Europe – EFA | European Fundraising Association

Norway leads Nordic giving for first time as Finland remains outlier

Melanie May — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:39:22 +0000

Swedes and Norwegians are more likely to give to charity in 2026, while Finns and Danes have become slightly less generous, new research shows.

This is according to the Nordic Donor Report 2026, conducted on behalf of EFA members ISOBRO (Denmark), Giva Sverige (Sweden), Fundraising Norway and VaLa (Finland), with around 1,000 adults surveyed in each country.

Seven in 10 (70%) Norwegians, up from 66% last year, said they donate regularly or occasionally to charities. In Denmark, which was the most generous nation in the 2024 and 2025 surveys, the figure fell slightly from 67% to 66%.

Sweden also overtook Denmark, moving from 64% to 69%, while Finland’s figure dropped from 50% to 48%.

Between 2024 and 2025, the donor share had risen in all four countries, by at least six percentage points.

The report notes that the difference between men’s and women’s giving rates has been narrowing over time, and that giving is also increasing across most age groups. The exceptions are in Sweden and Norway, where giving by 18-29-year-olds has been flat across the last three years — something the report says “may need specific attention.”

25% more engagement

Across the four countries, overall engagement in charitable activities has grown by 25% between 2024 and 2026. There is a positive trend around activities such as donating clothes or goods — the most common charitable activity in the region — entering raffles, and making one-off or regular donations.

Volunteering has remained essentially stable, moving from 9% in 2024 to 10% in 2026, while remembering a charity in a will has dropped from 2% to 1%.

Humanitarian aid remained the most supported cause across the Nordics, cited by 27% of respondents, with support for disadvantaged people in their home country (24%) and people in need in developing countries (18%) the next most prominent.

There is, however, notable variation within the region. Helping disadvantaged people in the home country is Finland’s most supported cause (35%), ahead of humanitarian aid (23%) — the reverse of the pattern in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, where humanitarian aid consistently leads. Finland is also the only country where support for religious organizations has not declined over the three years of the survey.

The Finland gap

The report flags a decline in monthly giving in Finland, with the proportion of monthly donors dropping from 18% in 2025 to 10% in 2026, compared to roughly one in three donors in the other three countries.

As was the case following the 2025 report, VaLa points to tax policy as a structural factor in the gap, noting its own research findings that more than 30% of Finns say they would give more if donations were tax-deductible, rising to around 45% among younger age groups.

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More Swedes giving, but political divide widens

Melanie May — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:31:20 +0000

The proportion of Swedes giving money to charity has risen again, but there is a growing divide of donors along political lines, finds the annual Givarbarometern by EFA member Giva Sverige.

The survey of 1,043 adults finds that 56% gave money in the last six months, meaning the figure has returned to 2020 levels, although it remains short of the 63% in 2016, the survey’s first year.

The number giving monthly has also returned to pre-pandemic levels, at 29% – but remains lower than 2016’s 32%. Both monthly and general giving has increased for both men and women, and across all age groups.

Earlier this year, Giva Sverige said that two in three Swedish nonprofits expected their fundraising income to increase during 2026.

A more polarised landscape

Overall sentiment towards nonprofits remains strong – 79% of Swedes hold a positive view of the sector, a figure which was 77% in 2016 and has only changed marginally in the years since. The figure is even higher (88%) for those aged 18-34.

However, the report notes a growing divide between voters who supported the centre-right and nationalist parties who make up the Tidö coalition, which has governed Sweden since 2022, and opposition voters.

While 91% of opposition voters have a positive view of the sector, this drops to 66% among Tidö supporters – and the gap has grown since 2025, when the respective figures were 86% and 71%.

Charlotte Rydh, secretary general of Giva Sverige, writes in the report:

“Differences between voters of the different political blocs show that civil society operates in a more polarised public sphere — a reality that organizations must navigate. We also see a clear shift in what Swedes want civil society to do: from being seen as actors that solve societal challenges and strengthen democracy, to being valued for meeting places and community.”

Rydh’s point about shifting expectations reflects another point in the data.

The proportion of Swedes who say uniting people and creating meeting places and is an important future role for civil society is 32% – more than double the figure of 15% in 2021. The number saying it should help people to have meaningful leisure time has gone from 14% to 18%.

