And while the 2024 spike followed a deadly natural disaster in Spain, there was still good underlying growth between 2023 and 2025, according to data from the Observatorio del Fundraising, an initiative of EFA member Asociación Española de Fundraising (AEFr).

In 2023, the 26 organisations providing data to the Observatorio received 5.3m donations, worth €197.6m in total, with an average gift of €37.

In 2024, the floods drove the number of donations to 13.7m, more than two and a half times the previous year’s figure. The growth in income to €242.7m was still significant, while the average gift more than halved to less than €18.

In 2025, donations fell back to 5.5m, slightly above 2023’s level. However, the average gift recovered to €42, higher than before the floods, meaning income versus 2023 was up by 17.1%, at €231.5m.

Previously, data published by AEFr showed that a group of 13 nonprofits had raised more than €149m in response to the DANA meteorological event which caused huge floods in October 2024. The disaster claimed more than 220 lives, mostly in the eastern province of Valencia.

As Fundraising Europe detailed last year, the relief effort included more than 9,000 volunteers and 500 professionals, with more than 160,000 food kits, 40,000 hygiene kits and 5,000 kg of medical supplies delivered.

The article accompanying the new AEFr stats urges fundraisers to study their data closely, saying:

“An emergency like the one caused by the DANA can bring in people who have never donated, reactivate former donors or generate additional gifts from those who already give. Once the emergency has passed, it is worth knowing how many of those people give again, how often and in what way.”

The amount donated by the British public fell in 2025 for the first time in five years, with rising costs continuing to put pressure on public generosity and charity fundraising budgets. In response, the CIOF has partnered with CharityTracker, which surveys a nationally representative sample of 4,000 UK adults every month to provide insight for charities into how people are thinking, feeling and behaving, and how that is changing over time. As part of this monthly survey, respondents will now be asked the following question on behalf of the CIOF: Have you been asked to donate to charity in any of the following ways, in the last 4 weeks?

Participants are asked to select from a list of fundraising approaches, including a range of fundraising channels, workplace giving, and requests from friends and family.

By tracking responses to this question every month, the CIOF wants to establish how often people are being asked to give and through which channels. This will enable trends to be identified over time and a benchmark to be developed, providing its members with insight into what fundraising activity is reaching supporters effectively, where gaps exist, and whether changes or greater investment may be needed. The data will also help inform the CIOF’s wider work on growing giving and championing fundraising.

The initiative supports the pillar ‘Fostering a culture that inspires more people to give’ of the CIOF’s ten-year strategy, which launched in January 2026. A key strand of this work is to challenge the barriers and misconceptions that prevent people from giving and to encourage more to support charitable causes.

Rob Cope, executive director, membership & operations, Chartered Institute of Fundraising, says:

“It’s fantastic to have an organisation like CharityTracker join us as an official partner. We’ll work with them to gauge public awareness and perception of fundraising — using the data they share with us to identify trends in fundraising and any gaps where changes or improvements could be made. It will be a valuable resource for our members, and for informing the future work of our Growing Giving and Championing Fundraising Advisory Panels.”

Anna Turner, head of research & insight at CharityTracker, adds:

“Regular, evidence-based insight is essential to understanding donor behaviour, strengthening supporter relationships and helping charities develop more resilient, effective fundraising strategies. Tracking this question month by month will provide the sector with an invaluable new source of intelligence to inform future fundraising.”

The partnership’s first results have been uploaded to the CIOF website, and reveal that 63% of respondents were asked to donate to charity in August, mainly in-person, such as a street or door-to-door collector (20%), through an ad (20%), or by email (15%).

Conducted by Novos, the Barometer shows that momentum accelerated as the year progressed, reaching +4.2% in the second half. This was in a context of 0.9% inflation, and also follows two years of more modest growth (+2.4% in 2023 and +2.1% in 2024).

The report describes last year’s increase as a ‘genuine rebound’, and as all the more remarkable in occurring without any surge in fundraising linked to a major, high-profile emergency. In 2024 for example, Cyclone Chido in Mayotte accounted for 5% of total donations. However, the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine continued to benefit from strong donor engagement in 2025.

At the same time, France is seeing smaller donations decrease, and this trend continues with those under €150 declining again in 2025, representing 38.6% of total donations. This compares to a majority ten years ago (50.4% in 2015) but is offset by larger donations from wealthier donors.

