The Benefits of Mission-Driven Non-Profit Alliances

Federal financing cuts; attacks on equity, immigrants, the rule of law, and the nation's democracy; a new tax expense; and the growing usage of artificial intelligence are simply some of the factors that have upended the not-for-profit world. Amidst this turmoil, how can funders and their grantees prepare for 2026 and beyond? In this unique bundle, you'll speak with foundation leaders and significant donors about offering trends in the coming year and efforts to respond to Trump administration risks.

You'll discover strong predictions from leaders and thinkers across the sector about what lies ahead, including what the sector will appear like five years from now, and how to react to what promises to be another extraordinary year. It's time to shed our worry and acknowledge that those who desire modification will stop working if individuals closest to the money do not have the nerve to bear the most risk.

Kathleen Enright, president & CEO, Council on Foundations The philanthropic sector must be clear-eyed about the obstacles ahead: the pattern of targeted attacks and government overreach designed to stifle our most essential flexibilities. 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 addiction.

Michael McAfee, CEO, PolicyLink It's hard to envision passage anytime quickly of legislation needing greater payment rates. Bella DeVaan and Chuck Collins collaborate the Charity Reform Initiative, Institute for Policy Studies Communication is no longer background sound. It's a battleground. Matt Watkins, CEO, Watkins Public Affairs Funders will assemble around pluralism, not because it's easy however because it's necessary.

Creating Lasting Social Change Via CSR

Dimple Abichandani, author of A Brand-new Age of Philanthropy. Lighthouse illustration by Greg Mably for The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Findings from Church Mutual can help assist nonprofits as they navigate 2026 and modifications in generational providing.

With that, here are 5 key takeaways from the Church Mutual 2026 survey: The Church Mutual study discovered holy places continue to take in the lion's share of contributions. All four generations represented (Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and Child Boomers) contributed mostly to places of praise, making up 74% of charitable donations.

Organizations that have spiritual ties must highlight this connection to donors, especially if they actively support holy places or schools. Another crucial finding from the study was that donors tended to make their contributions toward the end of the year (OctoberDecember). Throughout the four generations, end-of-year contributions made up the greatest percentage, with JanuaryMarch taking second place, followed by AprilJune, then JulySeptember.

In addition, out of the four generations, Gen Z was probably to give during the slowest time of the year (JulySeptember). Those who work in the not-for-profit space ought to take note of the end-of-year increase in contributions, which indicates that OctoberDecember projects such as Giving Tuesday occasions, matches, etc, might generate a fundraising windfall.

Predicting Future Philanthropy Trends

That said, "slow-down" durations need to not be disregarded, as the younger generations might still be inclined to offer even when the older ones are not. The study consists of a section 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%) stated they will not make any modifications to their monetary contributions, with Boomers being the group more than likely to leave their charitable providing the same.

Millennials were recognized as the group more than likely to cut their providing, whereas Gen Z was not just identified as the group least most likely to cut their giving, but also the group more than likely to increase their giving in 2026. Church Mutual has a few areas devoted to the main financial concerns of donors, something that falls beyond the scope of this article.

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

They ought to be prepared to attend to more youthful donors' issues and be proactive in dealing with any issues affecting the organization internally. Doing so might make a distinction in winning over more youthful donors throughout financially uncertain times. While lower financial contributions may be worrisome for nonprofits, there may be some great news.

When asked if they would increase "effort and time" to help in other ways should they decrease their monetary contributions, a majority of donors suggested they would; 26% stated they were "likely" and 32% said "rather most likely," equating to 58% of donors in general. The study suggests these reactions could mean "strong potential to convert minimized monetary providing into more volunteering, advocacy, or other non-financial assistance." In the face of smaller monetary contributions, nonprofits need to lean into other channels to engage their donors.

Transforming Your Philanthropy Framework for Success

There are other findings from Church Mutual that were not covered in this short article, such as donation approaches and the top financial top priorities of donors, therefore I motivate all those in the not-for-profit space to review the report. The findings from Church Mutual can assist direct nonprofits as they browse 2026, especially as Gen Z begins to take on a more popular role in the providing world.

Subscribe to the Johnson Center's email newsletter! This year marks a milestone for the Johnson Center: the tenth edition of our 11 Patterns in Philanthropy report. What began in 2017 as a modest supplement to our yearly report has become a commonly read and gone over publication, reaching more than 100,000 readers each year.

Usually, these short articles check out brand-new shifts or developing motions throughout the field of philanthropy. For this tenth edition, nevertheless, we have taken a different method. Rather than determining an entirely new set of emerging patterns, we have turned our attention backwards to assess the themes that have shaped our sector over the past 10 years, and to name both withstanding shifts and new advancements.

It is likewise a recommendation of the moment we find ourselves in a moment of hyper disturbance, that combines both great stress and anxiety about where we are headed and terrific possibility for what might follow. Our future feels more unsure than ever, however the opportunity to develop and scale life-altering innovations for our communities feels present.

Improving Company Philanthropic ROI

As executive orders, legal contests, and legal disputes play out, we do not have a clear image of just how much federal funding has been rescinded or kept from nonprofits and communities. We do not know how numerous nonprofits have actually closed or will close their doors, the number of personnel have actually lost their jobs, or the number of neighborhoods have actually lost access to crucial services.