Meanwhile, the proportion saying that nonprofits must support the most vulnerable elsewhere in the world has dropped from 42% to 30%, and those who say it should solve difficult social challenges from 24% to 15%.

Reasons for not giving

The report also looked at the reasons why people gave, and why they did not.

For those who had given in the past six months, there were four main reasons:

The cause matches my values: 43%
I have been giving to this organization for a long time: 39%
I wanted to help make a difference for the recipient of the gift: 38%
I felt the need was clear/great: 38%

Among Swedes who had not donated in the previous six months, 36% said they couldn’t afford it, and 26% said they thought money wasn’t being spent properly. Nearly a fifth (17%) said they hadn’t been asked.

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Philanthropy in Europe estimated to reach at least €104.5bn annually

Melanie May — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:30:32 +0000

A new Open Access study from the European Research Network on Philanthropy (ERNOP) shows philanthropy in Europe amounts to at least €104.5 billion annually.

Philanthropy in Europe: Mapping Research and Data on Donations by Households, Bequests, Foundations, Corporations and Charity Lotteries looks at contributions from households, bequests, corporations, foundations, and charity lotteries to provide a comparative overview of philanthropic giving across Europe. An executive summary can be downloaded here, and the full report accessed via this link.

The study findings are based on the best available data from 2022 on philanthropic giving in 23 European countries. Breaking the overall figure of €104.5 billion down, the study reveals that:

Household giving is the largest and best-documented source of philanthropy, totalling €52 billion across Europe
Corporate giving amounts to €21.5 billion, though the true figure is likely considerably higher
Foundation giving reaches €20.6 billion, with Germany and Switzerland home to the most active foundation sectors
Bequests contribute €8.4 billion and remain significantly under-measured across most of Europe
Charity lotteries generate €1.9 billion, concentrated in a small number of countries including the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden

The study is edited by Barry Hoolwerf and Johan Vamstad and draws on the expertise of nearly 50 researchers. It maps how philanthropic resources are directed toward a wide range of causes, including health, social services, education, culture, environment, international aid, and community initiatives.

It also provides a systematic assessment of data quality across Europe, stating that the €104.5 billion estimate is a lower-bound figure, with significant amounts of giving remaining invisible due to data gaps and inconsistencies. This, ERNOP says, highlights how differences between countries often reflect differences in data infrastructure as much as differences in generosity.

Barry Hoolwerf, director of ERNOP and co-editor of Philanthropy in Europe said:

“Building on our 2017 Giving in Europe study, this publication again maps the scale of philanthropic giving across Europe. What emerges is a picture of considerable variety and resilience in how philanthropy is expressed across countries. At the same time, our ability to understand it remains uneven — and in some cases appears to be weakening. The gaps in our data are not a footnote; they are a central finding. Strengthening Europe’s philanthropic data infrastructure is not a technical ambition — it is a prerequisite for informed public debate, effective policy, and the long-term development of the sector.”

ERNOP’s 2017 Giving in Europe study estimated philanthropic giving at €87.5 billion in 2013. Although ERNOP states that differences in data availability and methodology limit direct comparison, it notes that the updated figures underline both the scale of philanthropy in Europe and the importance of continued investment in data infrastructure.

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Scottish grantmakers should consider ‘economic counter-cyclical funding’

Melanie May — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:17:59 +0000

Foundations in Scotland made £601m (€696m) of grants in their latest financial year, and hold just under £4bn (€4.6bn) of net funds, according to new research.

The publication also includes 17 recommendations for the Scottish Government, its charity regulator, grantmaking foundations themselves, and the organizations which seek their grants.

The research by the University of St Andrews Business School’s Centre for the Study of Philanthropy and Public Good (CSPPG) identifies 315 charities that mainly distribute funds to other organizations, rather than run services themselves. Around half of the foundations, both in number and in terms of total funds, are based in Scotland’s two largest cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

These foundations generated a collective total income of £2.6bn in their last year, a figure significantly larger than the £601m of grants made. However, the researchers warned that it could be a mistake for the Scottish Government to create laws, like those seen in other countries, to force foundations to distribute a certain percentage of their assets each year.