Online giving now commonplace

The report also reveals that 36% of one-off donations now come from the web. In 2025, the amount of digital charity events (gaming, community fundraising, online mobilisations) represented within the panel doubled to nearly €15 million euros in donations, compared to €7 million in 2024.

These figures, says France générosités, reflect a profound change: giving online when making a purchase, rounding up one’s spending at the checkout to benefit a cause, participating in an online charity event like the Z-event, making a donation online in memory of a loved one, are gestures now part of the daily lives of the French.

Outlook uncertain for 2026

Despite the encouraging figures for 2025, France générosités warns that the outlook for 2026 calls for caution.

Previous editions of the Barometer have shown that two factors — fiscal instability and inflation — are likely to reduce French generosity. While the tax framework stabilised in 2025, inflation is rising again in France, reaching 2.2% this April (compared to April 2025, source: INSEE), driven largely by increased energy prices linked to the war in the Middle East. France générosités warns that this could bring an acceleration in the decline in donations under €150 this year.

Commenting on the findings, Philippe Pailliart, its president, said:

“French generosity is on the rise in 2025, good news for all causes of general interest — all the more valuable as many organisations are going through a difficult financial period. But this balance remains fragile: inflation is picking up again and 2026 looks uncertain. France générosités calls on the Government to guarantee now the stability of the tax framework for 2027. Undermining generosity would have dramatic consequences for all causes of general interest.” 

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.

Picture by Lara Jameson via Pexels

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.

Picture by mammela on Pixabay

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.” 

The 2025 Rapport Sur Les Dons Suisse or Spendenreport Schweiz shows 82% of households making a donation in 2024. This is a substantial increase from 72% in the year before, and more in line with figures in the low eighties recorded in previous reports.

However, the median donation fell to CHF300 (€321), the lowest figure since 2019, a year-on-year decrease of 25%. The report says that median donations from young families, who have been hit particularly hard by the economic climate, dropped by 50%.

Household giving rates grew from 74% to 82% in the country’s German-speaking majority, and from 66% to 79% among its French-speaking population. In its Italophone community, the smallest of Switzerland’s three major groups, giving rates dropped slightly, from 76% to 74%.

Donors’ preferred causes remained similar to in previous years. Survey respondents were most likely to cite domestic social and emergency (48%) and nature, the environment and animals (also 48%) as priorities, closely followed by children and young people (46%) and disability (45%).

Swissfundraising board member Ruth Wagner writes in the report:

“Overall, the sector’s reputation is good and stable. Some aspects such as transparency or innovation capacity are (still) judged somewhat more critically in 2024, and lack of confidence and questioning of charities’ effectiveness are increasingly cited as reasons for not donating.”

“In my opinion, two aspects are extremely important for market development and future success: the media mix is ​​becoming increasingly crucial, and donor loyalty needs to be rethought. It is precisely in digital channels, but also in broadcasting, that one can achieve relatively low-cost reach – and awareness is fundamentally important as background noise and a driving force, not just for conversion.”

Other articles in the Rapport Sur Les Dons include a look back at the AI usage guidance issued by Swissfundraising earlier in the year, and it also includes data from a recently-released report by the Zewo Foundation, based on data from a group of major Swiss charities.

Zewo’s report estimated that total giving in the country in 2024 was 2.25bn CHF, the same figure as in 2023. This total has now been in excess of 2bn CHF for five consecutive years.

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

The report also shows that 79% of people in Austria gave during the year – the highest level since these reports began in 2008.

Austrian fundraising first exceeded the billion mark in 2022, totalling €1.1bn, before dropping to €1.08bn in 2023. The slight decreases in 2023 and 2024 follow increases in every previous year, dating back to the first Spendenbericht in 2008 when the total was €360m.

The fundraising dip in 2024 was disproportionately felt by the biggest charities – the country’s 50 largest nonprofits registered a total drop of 4.2%, while medium-sized organisations increased their revenues by 7.7%.

Average donation up

The average single donation in 2024 was €142, an increase of €4 on the previous year.

The vast majority (81%) of all donations were below €200, while 2.6% were greater than €1,000.

Average donation amounts also differ significantly from region to region, ranging from €202 in the country’s three western states (Salzburg, Tirol and Vorarlberg) to €109 in Niederösterreich and Burgenland. In Vienna, it was only slightly higher at €119.

