In today’s @AvalonFYI dispatch, you will find the latest benchmarks from Giving USA, a celebration of matching gifts, World Cup creative, how to “move at the speed of culture,” and more. Read it here!
Dear friends,
I hope you are having fun this summer and making the most of this time for your fundraising. At Avalon right now, this includes quarterly and FY26 analysis, budgets and reprojections, fall campaign work, year-end planning, strategic analytics, and ongoing calibration against sector benchmarks. Thank you to our clients and everyone on the Avalon team for bringing tremendous energy and rigor to that process. I’m excited to kick off a new quarter together.
New Data from Giving USA
Giving USA has published its 2026 annual report: Giving USA 2026: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2025. Total giving ($617.2 billion) increased +5.6% from 2024 before inflation. Individual giving ($394.2 billion) accounted for 64% of that total and grew by +4.1% before inflation. The report does not track donor counts, but other benchmarks have documented attrition overall, particularly among smaller-dollar segments.
One major headline is the double-digit increase in bequests, up +19.7% from 2024 before inflation. According to both The Nonprofit Times and The Chronicle of Philanthropy, this growth, which now spans several years, may signal a start for the anticipated massive wealth transfer from Baby Boomers to their children and grandchildren. Planned giving readiness is essential.
In addition, the report highlights mega gifts, which totaled $19.2 billion and 4% of all individual giving in 2025. Analysts note correlation with the stock market, which was strong last year, but can become a risk factor when markets are volatile. As always, a balanced portfolio of giving channels and donation levels is essential to counter risk in any one area—and to leverage opportunities where they arise.
Matching Gifts FTW
At Future Fundraising Now, Jeff Brooks correctly pointed out that matching gifts reliably drive performance. The new post is an answer to concerns that nonprofits can overuse the technique, which might make them stand out less to donors. However, Brooks argues, it matters less whether the match stands out and more whether the match improves performance – and that consistently proves true. If you are fortunate to suffer from the “good problem” of frequent matching gifts, the article suggests several creative ways to vary the offer for your donors. Long story short, matching gifts work. “Don’t be afraid of them!”
“Move at the Speed of Culture”
Between highly contagious “Knicks fever” and World Cup games bringing international fans together, June has been a particularly fun month in sports. I have enjoyed following major brands’ advertising during the events. For creative inspiration, I recommend The Clio Awards’ collection of World Cup ads. And strategy-wise, The Drum explains how brands like Pepsi, Nike, and Fanatics were able to act fast during NBA finals. It’s a master class in relevance—something great fundraisers also do well!
For brands, the Finals became a test of preparedness. The winners weren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets, but the ones with the partnerships, infrastructure and instincts to move at the speed of culture. Some capitalized on official league relationships. Others put fans themselves at the center of the story. All understood one thing: the window to matter was brief.
– Margot Waldrop, The Drum
Holiday Weekend
Avalon will be closed this Friday, July 3 for the holiday weekend. Your teams are prepared, and all deliverables will remain on schedule. Enjoy the long weekend, and good luck to everyone hosting special events for America 250!
