The Price of Giving in the Era of Inflation
If you work in the nonprofit sector, you’ve probably heard some version of the same concern lately:
Are people still giving?
It is a fair question, especially when fundraising lately feels like a hike on a humid afternoon.
The latest Consumer Price Index report shows prices rose 0.4% in August, with inflation up 3.4% over the past year. Energy prices were a particularly noticeable driver, while real earnings continued to feel pressure.
For nonprofits, that matters. Not because inflation automatically means donors stop giving, but because the conditions around giving are changing.
And there’s an important distinction.
The latest giving research gives us reason to be encouraged. GivingTuesday’s GivingPulse data found that 65% of Americans gave in some form during 2025, slightly higher than the year before. Among people who were asked to give, 87% gave money. Median weekly giving also held steady at $50 across 2025.
So generosity isn't disappearing. But generosity isn't automatic either.
When households are thinking more carefully about groceries, gas, housing and everything else, nonprofits have to earn their place in the giving equation. That means understanding what motivates people to give and making it easier for them to see why their support matters.
This is where communication becomes more than marketing.
Your donors want to know:
What are you doing?
Who is benefiting?
Why does it matter now?
What does my gift actually make possible?
Those questions aren't new, but in an environment where people are paying closer attention to their own wallets, the answers become even more important.
GivingTuesday's 2026 research points toward a similar shift: deeper donor relationships, stronger communication and greater focus are increasingly important. Their research also found that half of Americans don't remember being asked to give, suggesting there is still significant opportunity simply in making the right ask at the right time.
That should make every nonprofit leader pause.
The opportunity isn't necessarily to ask more, it is to communicate better.
That might mean taking a closer look at your donor segments. It might mean strengthening your impact storytelling. It might mean finally cleaning up that CRM you've been avoiding. Or it could mean making your year-end campaign feel less like another fundraising request and more like an invitation to participate in something meaningful.
And this is exactly why we pay attention to both economic data and giving data at Doers Firm.
One tells us what's happening around people while the other helps us understand how people are responding.
The strategy lives in the space between the two.
Want to go a little deeper?
We have added the 2026 Giving Trends webinar to the Doers Firm Resource Center. It offers a helpful look at where giving is headed and what nonprofit leaders should consider as they plan for the year ahead.
[Watch the Giving Trends webinar →]
Because yes, the economy matters but so does your ability to understand your donors, communicate your impact and give people a reason to keep showing up.
The goal isn't to predict whether people will give, it is to be ready when they're ready to give.