FEP Q3 2025 Data Demonstrates Fundraising Strength and Early Signs of Donor Stabilization
New York, NY, December 18, 2025 --(PR.com)-- Q3 2025 fundraising data from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP), released today, shows continued strength in charitable giving, with total dollars raised increasing an estimated 3.7% year over year (YOY) after adjusting for late data. The overall rate of donor decline has slowed compared with previous years, and once late adjustments and the margin of error are factored in, the total number of donors appears to have remained largely stable through Q3. Donor retention also improved slightly, rising by 0.15 percentage points—a modest but meaningful gain in sustaining engagement. Current fundraising growth continues to be driven primarily by large and frequent donors, who account for a disproportionate share of total giving. However, the report emphasizes the need for nonprofits to diversify their donor base by reactivating lapsed supporters and cultivating new donors into long-term contributors to strengthen the sector’s resilience in the year ahead.
The Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) is a collaborative project of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Foundation for Philanthropy and GivingTuesday. It is a collaboration among fundraising data providers, researchers, analysts, associations, and consultants to empower the sector to track and evaluate trends in giving. The project offers one of the only aggregate views of the current year’s fundraising data, providing the most recent trends to guide nonprofit fundraising and donor engagement. The FEP releases quarterly findings on those giving trends, released both via downloadable reports at www.fepreports.org and in a free online dashboard.
As nonprofits approach 2026, these data points reveal both critical challenges and strategic opportunities. Organizations can mitigate dependencies on larger donors by prioritizing small donor acquisition and tailoring retention strategies to smaller donor segments. With a focus on these areas, nonprofits can position themselves for the 2026 giving year.
The full Q3 2025 report is available here.
FEP Q3 2025 Report Key Takeaways
— Q2 2025 trends continued through Q3. The rate of decline in donors decelerated relative to previous years, potentially remaining flat after factoring in late data adjustments and the margin of error.
— The retention rate through Q3 increased slightly by 0.15 percentage points (p.p.). Fundraising has remained strong. Adjusting for late data, it is estimated that dollars raised increased 3.7% year-over-year (YOY).
— Large and frequent donors are driving the current increase in fundraising. However, to diversify and grow the donor base, nonprofits should focus on activating new donors and cultivating them into long-term supporters.
“The Q3 data points to a sector showing resilience, even as donor numbers level off and retention sees modest improvement,” said Woodrow Rosenbaum, Chief Data Officer at GivingTuesday. “While large and repeat donors continue to drive much of the growth, the long-term health of the sector depends on broadening participation. Re-engaging lapsed donors and cultivating new supporters into lasting relationships will be essential to sustaining momentum. This focus is also guiding our work to strengthen the FEP project—expanding its capabilities, deepening community participation, and enhancing the insights we provide. By equipping organizations with timely, actionable data, we aim to help them build more inclusive and effective fundraising strategies for the future.”
“These findings underscore the urgency for nonprofits to think beyond short-term growth and invest in long-term donor relationships,” said Art Taylor, CEO of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. “Stability in donor numbers, even at modest levels, creates a critical window for organizations to rebuild the middle of their donor pipeline. By prioritizing trust, shared outcomes, and consistent engagement—especially with small and first-time donors—nonprofits can strengthen both their mission impact and their financial sustainability for the years ahead.”
Donorbox Joins FEP Data Providers
Donorbox has joined the FEP as its newest data provider. Their history as an online fundraising software provider and experience with multi-channel fundraising strategies brings more actionable insight to the project, increases dataset fidelity, and further improves reporting integrity.
"FEP's mission naturally aligns with what we care about at Donorbox, and we're excited to join the initiative," said Charles Zhang, CEO of Donorbox. "Nonprofits need visibility into donor trends and sector benchmarks to see what's working, adjust when needed, and grow sustainably. At Donorbox, we focus on empowering organizations with powerful, accessible tools that make fundraising more effective. By contributing to FEP, we help strengthen the data nonprofits rely on, enabling smarter decisions, stronger donor relationships, and ultimately, greater impact."