“The modelling suggests importing a similar rule without careful design could backfire,” a CSPPG press release says, noting that it might encourage some to “cut back to the minimum”, reducing the sector’s total outlay.

Other recommendations in the report for the Government include engaging with foundations with low levels of grantmaking, and to develop further regulations for emerging forms of philanthropy, such as donor advised funds (DAFs). Meanwhile, recommendations for the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) focus on improving the data available on grantmaking foundations and charities to enable better policymaking.

On this point, the project’s lead research Dr Christopher Dougherty says:

“We now have a clearer picture of the scale of foundation wealth in Scotland, but we still lack reliable data on restrictions, investments and grant recipients. Without that, it is very difficult to design evidence-based policy.”

Meanwhile, grantmaking foundations are urged to “consider economic counter-cyclical funding practices, to increase funding when economic conditions are worse to better respond to community needs”, alongside three other recommendations around better engagement with both others in the sector, and local and national government.

Grantseekers are told to “focus on pragmatism in approaching grantmaking foundation”.

Last year, Fundraising Europe highlighted new research showing that there are approximately 175,203 foundations across Europe, with total annual expenditure of €76bn. CSPPG’s data therefore shows that Scotland’s foundation make up just under 1% of that total expenditure, but represent only 0.2% of total foundations.

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Poland’s most influential nonprofit voices on LinkedIn – ranked

Melanie May — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:15:11 +0000

Fundraising professionals feature prominently in a new ranking of Poland’s most influential nonprofit voices on LinkedIn, alongside strong showings from organizations focused on women’s empowerment.

Raport 100 #nonprofitPL na LinkedIn, published by communications consultancy Instytut Dobrej Komunikacji, includes the 100 Polish nonprofits with the highest LinkedIn following, and a separate ranking of individual sector leaders.

Three fundraising figures

Three of the ten most influential individuals in the Social Justice & Philanthropy category for Poland are fundraising professionals, according to data from analytics platform Favikon, which ranks individuals based on factors including engagement and reach rather than follower count alone.

Mirella Panek-Owsiańska, a fundraising advisor to NGOs, ranks third with 10,249 followers.
Robert Kawałko, president and CEO of the Polskie Stowarzyszenie Fundraisingu (Polish Fundraising Association), ranks sixth with 5,835 followers.
Fundraising consultant Katarzyna Konefał ranks eighth, with 10,813 followers.

The top position is held by Olga Kotyk, a social impact entrepreneur and CEO of the Web-Korki Foundation.

Women’s organisations lead the field

In the organizational rankings, five of the top six accounts by follower count work specifically on women’s empowerment and professional development.

Sieć Przedsiębiorczych Kobiet (Network of Entrepreneurial Women) leads the ranking with 41,000 followers, while Fundacja Kobiety Inspirują (Women Who Inspire Foundation) recorded the highest percentage growth of any organisation tracked, up 453% since the report’s previous edition in 2023, adding more than 24,000 new followers.

The report notes that women’s organizations not only attract large audiences but frequently collaborate with one another, amplifying their collective reach.

Paulina Kołodziejak-Łaska, marketing director at Sieć Przedsiębiorczych Kobiet, writes in the report:

“LinkedIn has become a key platform for consciously shaping career paths and strengthening market position. Networking on LinkedIn has stopped being merely about collecting contacts, and has become a process of building strong support networks.”

Beyond the women’s sector, education-focused organizations account for the largest single category by number of profiles in the top 100 (18), followed by technology (10) and sector or industry associations (10). The median follower count among the top 100 is 5,381.

Overall, tracked organizations grew by an average of 50% over the two-year period, though growth was highly uneven. The report’s authors note that follower count is not the sole measure of communications success, but offers a useful guide to which causes and approaches are resonating on the platform.

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‘Significant concern’: ongoing decline in charity giving has cost UK charities £12.4bn

Melanie May — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:12:12 +0000

The number of people in the UK who give to charity has dropped by around six million in a decade, with the sector missing out on an estimated £12.4bn (approximately €14.3bn) as a result, according to new research by Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).

