Key Tips for Effective Charitable Partnerships

Federal funding cuts; attacks on equity, immigrants, the rule of law, and the nation's democracy; a new tax bill; and the growing use of synthetic intelligence are just a few of the elements that have upended the not-for-profit world. Amidst this turmoil, how can funders and their beneficiaries prepare for 2026 and beyond? In this unique bundle, you'll speak with structure leaders and major donors about offering trends in the coming year and efforts to respond to Trump administration hazards.

You'll discover vibrant forecasts 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 guarantees to be another unprecedented year. It's time to shed our fear and acknowledge that those who desire change will fail if individuals closest to the cash do not have the nerve to bear the most risk.

Kathleen Enright, president & CEO, Council on Foundations The humanitarian sector must be clear-eyed about the obstacles ahead: the pattern of targeted attacks and federal government overreach created to suppress our most essential liberties. 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 dependency.

Michael McAfee, CEO, PolicyLink It's tough to envision passage anytime soon of legislation needing higher payment rates. Bella DeVaan and Chuck Collins collaborate the Charity Reform Effort, Institute for Policy Studies Interaction is no longer background sound. It's a battlefield. Matt Watkins, CEO, Watkins Public Affairs Funders will assemble around pluralism, not since it's easy but since it's necessary.

Reimagining Business Social Strategy for 2026

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

Findings from Church Mutual can assist assist nonprofits as they browse 2026 and changes in generational providing. In December of 2025, the "2026 Charitable Providing in America" study was performed by Church Mutual, taking actions from 1,010 adults who contribute economically to nonprofits and other charitable causes. According to a post on the research study from NonProfitPro, Church Mutual indicates numerous crucial trends within the not-for-profit fundraising world, including the worrying truth that donors are preparing to scale back their giving up 2026.

With that, here are 5 essential takeaways from the Church Mutual 2026 study: The Church Mutual survey found homes of praise continue to take in the lion's share of donations. All four generations represented (Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers) donated mostly to locations of worship, making up 74% of charitable donations.

Organizations that have spiritual ties should highlight this connection to donors, specifically if they actively support houses of worship or schools. Another essential finding from the study was that donors tended to make their contributions toward the end of the year (OctoberDecember). Across the four generations, end-of-year contributions made up the greatest percentage, with JanuaryMarch taking second location, followed by AprilJune, then JulySeptember.

In addition, out of the four generations, Gen Z was more than likely to offer throughout the slowest time of the year (JulySeptember). Those who operate in the not-for-profit area needs to bear in mind of the end-of-year increase in contributions, which suggests that OctoberDecember campaigns such as Offering Tuesday events, matches, etc, could bring in a fundraising windfall.

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That stated, "slow-down" durations need to not be overlooked, as the younger generations may still be inclined to offer even when the older ones are not. The survey contains an area that details "contribution expectations" for 2026, and it is these findings that might sound alarm bells. On the one hand, around half of donors (48%) said they will not make any modifications to their monetary contributions, with Boomers being the group probably to leave their charitable offering the same.

Millennials were determined as the group more than likely to cut their providing, whereas Gen Z was not only identified as the group least most likely to cut their offering, however likewise the group more than likely to increase their offering in 2026. Church Mutual has a couple of sections dedicated to the primary monetary concerns of donors, something that falls beyond the scope of this post.

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

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

When asked if they would increase "effort and time" to help in other ways need to they reduce their financial donations, a majority of donors showed they would; 26% stated they were "likely" and 32% stated "somewhat likely," equating to 58% of donors overall. The research study recommends these reactions could imply "strong capacity to convert decreased financial giving into more volunteering, advocacy, or other non-financial support." In the face of smaller financial contributions, nonprofits should lean into other channels to engage their donors.

Why Strategic Philanthropy Improves Pediatric Well-Being

There are other findings from Church Mutual that were not covered in this post, such as donation approaches and the top monetary priorities of donors, therefore I motivate all those in the not-for-profit space to read through the report. The findings from Church Mutual can help direct nonprofits as they browse 2026, particularly as Gen Z starts to handle a more prominent role in the giving world.

Sign up for the Johnson Center's email newsletter! This year marks a milestone for the Johnson Center: the tenth edition of our 11 Trends in Philanthropy report. What began in 2017 as a modest supplement to our annual report has actually grown into a widely checked out and gone over publication, reaching more than 100,000 readers each year.

Typically, these articles check out brand-new shifts or developing movements throughout the field of philanthropy. For this tenth edition, however, we have taken a various method. Rather than recognizing an entirely brand-new set of emerging patterns, we have actually turned our attention backward to assess the themes that have actually shaped our sector over the past 10 years, and to call both withstanding shifts and brand-new developments.

It is likewise a recommendation of the minute we find ourselves in a minute of active disruption, that combines both excellent stress and anxiety about where we are headed and excellent possibility for what could come next. Our future feels more unsure than ever, however the opportunity to produce and scale life-changing developments for our communities feels present.

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