SURVEY FINDS CHARITABLE GIVING REMAINS RESILIENT AS HIGH-NET-WORTH DONORS NAVIGATE ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY AND POLITICAL COMPLEXITY

Strong portfolio performance and heightened demand for funding drive decision-making

FAIRFIELD, Conn., Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Foundation Source, the leading provider of philanthropic software and solutions, today released results from its 2026 Donor Survey, which found that 93% of high-net-worth donors plan to maintain or increase their charitable giving in 2026, despite economic and political uncertainty. The survey explores the outlooks, priorities, and interests of private foundations and donor-advised fund account holders.

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Nearly half of donors (49%) plan to give more and 46% plan to give about the same amount as they did in 2025. Among those planning to give more, strong portfolio performance and increased need in their local community are the primary drivers. Only 6% plan to give less, with many citing a strategic pause.

Economic conditions (54%), the political environment (41%), and stock market performance (40%) are the top factors shaping donors' outlooks on the broader charitable landscape. Notably, while donors cite economic and political uncertainty as key contextual factors, their personal giving outlook remains strong.

"Even amid economic and political uncertainty, today's high-net-worth donors remain resilient and committed to their philanthropic missions," said Joseph Mrak III, CEO of Foundation Source. "Their outlook reflects a strategic, long-term mindset focused on meaningful impact and a desire for the next generation to carry their values forward."

While donors remain committed to giving, many are also rethinking how they approach philanthropy in a complex funding environment.

Growing demand for holistic advice
The survey reveals that donors are juggling several priorities: making an impact on the causes they are passionate about (64%) tops the list, followed by involving the next generation (37%), deepening relationships with grantees (37%), and ensuring consistent support for nonprofits (34%). Prioritizing giving opportunities also emerged frequently as both a priority and a challenge for donors. Creating a bigger impact (32%) and measuring that impact effectively (27%) are also leading challenges.

Donors believe that clarifying or setting annual giving goals (35%), deepening dialogue with grantees (26%), and integrating philanthropy into their financial plans (25%) could help them give more effectively. They are interested in learning more about best practices (45%), involving family in philanthropy (36%), measuring impact (33%), tax-efficient planning (32%), and building a legacy (25%).

"Our survey shows that donors want to be more intentional – setting annual goals, refining their approach, and integrating philanthropy with their financial plans," said Gillian Howell, National Philanthropy Executive. "Financial advisors have an opportunity to align clients' charitable goals with their investment, tax, and legacy plans – bringing greater coordination and sophistication to their overall wealth strategy."

Education (46%) and human services (41%) are the leading cause areas donors plan to support. Religion-related causes, health, environment and animals, arts and humanities, and public/societal benefit were also frequently cited.

"Philanthropists have made it clear that they want deeper relationships with the organizations they support, and clearer insight into impact," said Elizabeth Wong, Head of Philanthropic Advisory Services. "Organizations that foster collaborative dialogue and demonstrate measurable impact will stand out in an increasingly competitive funding environment."

About the survey
The data presented here is from a digital survey conducted between December 17, 2025 – January 31, 2026. Responses are from 256 private non-operating foundations and 94 donor-advised fund account holders with the sponsoring organization, Charityvest. See the full findings here.

About Foundation Source (foundationsource.com)
Foundation Source is the leading provider of philanthropic software and services. A pioneer in philanthropic technology, we are the partner of choice for integrated, enterprise-grade solutions spanning private foundations, donor-advised funds and planned giving programs. Our flexible suite of tools and resources include end-to-end administrative support for the most popular charitable vehicles, specialized compliance, tax, development and consulting capabilities, and deep domain expertise to help maximize impact, mitigate risk, and improve efficiency for all parts of the philanthropic ecosystem. We work with donors, nonprofits, wealth advisors and financial institutions to launch, enhance or augment charitable initiatives with turnkey, white-label and outsourced offerings that meet a wide range of philanthropic objectives quickly, professionally, and compliantly.

As of December 31, 2025, we support more than 5,600 private foundations, 20,000 DAF accounts, and 1,700 nonprofits, administer more than $47 billion in charitable assets and facilitate more than 190,000 grants and planned gifts representing more than $4 billion in charitable aid annually.

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Carly Taylor
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SOURCE Foundation Source