According to the report, public donations continued to drop between 2024 and 2025, with people giving an estimated £14bn in 2025, compared to £15.4bn in 2024. The public’s mean monthly donation was £65 in 2025, down from £72 in 2024, while the median donation also declined by 9%, from £28 to £26.

Affordability and (lack of) interest

The survey respondents who did not donate to charity in 2025 were asked the reasons why. The most common response by far was ‘I can’t afford it’ (49%), followed by ‘I don’t trust charities to use my money wisely’ (19%), ‘I just didn’t want to’ (10%) and ‘There hasn’t been a charity that’s interested me enough (9%)’.

CAF says that nearly three in 10 (28%) of non-donors gave an answer suggesting that they weren’t interested in charities in general, with that figure rising to just under half (49%) of those who are higher and additional rate taxpayers – a more affluent group of UK residents, numbering roughly seven million.

For those who donate to charity, the majority are motivated by an emotional reason (78%), such as caring about the cause, and because they want to be part of something bigger (53%), such as supporting their community or making a difference.

Sectors and methods

The overseas aid and disaster relief sector has been particularly badly hit – total donations have dropped from £970m in 2016 to £727m in 2025.

Health charities have the broadest support (43% of donors supporting them last year), but on average give £27, which is on par with the sector-wide average.

While only 8% of donors gave to religious causes last year, their donations were on average far higher than for any other sector at £90 – no other sector had a figure in excess of £60. Religious charities were particularly popular among donors in Northern Ireland and the East of England, while London donors had a particular interest in environmental charities.

More than a quarter of all giving – £4bn in total – is ‘planned’, which CAF defines as meaning it comes through direct debits, standing orders, membership fees and subscriptions. Meanwhile, 40% of donors said they normally only give to charity when directly asked or moved by an appeal, and a third of donors still like to donate cash.

Mark Greer, managing director of the Charities Aid Foundation says:

“Giving falling by nearly 10% in a year will be a significant concern for charities up and down the country who are providing vital services to people in need. We have been relying on a declining number of dedicated donors, but the reality of this trend has begun to bite.

“To support our communities, we need a collaborative effort to revive the culture of giving across the country. This includes exploring ways we can encourage donations from those that can afford to give, and policy action from the Government to unlock greater giving.”

UK’s June Fundraising Convention offers EFA members discounted tickets

Melanie May — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 11:01:34 +0000

EFA members can benefit from tickets at the reduced Chartered Institute of Fundraising member rate for June’s Fundraising Convention, which takes place in London.

The 2026 theme is ‘Small shifts, Big impact’. The event will provide a space to imagine what could be possible, and a place to be inspired and discover the latest trends, to learn best practices, and to network with others who understand the challenges and opportunities that a job in fundraising brings.

In-person offer

In-person delegates will benefit from:

Hearing from 175+ speakers and over 70 sessions including plenaries, real case studies, informative seminars, panel debates, workshops and more
Receiving advice and guidance to progress your career in 1-2-1 coaching sessions
Meeting 25+ exhibitors and sponsors in the Expo arena
Discovering the latest innovations happening across the sector
Gaining insight and access to the latest research findings
Networking, interacting and connecting with like-minded fundraisers from across the UK and overseas.

Special rate for delegates from EFA member organisations

Members of EFA can benefit from a reduced Chartered Institute of Fundraising member rate. Tickets close on 27 May.

How to book

Book here and enter ‘EFA’ in the membership number field to get the preferential rate.

In addition, those who would like to attend the Fundraising Convention with colleagues, can save 10% when booking five or more tickets in a single group booking. This offer ends on 5 May.

Germany’s largest foundations generate €6.8bn in spending

Melanie May — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:45:59 +0000

The 60 largest foundations in Germany distributed €6.8bn in 2024, according to data from the Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen (BDS), a nonprofit supporting the sector.

The charities with the largest purpose expenditure (Zweckausgaben) in 2024 were:

€996.8m by RAG-Stiftung, which finances a range of ecological and social projects in post-industrial regions
€804.9m by KENFO, the fund established to finance Germany’s radioactive waste storage
€706.9m by VolkswagenStiftung, a research funder created following the privatisation of carmaker Volkswagen

KENFO is one of 21 public law foundations in the list, meaning it was created by a public entity. The other 39 are private law foundations, which are set up by a private company or individual.

