Five Ways to Make 2026 Your Strongest Fundraising Year Yet

Fundraising Review and Reflections: What Worked in 2025 and What to Change for 2026

By Keith Curtis, Chairman and CEO

For nonprofits, 2025 often felt like a test. The philanthropic landscape is undergoing rapid changes, and nonprofits are having to evolve along with it.

We saw a lot of emerging trends this past year—charitable giving totals rose, yet donor participation continued its multi-year decline. Wealth concentration drove larger gifts from fewer households. External shocks (including a prolonged federal funding freeze, government shutdown, volatility in financial markets, ongoing inflation, tax code uncertainty, and shifting donor expectations) forced nonprofits to operate with more agility than ever. Yet even with these shocks, the S&P 500—a key indicator of giving—finished the year up 16%, marking the third straight year of double-digit gains.

Here at The Curtis Group, we work alongside nonprofits of all sizes and missions. Despite their differences, similar strategies helped all of them thrive during this year of change. Here’s how to boost your fundraising in 2026:

1. Deepen Your Donor Relationships

• Our 2025 Reflection: In an environment where individual donors drive over 70% of giving, relationships and trust are the lifeblood of sustainable fundraising. The organizations that thrived in 2025 invested in long-term engagement, thoughtful stewardship, and authentic communication centered around what your donors care most about.

  • Your 2026 Strategy: Invest in retaining existing donors with the same or even more rigor you apply to acquiring new ones, especially your largest and most long-time supporters. Use impact stories, transparent reporting, volunteer opportunities, and invitations to events to reinforce donor trust and encourage deeper engagement with your work. If you’re curious to learn more about effective stewardship and cultivation, our webinar “Building Lasting Relationships to Maximize Impact” provides more in-depth strategies to strengthen your donor engagement.

2. Use Data Strategically

• Our 2025 Reflection: Data continues to tell a clear story—and ignoring it comes with a cost. One example is Giving USA 2025, which found that while total charitable giving this year rose, donor participation continued to decline. In our analysis of Giving USA 2025: Annual Report on Philanthropy, we recommend nonprofits plan strategically and remain donor-centric in the recognition that fewer donors may give more. Our examination of findings from the 2025 Bank of America Study of Philanthropy offers similar insights.

  • Your 2026 Strategy: Use giving data and donor-behavior research to better understand where your donors are—and how your organization fits into the broader philanthropic landscape. Then, leverage this information to inform your 2026 fundraising plan and educate your board and volunteers about where your organization fits in the national landscape, though be ready to revisit and adjust it in response to new studies and research. Unsure where to find the newest studies on philanthropy? Here at the Curtis Group, we love research; subscribe to our monthly newsletter or follow our social media, where we’re always sharing the latest data findings and our recommendations.

3. Enhance Human Connection through Technology and AI

• Our 2025 Reflection: 2025 marked a growing recognition that technology—and particularly AI tools—can be a powerful ally in fundraising. AI is best used not as a replacement for human connection, but to free up time from administrative burdens so you can focus on relationship-building. For smaller or resource-constrained teams, this shift proved especially impactful.

  • Your 2026 Strategy: Ensure you have an AI use policy in place to guide how your nonprofit navigates this growing technology. Explore how AI automation can streamline repetitive tasks like donor acknowledgements, reminders, or routine communications, while keeping relationships at the center of your work. Used well, technology does not replace connection; it amplifies it. Our recent articles, “The Future of AI in Fundraising: Amplifying Human Connection” and “AI + Fundraising = More Time for Donors” provide helpful tips and tricks for strengthening your fundraising efforts with AI.

4. Embrace Innovation and Agility

• Our 2025 Reflection: A willingness to embrace change proved to be a defining characteristic of strong fundraising programs in 2025. In my colleague Wendy McGrady’s exploration of the Gates’ Foundation’s decision to sunset and its impact on philanthropy, she reminds us: “Change is an ever-flowing river, and we must rise to meet the tide.” From the federal funding freeze, to stock market swings, to tax policy changes, 2025 was proof that unpredictability is the most predictable event of all.

  • Your 2026 Strategy: When new developments arise, don’t wait. Take early steps to talk with your donors about what this might mean for your organization, and how they can support and make an impact. Whether navigating funding shifts or policy changes, organizations that respond quickly and communicate clearly are better positioned to sustain momentum. Agility is not about reacting impulsively—it is about staying informed, proactive, and donor-focused.

5. Invest in Future Giving

• Our 2025 Reflection: Long-term sustainability doesn’t happen by accident. Organizations that relied solely on annual giving felt the strain of uncertainty more acutely in 2025. Those with diverse revenue streams, including planned giving, endowment, or reserve funds, were better positioned to weather future uncertainty.

  • Your 2026 Strategy: Consider building capacity for major or transformational gifts, while also having a plan for how to steward and deploy those funds when they arrive. Strengthening your pipeline beyond annual appeals helps ensure stability, flexibility and long-term impact. Not sure where to begin? Our recent articles on the importance of “middle donors,” or legacy giving offer practical entry points.

Make 2026 Your Strongest Year Yet

2025 proved that success in a changing philanthropic landscape depends on relationships, adaptability, and informed strategy. For nonprofits willing to invest in these areas, 2026 holds real opportunity.

If you’re ready to turn these ideas into action — from capacity building to long-term campaigns to data-driven fundraising — our team is glad to help you craft a roadmap tailored to your organization’s mission, values, and community. Reach out, and let’s get started.

For 37 years, The Curtis Group has consulted with more than 250 nonprofits throughout the country, helping them raise over a billion dollars. The Curtis Group is a member of The Giving Institute, the nation’s research and thought leader on philanthropy. Additionally, Chairman and CEO Keith Curtis is a past chair of Giving USA Foundation, and President and Chief Operating Officer Wendy McGrady is current chair of the Foundation. Learn more at www.thecurtisgroup.com.