Ruth Williams, managing director of FVA, says:

“Despite comprehensive social challenges, the people who live in Austria have hardly compromised in supporting charitable concerns – a testimony of the great appreciation towards charitable work.”

The report says that some of the decline in donations was due to a reduction in support for Ukraine, as well as inflationary pressures on consumers. However, Austrians were mobilised to support relief efforts following floods in September 2024 which impacted Austria and neighbouring countries.

The report also notes that tax deduction changes are having a positive impact on the fundraising landscape. At the start of 2024, new laws meant that donation to a much broader range of organisations – including those working education, human rights and sport – became eligible for tax deductions.

FVA has projected that total fundraising in 2025 is likely to remain at the same level as in 2024.

Picture by Javid M on Pexels

The donor rate has dropped just slightly from 50.2% to 49.2%. Nearly 50% of donors donated between €50 and €250, with disability / sickness / healthcare, and child / youth welfare the most popular causes – both areas are supported by 30% of donors. Significantly less of a focus were immediate / emergency aid (17%) and development aid (11%), while just 9% donated to climate protection.

Key factors in donations are transparency, and trust in the charitable organisations. Overall, 41% of people in Germany are involved in volunteer work. Among donors, this figure rises to 53%. The report also shares that 80% of the population are in-kind donors.

The DZI and DFRV agreed in September 2024 to coordinate their respective surveys, analyses and publications on donation behaviour in order to strengthen clarity in donation statistics.

The DZI Donation Index estimates that overall, €12.5 billion was donated in Germany last year – including donations of over 1,500 euros.

According to DFRV, the country’s fundraising organisations awaited this year’s Donation Monitor figures with particular anticipation. Inflation, ongoing multiple crises, and economic uncertainty have created a more challenging psychological environment for donations than usual. This was exacerbated by negative media coverage of the allocation and use of grant funds by nonprofit organisations following a parliamentary inquiry by the CDU/CSU faction, leading to fears of a massive crisis of confidence.

Larissa Probst, DFRV managing director, said:

“We are pleased that trust in fundraising organisations remains high. Donors have stayed the course, demonstrated solidarity, and continued their commitment, in some cases with increased resources, despite uncertainties, multiple crises, and rising costs.”

Adding to this, Burkhard Wilke, managing director and scientific director of the DZI, commented:

“Donating is a matter of trust! The stable to slightly positive trend in donations, despite the difficult economic conditions, can therefore also be seen as a result of the significantly improved transparency of many charitable organisations. The increasingly used services of the independent DZI donation advisory service further support the willingness to donate, as does modern and responsible fundraising.”

The German Donation Monitor findings are based on an online survey of 5,008 respondents, aged 16-75, which took place between 15 October and 15 November this year.

Picture by Andres Siimon on Unsplash

Only 10% of respondents said they were ‘not likely at all’ to give to a charity, according to the survey, based on online interviews with 1,505 respondents.

The survey data, published in September, also asks how important people think various different cause areas are.

The most popular is charities combatting disease, with 75% of respondents calling these ‘very important’ or ‘important’. Charities supporting children and young people are second (66%), followed by mental health (64%).

The least valued are international development (46%), equality and anti-discrimination (51%) and animals (54%) – although in each case, the number calling them ‘not important at all’ is just 6%.

A separate report published by ISOBRO earlier in September showed that total giving in Denmark rose 8% to 7.6bn DKK (€1bn) in 2024. This follows an 8% drop between 2022 and 2023.

Looking at particular cause areas, the figures align with the more recent public research – disease fighting and disability organisations registered a 20% increase in public donations between 2023 and 2024, while donations to international aid charities rose by a more modest 3%.

The report, published with support from Deloitte, showed overall annual growth of 8% in donations received by the 212 organisations participating in ISOBRO’s research. The organisation believes that these nonprofits account for around 90% of total charitable giving in Denmark.

That growth included a 54% increase in income from legacies between 2023 and 2024. Outside of public fundraising, there has also been a sustained rise in corporate giving – such donations grew by 90% between 2020 and 2024, and 10% in the last year.

Kenneth Kamp Butzbach, secretary general of ISOBRO, says:

“The figures show that the Danes continue to stand firmly in their support for charity and civil society. This testifies to the fact that Danes support the cases that matter to them – even at a time of rising food prices, inflation and uncertainties in the world around us.”

Picture by a tray of vials by Testalize.me on Unsplash