KENFO has by far the largest total equity of any foundation in either list, at €19.7bn.

No other public law foundation has more than €1bn, although seven private law foundations are larger than this – the biggest are Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH (€5.3bn) and Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (€2.9bn), with VolkswagenStiftung third (€2.8bn).

Outside of these very large foundations, the list also contains some which are comparatively more modest – six have equity of less than €10m.

In terms of purpose spending, the lowest figure was €600,000 by the Breisgauer Katholischer Religionsfonds, a regional Catholic fund. Four other public law foundations linked to the church also had spending of less than €3m, which in each case is less than 1% of their equity.

There are also several foundations whose spending is larger than their equity, demonstrating the varied financial models of the organisations on the list.

An additional €1.4bn

The organisation’s annual top 60 list is published at the start of the year, and the latest figure is notably larger than last year’s, which showed total spending (in 2023) of €5.4bn.

However, as BDS notes, these two figures are not directly comparable, nor do they necessarily capture every relevant foundation. This is because of factors including that some foundations do not have to make their annual reports public, or do not provide these as part of this research in some or all years.

Friederike v. Bünau, secretary-general of the Bundesverband Deutscher Stiftungen, says:

“With their voluntary information, the listed foundations make visible the creative power in the German foundation sector. With their transparency, they are going ahead as good examples. Especially in the current socio-political debate about the role of civil society organisations, they are making an important contribution that can strengthen the public’s trust in the work of foundations.”

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Millions of high earners in UK do not know about tax relief on donations

Melanie May — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:40:52 +0000

Nearly half (47%) of those in the UK’s top tax brackets are unaware that they can claim tax relief having made donations to charity.

This is according to a YouGov survey for Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), which also says that this number has grown from 39% this time last year.

Nearly 8m Britons are eligible for this tax relief due to being higher and additional rate taxpayers – meaning that they earn more than £50,271 (€57,700) a year, or £43,663 in Scotland.

If a taxpayer gives £100 to charity, the charity may claim an additional £25 in Gift Aid. If the donor is a higher rate taxpayer, they can also reduce their tax bill by £25 – or slightly more if they are based in Scotland, or are an additional rate taxpayer with annual earnings exceeding £125,140 (€143,500).

Even though more than half of those 8m are aware of the relief being available, only half of that group (meaning around 2m people in total) actually make use of it.

A third (30%) of those who do claim the tax back say they do it in order to give additional money to charity, and 24% say that an accountant or financial adviser recommended doing it.

Another quarter of those taxpayers are aware of the incentives but don’t claim anything back, with the most common reason being that they didn’t keep a record of their donation.

Two in three (65%) of higher and additional rate taxpayers made charitable donations in the last 12 months, versus 55% of the population as a whole.

They are also more likely than the average donor to ensure the charity is able to claim Gift Aid (69% versus 60%), even if they do not then take the next step of claiming back the tax for themselves.

Mark Greer, managing director at Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), says:

“As the number of people donating falls, and charities are under increasing strain, it’s important that more people understand the tax incentives available when giving to charity.

“With more people expected to enter higher tax brackets, knowing this relief is on offer to them could encourage higher rate taxpayers to consider donating more, unlocking additional funds for these crucial services. It’s great that advisers are raising the topic with their clients and we encourage more to do the same.”

As Fundraising Europe noted last year, the number of UK residents who gave money each year dropped by 4m between 2019 and 2024.

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UK civil society in 2026 – resilient, resourceful, but under strain

Melanie May — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:40:21 +0000

In 2026, UK civil society remains resilient and trusted, but it is operating under mounting financial strain, heavier compliance demands and rising needs at home and abroad. The sector’s future will depend not on its capacity to endure, but on whether policymakers, funders and corporate partners commit to long-term, sustainable support rather than short-term fixes, warns Ceri Edwards, executive director of engagement at the UK’s Chartered Institute of Fundraising and EFA president.

The real test for the coming years will be whether policymakers, funders, corporates and philanthropists move beyond short-term fixes and commit to long-term partnerships that match the scale of the challenges ahead.

In 2026, UK civil society is neither collapsing nor comfortable. It is resilient, adaptive and still deeply committed to the communities it serves – but it is also operating under sustained pressure that is reshaping what it can do, how it works, and who it can reach.

