Midyear Data Shows Signs of Stability With Donor Loss Slowing

For the first time in several years, the latest Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) data suggest that nonprofits may be approaching a turning point in donor participation.

Total dollars raised grew 2.9% compared to the same period last year, while the number of donors effectively remained flat — a 1.9% decline that falls within the margin of error, according to the FEP’s “Quarterly Fundraising Report” through the second quarter of 2025. Retention also remained essentially flat at 26.3%, down just 0.1 of a percentage point year-over-year.

This midyear snapshot reflects data across 11 data providers and includes 4 million donors giving $5.3 billion through June 2025 to more than 15,000 nonprofits. The findings point to a possible stabilization after years of persistent declines — not yet a recovery, but a signal that the worst of the donor loss trend may be slowing.

The slight improvement in the pace of donor decline suggests that nonprofits’ donor engagement strategies may be holding the line — particularly compared to steeper year-over-year drops seen in prior FEP reports. Still, as the report notes, the shift remains modest, and donor counts continue to edge downward across most giving levels.

“As the latest data shows, donor engagement and retention have begun to stabilize, an encouraging sign after several quarters of decline,” Woodrow Rosenbaum, chief data officer at GivingTuesday, said in a statement.

Giving Growth Driven by Fewer, Bigger Gifts

The sector’s resilience in dollars raised continues to be driven primarily by large gifts. Supersize donors — those giving $50,000 or more — contributed about half of all dollars raised through midyear, even though their performance was down 7.7% over midyear 2024, according to the report.

By contrast, micro donors — who make up more than half of all donors but only give $1 to $100 — saw a 10.5% drop in giving and a 10.4% decline in participation. That imbalance underscores a structural challenge nonprofits have faced since the pandemic: fewer people giving, but in larger amounts.

“The sector’s continued reliance on large gifts underscores a structural vulnerability, particularly as performance among supersize donors decreases,” Rosenbaum said in a statement. “Now, ahead of giving season, is the time to double down on efforts to broaden participation and diversify revenue streams. Engaging and inspiring everyday givers is more critical than ever at this moment. Fortunately, with GivingTuesday around the corner, we're seeing signs that people are ready and willing to give.”

Donor Pipelines Remain Weak

While overall retention steadied, the donor acquisition pipeline remains a concern. The report found a 10.7% drop in new donors and a 10.2% decrease in new retained donors — individuals who gave for the first time last year and returned this year.

There were drops in new donors and new retained donors, indicating a weak donor pipeline. | Credit: Quarterly Fundraising Report by Fundraising Effectiveness Project

That means fewer new supporters are committing to nonprofit causes, and fewer of those who did give in 2024 are returning. It’s a compounding problem that threatens long-term fundraising sustainability if not reversed.

Meanwhile, repeat donors — those who have given in consecutive years — now account for more than 60% of total fundraising dollars. Their consistency has provided stability, but it also highlights nonprofits’ increasing dependence on a shrinking core of loyal supporters. However, the data reveals opportunities on this front as well.

“This reliance on first-time and established donors suggests an under-explored opportunity: fundraising from mid-stage donors who fall between these groups,” according to the report. “Dedicating effort in engaging these groups may help cultivate more consistent fundraising relationships.”

Smaller Organizations and Certain Causes Outperform

Not all nonprofits experienced the same outcomes. The FEP report found that smaller organizations — particularly those with budgets under $1 million — saw modest (more than 4%) growth in dollars raised, while the largest organizations (those raising $5 million to $25 million annually) experienced a 12.2% decline.

Among cause areas, environmental and animal organizations exhibited the strongest performance in both average and median growth.

Retention Holds, But Fragility Remains

Overall donor retention slipped only 0.1 percentage points, landing at 26.3% for the first half of the year. Both new donor retention (11%) and repeat donor retention (36.3%) held steady as well.

Modest declines occurred across all donor levels, though major donors — who give $5,000 to $50,000 — experienced the biggest decrease in retention rate. However, they also had the highest retention rate to date this year at nearly 43%. Micro donors, on the other hand, had the lowest retention rate at almost 17%. Despite being the largest group, micro donors contributed just 2% of total dollars raised.

Retention dropped for donors of all levels, with major donors experiencing the greatest decline. | Credit: Quarterly Fundraising Report by Fundraising Effectiveness Project

The report warns that ignoring micro donors can lead to long-term erosion of the donor base.

“This stabilization in retention, along with the increase in dollars raised, shows that fundraisers are looking at the data and adjusting their donor engagement strategies accordingly,” Art Taylor, president and CEO of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, said in a statement. “With the universal charitable deduction expected to encourage broader participation in giving in 2026, nonprofits have an opportunity to build on this momentum, applying similar data-backed strategies to the remaining challenges, such as declining small-donor participation, illustrated in this report, for a more robust and equitable philanthropic landscape in the year to come.”