Welcome to 2025, a year full of opportunities for growth and connection. While recent years have brought challenges such as declining donor counts and shifting participation trends, industry research confirms that one truth remains: generosity continues to bring people together and build stronger communities.

Key findings to inspire your 2025 campaigns

• According to the 2023 Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP), powered by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), smaller organizations performed relatively well in recent years, highlighting opportunities for growing nonprofits to leverage their unique strengths.
• The FEP also reports that relationship-building initiatives are crucial in 2025, due to decreasing donor counts, including new, newly retained, and repeat donors.
• According to the 2024 GivingPulse, when monetary donations were at their lowest, volunteers made up over half of remaining donors. Even when donations dwindle, volunteers remain committed, making them powerful advocates for your cause.
• GivingPulse also predicted that “an additional 7% of respondents would have responded generously to solicitation if they had been asked recently,” so adding additional touchpoints for new and lapsed donors will be highly beneficial.
• According to the 2023 Lookback Report, “One reason for the decline in giving to charities and nonprofits is that the social sector as a whole is not inviting enough different kinds of people into its support ecosystem.” Now is the time to engage diverse supporter groups, including volunteers and advocates.

Key takeaways: Generosity as a tapestry

Fundraising is more dynamic than ever. Nonprofit sustainability requires looking beyond monetary contributions to embrace a broader spectrum of generosity, including volunteerism, advocacy, and community engagement. Each small act of generosity weaves together an impressive tapestry of support that will sustain your mission.

To respond to these industry trends, nonprofit professionals can reimagine how they build relationships and inspire participation. By harnessing key moments for connection throughout the year, organizations can drive impact in their communities and develop resilience in an evolving landscape.

Turning research into results

For a successful year of fundraising in 2025, your organization can turn these key findings and takeaways into campaign goals and tasks. All you need is a little inspiration!

For example, DonorPerfect created the free 2025 Fundraising Calendar to guide nonprofit professionals through any fundraising challenges they may face this year. Packed with key fundraising dates and free nonprofit guides, this resource includes twelve months of inspiration, rooted in the latest research, to turn industry insights into actionable steps.

Leverage key dates and free resources

1. Harness the power of local connections - Learn how to harness local ties, political affiliations, and personal relationships to propel your mission forward.
2. Increase new and lapsed donor touchpoints - Highlight opportunities to engage donors with timely asks, like matching gift campaigns and monthly programs.
3. Strengthen your volunteer community - Turn your volunteers into powerful advocates by integrating their efforts into broader fundraising strategies.
4. Diversify your donor engagement - Engage a wider variety of supporters to increase awareness of your cause and reveal potential donors and partnerships.

Generosity has the power to unite, even in challenging times. With industry research and free resources, nonprofit teams can embrace new opportunities, celebrate small wins, and create meaningful change in the communities they serve.

 Download DonorPerfect’s free 2025 Fundraising Calendar.