What’s Next?
Predictions for Philanthropy, 2026

“Unprecedented” is an overused word, but it’s hard to think of a better one to describe 2025. Federal funding cuts; attacks on equity, immigrants, the rule of law, and the nation’s democracy; a new tax bill; and the growing use of artificial intelligence are just some of the factors that have upended the nonprofit world.

Amid this upheaval, how can funders and their grantees prepare for 2026 and beyond? In this special package, you’ll hear from foundation leaders and major donors about giving trends in the coming year and efforts to respond to Trump administration threats. You’ll learn about the evolving impact of AI on fundraising, the ripple effects of the new tax law, the explosion in donor-advised funds, and the ongoing fight for equity in the face of a DEI retreat. You’ll find bold predictions from leaders and thinkers across the sector about what lies ahead, including what the sector will look like five years from now, and how to respond to what promises to be another unprecedented year.

By: Amy Saltzman
Opinion Editor

By: Nandita Raghuram
Deputy Opinion Editor

Read predictions about:
Giving: Major Donors
Giving: Foundations
DEmocracy
Fundraising And AI
Equity
Policy
Nonprofit Operations
Bridging Divides
2030
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Predictions: Major Donor Giving

It’s time to shed our fear and acknowledge that those who want change will fail if the people closest to the money lack the courage to bear the most risk.

– Abigail Disney, philanthropist

See the full list of Major Donor Giving predictions

Predictions: Foundations Giving

I expect charitable foundations to do what they were made for: give more when times are tough.

–  Kathleen Enright, president & CEO, Council on Foundations

See the full list of Foundations Giving predictions
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A woman holds a sign reading 'DEMOCRACY DEMANDS COURAGE' with two men beside her, all looking towards the U.S. Capitol Building under a clear blue sky.

Predictions: Democracy

The philanthropic sector must be clear-eyed about the challenges ahead: the pattern of targeted attacks and government overreach designed to stifle our most fundamental freedoms.

–  John Palfrey, president, MacArthur Foundation

See the full list of democracy predictions

Predictions: Fundraising and AI

Nonprofits are addicted to the hamster wheel of fundraising, and in 2026, AI may supersize both the wheel and the addiction.

–  Allison Fine, president, Every.org

See the full list of Fundraising predictions
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Predictions: Equity

To be a Black nonprofit leader in 2025 was to feel a deep sense of rejection — from our nation and much of the philanthropic world.

–  Michael McAfee, CEO, PolicyLink

See the full list of Equity predictions

Predictions: Policy

It’s difficult to imagine passage anytime soon of legislation requiring higher payout rates.

– Bella DeVaan and Chuck Collins coordinate the Charity Reform Initiative, Institute for Policy Studies

See the full list of POLICY predictions
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Predictions: Nonprofit Operations

Communication is no longer background noise. It’s a battlefield.

– Matt Watkins, CEO, Watkins Public Affairs

See the full list of Nonprofit Operations predictions

Predictions: Bridging Divides

Funders will converge around pluralism, not because it’s easy but because it’s essential.

– Liz Vogel, executive director, New Pluralists

See the full list of Bridging Divides predictions
Illustration of two large blue hands forming a bridge across a gap, supporting diverse groups of people walking towards each other. On the left, a city, and on the right, nature.
A weathered blue coin-operated telescope stands in the foreground, overlooking a vast, layered mountain range partially obscured by mist. Distant snow-capped peaks rise under a pale blue sky, with a dark forested silhouette framing the bottom right.

Predictions: 2030

The old norms of scarcity, control, and centering donors with the most power and wealth (will become) artifacts.

– Dimple Abichandani, author of A New Era of Philanthropy.

See the full list of 2030 predictions

Read the Predictions 2026 package and the rest of our November-December issue online.

Lighthouse illustration by Greg Mably for The Chronicle of Philanthropy.