Fundraising strategies for a time of resilient giving, uneven results

I think we’ve all gotten a little tired of using the word “unprecedented” to describe the ever-shifting world we’re operating in. But, here we are. Against the past year’s unprecedented shifts in federal funding and a bumpy economic environment, fundraising has been anything but simple.

The encouraging news is that giving grew overall last year. The weighted median organization closed the year up about 4.3% year over year, powered by a strong fourth-quarter finish. Even with competing demands on donors’ attention and wallets, people continued to show up for the causes they care about. That’s the headline from Blackbaud Institute’s 2025 Trends in Giving Report: Generosity is resilient.

Still, for many nonprofits the growth in the sector may not match what they’re seeing in their donor file. And that’s because overall giving was up, but it wasn’t evenly distributed. Growth was concentrated among large organizations who have better infrastructure around major giving, mid-level pathways, and year-end execution.

My hope is that this data reduces second-guessing and help leaders choose where to focus their fundraising strategies, even when there isn’t capacity to do everything.

With that in mind, I don’t read these findings as headlines—or as something to react to and move on from. I read them as permission for nonprofits to simplify fundraising strategies, so they can protect what’s working and invest in the few moves most likely to boost fundraising revenue.

The playbook I’d run next

If I were setting fundraising strategy for the year ahead, I wouldn’t try to do more of everything. But I would make sure I was slowing down to prioritize these basics—basics the data makes clear are critical.

Fundraising strategy 1: Treat gift bands as strategic pathways

Most teams don’t struggle because they don’t segment their donors—they struggle because their segmentation isn’t truly operationalized in their programs. It helps to create a customized pathway for each donor segment.

• Low-level (entry) giving: Optimize for conversion-to-commitment. Design a simple donor journey that makes repeat giving feel easy and expected. Prompt recurring giving at checkout, confirm the gift clearly, and thank the donor quickly with impact-focused messaging. Within 30–90 days, follow up with a clear next step—such as a second gift or monthly upgrade—tied to their first donation. Measure success by second gift rate and number of donors who opt into a recurring gift schedule, not just the number of new donors.
• Mid-level giving: Build a managed pathway, not an afterthought. Define a distinct pathway for these donors that gives them an experience that feels personal at scale: a small set of high-touch contacts (calls, impact updates, invitations) paired with deliberate upgrade asks. The goal is progression: Track movement into higher gift bands and retention of your “rising donors.”
• Major giving: Protect relationships and reduce “coverage gaps.” When growth is concentrated among major donors, ongoing stewardship of existing donors is more impactful than finding new major donors. Protect and deepen existing relationships by ensuring no donor goes long periods without meaningful contact, sharing impact that clearly ties back to their generosity, and monitoring coverage gaps and relationship health, not just dollars raised. In short, major giving success is less about more donors and more about not losing momentum with the ones you already have.

Fundraising strategy 2: Reduce single‑point‑of‑failure risk at year end

Year‑end giving will remain critical for most nonprofits, but it doesn’t need to carry the entire year. When nonprofits depend on December alone to bring in a large share of revenue, the risk is obvious. One underperforming campaign, delayed gift, or external disruption can impact the entire organization’s annual operating plan.

I’d look for one or two additional moments to create momentum outside the final quarter, including direct asks of trusted, longtime supporters to move up their giving to earlier in the year. Even modest diversification—whether through a spring appeal, a matching opportunity, or a targeted mid‑year push—can reduce pressure, smooth cash flow, and make planning more predictable.

Fundraising strategy 3: Make online giving work harder, not louder

Online giving continues to grow, but growth isn’t automatic. The organizations that benefit most tend to focus on conversion and retention as much as or more than volume.

Shorter donation forms. Clear impact framing. Strong post‑gift follow‑up. The benefits of these compound over time. When done well, they support every gift band; from first‑time donors to those ready to deepen their commitment.

Validation only matters if you act on it

The most important contribution of Blackbaud’s 2025 giving data is it confirmed where effort actually matters.

For fundraisers facing constant tradeoffs, that validation is a gift—if it’s used. It allows leaders to say no with confidence, invest with intention, and focus on the fundamental fundraising strategies that deliver durable growth.

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