FEP reports continue to be made possible by the generous support of existing collaborating data providers, including BetterUnite, Bloomerang, Bonterra, DonorDock, DonorPerfect, FundraiseUp, Givebutter, Givesmart, GoFundMe Pro, and Neon One,. All giving platforms are welcome to join these efforts and increase data coverage, enhancing the accuracy and accessibility of efforts to provide measured analysis to the social sector.
For more information, please contact media@givingtuesday.org.
The Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) is a collaborative project of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Foundation for Philanthropy and GivingTuesday. It is a collaboration among fundraising data providers, researchers, analysts, associations, and consultants to empower the sector to track and evaluate trends in giving. The project offers one of the only aggregate views of the current year’s fundraising data, providing the most recent trends to guide nonprofit fundraising and donor engagement. The FEP releases quarterly findings on those giving trends, released both via downloadable reports at www.fepreports.org and in a free online dashboard.
As nonprofits approach 2026, these data points reveal both critical challenges and strategic opportunities. Organizations can mitigate dependencies on larger donors by prioritizing small donor acquisition and tailoring retention strategies to smaller donor segments. With a focus on these areas, nonprofits can position themselves for the 2026 giving year.
The full Q3 2025 report is available here.
FEP Q3 2025 Report Key Takeaways
— Q2 2025 trends continued through Q3. The rate of decline in donors decelerated relative to previous years, potentially remaining flat after factoring in late data adjustments and the margin of error.
— The retention rate through Q3 increased slightly by 0.15 percentage points (p.p.). Fundraising has remained strong. Adjusting for late data, it is estimated that dollars raised increased 3.7% year-over-year (YOY).
— Large and frequent donors are driving the current increase in fundraising. However, to diversify and grow the donor base, nonprofits should focus on activating new donors and cultivating them into long-term supporters.
“The Q3 data points to a sector showing resilience, even as donor numbers level off and retention sees modest improvement,” said Woodrow Rosenbaum, Chief Data Officer at GivingTuesday. “While large and repeat donors continue to drive much of the growth, the long-term health of the sector depends on broadening participation. Re-engaging lapsed donors and cultivating new supporters into lasting relationships will be essential to sustaining momentum. This focus is also guiding our work to strengthen the FEP project—expanding its capabilities, deepening community participation, and enhancing the insights we provide. By equipping organizations with timely, actionable data, we aim to help them build more inclusive and effective fundraising strategies for the future.”
“These findings underscore the urgency for nonprofits to think beyond short-term growth and invest in long-term donor relationships,” said Art Taylor, CEO of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. “Stability in donor numbers, even at modest levels, creates a critical window for organizations to rebuild the middle of their donor pipeline. By prioritizing trust, shared outcomes, and consistent engagement—especially with small and first-time donors—nonprofits can strengthen both their mission impact and their financial sustainability for the years ahead.”
Donorbox Joins FEP Data Providers
Donorbox has joined the FEP as its newest data provider. Their history as an online fundraising software provider and experience with multi-channel fundraising strategies brings more actionable insight to the project, increases dataset fidelity, and further improves reporting integrity.
"FEP's mission naturally aligns with what we care about at Donorbox, and we're excited to join the initiative," said Charles Zhang, CEO of Donorbox. "Nonprofits need visibility into donor trends and sector benchmarks to see what's working, adjust when needed, and grow sustainably. At Donorbox, we focus on empowering organizations with powerful, accessible tools that make fundraising more effective. By contributing to FEP, we help strengthen the data nonprofits rely on, enabling smarter decisions, stronger donor relationships, and ultimately, greater impact."
FEP reports continue to be made possible by the generous support of existing collaborating data providers, including BetterUnite, Bloomerang, Bonterra, DonorDock, DonorPerfect, FundraiseUp, Givebutter, Givesmart, GoFundMe Pro, and Neon One,. All giving platforms are welcome to join these efforts and increase data coverage, enhancing the accuracy and accessibility of efforts to provide measured analysis to the social sector.
For more information, please contact media@givingtuesday.org.
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Shareeza Bhola
646-494-4487
https://www.givingtuesday.org
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