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Three Trends Shaping the Future of Charitable Giving

Attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors help clients navigate a wide range of charitable planning strategies, from donor-advised funds and Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) to charitable trusts and gifts of appreciated assets. While understanding the technical details behind these tools is essential, effective planning also requires a broader perspective.

Charitable giving doesn’t exist in isolation. It is influenced by changes in the nonprofit sector, evolving tax laws, public policy discussions, and shifting client expectations. Staying informed about these broader trends allows advisors to provide more thoughtful guidance and identify opportunities that align charitable goals with overall financial and estate plans.

Here are three developments shaping today’s philanthropic landscape.

The Nonprofit Sector Continues to Grow Alongside Charitable Giving

Americans continue to demonstrate remarkable generosity. In 2025, charitable giving reached an estimated $617 billion, making it one of the strongest years on record. That total falls just short of the surge in giving during the pandemic, but reflects a continued importance of philanthropy nationwide.

Those contributions support a nonprofit sector that has grown significantly over the past several decades. Organizations of every size now play critical roles in strengthening communities, expanding educational opportunities, advancing healthcare, supporting the arts, protecting the environment, and providing services that neither government nor the private sector can fully address alone.

For advisors, this serves as an important reminder that charitable planning extends well beyond tax benefits. Helping clients support organizations they care about can create meaningful and lasting benefits for communities while reinforcing the values clients hope to leave behind.

Understanding the broader impact of philanthropy can also help clients see charitable giving as an integral part of their financial legacy rather than simply another year-end planning strategy.

Charitable Planning Strategies Continue to Evolve

Like many areas of financial planning, charitable planning is shaped by legislation and regulatory change.

Discussions in Washington continue around Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), donor-advised funds, and other charitable giving strategies. While these planning tools remain valuable for many individuals and families, future legislation could influence how and when they are used. Advisors should always be informed about proposed policy changes so they can proactively prepare, not react.

As charitable planning evolves, collaboration becomes increasingly valuable. Community foundations work alongside professional advisors to help navigate changing regulations while identifying charitable solutions that continue to meet clients’ financial and philanthropic objectives.

Clients Expect Philanthropy to Be Part of the Conversation

Today’s clients increasingly view charitable giving as one piece of a much larger financial picture.

Instead of talking about philanthropy as separate from estate and retirement planning, the conversations should work together. In particular, high-net-worth families are looking for advisors who can combine these conversations to think through wealth transfer and legacy goals.

That means advisors benefit from being familiar with tools like donor-advised funds, charitable trusts, QCDs, and general giving strategies. Clients are usually even more receptive when you can connect this to their personal values and the community impact they want to have.

Looking at the Bigger Picture

Technical expertise will always be an important part of charitable planning, but it can’t work without context. Knowing trends and legislative changes all mean you can adjust to client expectations and remain effective in planning.

The community foundation is committed to helping advisors stay informed about these developments while serving as a resource for charitable planning conversations. By working together, we can help clients achieve not only their financial and estate planning objectives but also the lasting community impact they hope their generosity will create.