Vanguard Charitable donors deepen their impact, driving another year of record granting

Donors granted 30% more from January to June 2025 compared to the year prior, underscoring the value, flexibility, and power of donor-advised funds during uncertain times.

MALVERN, Pa., Aug. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vanguard Charitable, a leading nonprofit and trusted sponsor of donor-advised funds (DAFs), today announced its donors granted more than $3.5 billion in fiscal year 2025 (July 2024 – June 2025), a 14% increase from the previous year. This record granting included nearly 248,000 grants that averaged approximately $14,000, up 2.5% from fiscal year 2024. Funding went to 62,950 nonprofits representing an array of cause areas, including human services, religion, education, health, and environment. Since Vanguard Charitable's inception in 1997, donors have granted more than $22 billion to nonprofits.

"Our donors continue to demonstrate that generosity doesn't pause during times of uncertainty, it grows," said Rebecca Moffett, president of Vanguard Charitable. "In fact, this growth is not just in dollars granted; it's in the number of organizations reached and the diversity of causes supported. It's proof that donor-advised funds enable donors to respond quickly to urgent needs without sacrificing their long-term philanthropic commitments. We are committed to supporting our donors in strengthening their philanthropic strategies for even greater near-term and long-term impact in months and years ahead."

Donors Respond to Evolving Philanthropic Needs

Vanguard Charitable donors are often at the forefront of urgent and evolving challenges. Compared to the same time last year, donors granted 30% more from January 1 to June 30, 2025, just as disaster struck in places such as California and Texas. This surge highlights donors' continued commitment to mobilizing resources to nonprofits with time-sensitive needs while sustaining long-term giving.

Donors directed significant support to disaster relief efforts, issuing nearly 13,000 grants worth $110 million to 1,800 nonprofits. More than $11.2 million of those dollars went to hurricane relief and $10 million went to nonprofits aiding communities impacted by wildfires.

Additionally, more than half of grant dollars (51.7%) were unrestricted, an increase from 48.3% last year, an approach that allows charities the liberty to use funding in areas they deem most critical.

In fiscal year 2025, the top three causes supported were human services, religion, and education. The top three receiving charities by grant units were:

1. Doctors Without Borders
2. World Central Kitchen
3. Samaritan's Purse

Donor-advised funds as a reliable and consistent giving vehicle

DAFs continue to enable donors to support nonprofits with continued giving, which helps nonprofits plan for the future while navigating uncertainty. Vanguard Charitable continues to help its donors reach their philanthropic goals with proven tools and ongoing research that highlights emerging trends and the evolving future of philanthropy.

• Recurring granting provides nonprofit support year-round: The 2025 edition of Why Giving Matters: Recurring giving with a donor-advised fund results in more reliable funding for nonprofits found that 69% of annual grants are recurring. The report also highlighted that recurring donors give more over time: over a five-year period, a typical recurring donor's most recent grant is 40% larger than the first.
• A growing culture of generosity: A recent Harris Poll of more than 2,000 U.S. adults on behalf of Vanguard Charitable found that 36% of Americans believe charitable giving is a civic duty, particularly during uncertain times. This strong public sentiment is reflected in how DAF donors increase their giving to support cause areas in need.

For more information about Vanguard Charitable or giving through donor-advised funds, please visit www.vanguardcharitable.org.

About Vanguard Charitable
Vanguard Charitable is a leading U.S. nonprofit organization that fulfills its mission to increase philanthropic giving by administering a donor-advised fund—a tax-effective way to consolidate, accrue, and grant assets to charity. Since it was founded by Vanguard¹ in 1997 as an independent 501(c)(3) organization, Vanguard Charitable has granted more than $22 billion to charity. More information is available at www.vanguardcharitable.org. 

SOURCE Vanguard Charitable