Recent analysis, including the February 2026 report from Bond on UK civic space, paints a picture of a sector navigating tightening funding, increased scrutiny and growing demand. The question is not whether civil society still exists in strength – it does – but whether the conditions around it are becoming more fragile.

A sector tested by funding shocks

The aftershocks of the USAID cuts continue to ripple through the system. The initial shock was immediate: organisations heavily reliant on US development funding were forced to close offices, reduce programmes, and scale back their geographic footprint. Those with diversified income streams – a mix of grants, individual giving, and corporate partnerships – fared better. Smaller, grassroots organisations felt the brunt.

But the bigger story in 2026 is the domino effect.

Reduced US funding influenced UK government international development spending priorities, while UN agencies – many of which relied on US contributions – tightened their own allocations. Funding agreements now often come with more stringent reporting requirements and compliance demands, increasing administrative burdens at precisely the moment organisations are trying to stretch limited resources further.

Civil society is surviving – but it is spending more time proving impact than delivering it.

Domestic pressures mirror global ones

While international NGOs recalibrate, UK-based charities are facing parallel strains at home. The cost-of-living crisis may no longer dominate headlines in the same way, but its effects persist. Demand for food banks, mental health services, housing advice, and refugee support remains high. Climate-related emergencies and geopolitical instability continue to drive humanitarian need abroad.

Yet public giving has not risen in line with need.

This mismatch – rising demand and constrained income – is the defining tension of 2026. Civil society is increasingly asked to plug systemic gaps while operating without long-term financial certainty.

Adaptation: Philanthropy, corporates and new models

One of the most striking shifts is strategic rather than reactive. Organisations are not simply trying to “replace” lost government funding. They are rethinking how they generate income.

There is greater focus on:

Deepening relationships with philanthropists aligned with mission and values
Building meaningful corporate partnerships with socially conscious businesses
Exploring blended finance and public-private partnership models
Using existing infrastructure to develop earned-income services

However, these approaches require investment. Developing a corporate partnership or launching a social enterprise arm demands upfront capacity – specialist staff, due diligence, legal support. Larger institutions can often absorb this transition; smaller charities struggle.

Blended finance and alternative models are promising but remain unevenly accessible. Without careful policy support, there is a risk that innovation benefits the already well-resourced, widening inequalities within the sector itself.

The civic space question

Beyond funding, there is a broader issue: civic space.

Bond’s 2025–26 analysis highlights concern about the regulatory and political environment in which civil society operates. Increased compliance requirements heightened political polarisation, and public discourse that sometimes questions the legitimacy of advocacy work all contribute to a more complex landscape in which we operate.

This does not amount to a closed civic space – the UK remains a functioning democracy with a vibrant voluntary sector – but it does signal a subtle shift. Scrutiny has increased. The margin for error has narrowed. The tone of debate has hardened.

In this environment, charities are balancing service delivery with advocacy, mindful of reputation, funding relationships, and public trust.

A sector still anchored in trust

Despite these pressures, civil society retains one of its most valuable assets: public trust at a community level.

Local organisations remain embedded in the communities they serve. National charities continue to mobilise volunteers at scale. When crises hit, civil society is still among the first to respond. And this is what makes the long-term funding question so urgent.

The long view: Demand is not going down

If 2026 has made anything clear, it is that demand for civil society services will continue to rise. Climate change, conflict and migration and inequality are not short-term trends. The funding model, however, remains short-term and reactive.

The central challenge now is not simply replacing lost income. It is building sustainable, multi-year funding structures that allow organisations to plan, invest in staff, innovate responsibly, and maintain standards without being consumed by compliance.

Civil society in the UK is holding up – but it is doing so through ingenuity and sheer effort rather than structural stability.

The narrative of resilience can be comforting. It suggests adaptability, strength, perseverance.

But resilience should not be confused with sustainability.

In 2026, UK civil society is still standing, still delivering, still advocating. Yet it is navigating an increasingly complex funding ecosystem, heavier reporting demands, and rising need – all at once.

Civil society is holding up. The question is whether the system around it will hold up too.

Ceri Edwards

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