busy. And they’re receiving solicitations left and right. The best way to stand out is to provide easy ways to give for all generations.
One of the easiest ways for your donors to support your cause and maintain their support throughout the new year? Monthly giving.
This set-it-and-forget it, subscription-style giving is popular among all generations, but especially Millennials and Gen Z. It’s also a great way to land more sustainable funding throughout the year.
Looking for more stats? Check out these recurring giving statistics to see the current state of sustainable giving.
Most Millennials and Gen Z use their smartphones for everything. That’s equally true when they donate. Most people will see your website on their phones first, so a mobile-friendly website is necessary. Most website-building tools will do this for you, but you can catch visitors’ attention better by adding videos and compelling images, and limiting text when you can.
Plus, make checkout as easy as possible by providing easy checkout through digital wallets.
These payment choices are becoming more popular with smartphone users because of their convenience and time-saving.
It’s easy to include these options and more using Donorbox’s UltraSwift™ Pay. Simply enable it on your campaign and your donors will enjoy checkouts that are four times faster.
The year-end giving statistics and facts listed in this article are meant to help you effectively plan your giving season campaigns. As you write and carry out your appeals, remember to segment donors by demographics, their ability to give, and their interests in your organization.
Remember, it’s not too late to reach out to lapsed donors! As we near the holiday season, run a report and find ways to reconnect with donors you’ve lost. You will see your efforts pay off in the end.
Donorbox is here to help you make the most of this giving season. Our features include Recurring Donations, Crowdfunding, Peer-to-Peer, Events, Memberships, Text-to-Give, and more. Learn more about our features here.
Experts at Donorbox can help take your end-of-year campaign to the next level! Check out Donorbox Premium to get a customized success package for your organization.
Kristine Ensor is a freelance writer with over a decade of experience working with local and international nonprofits. As a nonprofit professional she has specialized in fundraising, marketing, event planning, volunteer management, and board development.
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