5 Trends That Will Shape Fundraising in 2026

After a turbulent 2025, the new year is finally here. It’s a chance to start fresh, but last year isn’t entirely in the rearview mirror. The radical changes to nonprofit finances, funding, and programs that stemmed from huge swings in federal policy, unprecedented technological developments, and an uncertain economy will continue to influence organizations in 2026. 

Here’s a look at some of the key trends fundraisers will need to understand to succeed in the coming year.

AI use will grow.

Ever since ChatGPT stormed onto the scene in 2022, the use of artificial intelligence in everyday tasks has spread like wildfire. More nonprofits are using AI in their daily fundraising practices — everything from researching prospects to writing grants. More donors are using AI tools instead of  traditional search engines, reducing visits to home pages. More and more groups are working to find ways to master AI search techniques so they can drive supporters to their site and donation pages.

While tech companies have laid off employees claiming AI makes their jobs unnecessary, we haven’t seen that yet in the nonprofit sector. However, we have seen organizations with big fundraising teams using an AI fundraiser that interacts with donors and raises money. Proponents of the autonomous fundraiser say it is simply doing the work humans don’t have the capacity to do, not replacing human staff. But with more than 20,000 nonprofit employees losing their jobs last year and 1.1 million Americans out of work over all, the question remains: Will leaders start to view AI differently? It’s too early to tell if AI will actually displace workers in fundraising, but it seems likely AI use will increase to pick up the slack — helping overburdened workers complete tasks.

Everyday donors will need help understanding the new tax law.

When the tax bill passed last year, one bright spot for charities was the addition of a tax break for donors who take the standard deduction. With 90 percent of filers taking the standard deduction in recent years, analysts predicted this change to the law could generate an additional $20 billion for charities.

This year, fundraisers will need to figure out how to help donors understand they have this new tax advantage, get them to give, and build relationships with them that will form the broad base of the giving pyramid. Some say this is especially important given the predicted great wealth transfer, with as much as $100 trillion likely to move between generations in the next two decades. “It’s like dating,” Sharna Goldseker, founder of the charity 21/64, told the Chronicle last year. “You’re not going to just wake up one day and get married. As you can imagine, you need to court over time.”

This moment when donors are finding out about their new tax break is a great time to start courting.

DAFs will keep proliferating.

Fundraisers have been keeping an eye on donor-advised funds for many years as they have grown in size and popularity. Last year they ballooned. The accounts, which allow donors to get a tax break by setting money aside for charity, had grown to $326 billion in assets in 2024 — an increase of 30 percent over the previous year. Because the data lags by a year, the amount in DAFs has likely increased even more since then. Some predicted wealthy donors who lost some of their advantages in last year’s tax bill would make big donations to DAFs by year-end.

It’s too soon to tell if that happened, but already the 2024 data shows DAFs gave $65 billion to charities, just over half the amount foundations gave: $118 billion. Organizations that host DAF accounts are increasingly targeting a wider demographic to give this way, with GoFundMe launching a DAF marketed to small-dollar donors.

As DAF accounts proliferate, fundraisers continue to struggle to find and engage these donors. They have tried changing their asks, participating in newly created holidays celebrating DAFs, and more. This year’s successful fundraisers will figure out how to meaningfully engage with donors who have DAFs.

Economic uncertainty will cloud fundraising.

In 2025, the federal government made major cuts to its funding of nonprofits, tariffs caused price increases, and unemployment ticked up, leaving the economy feeling uncertain for millions of donors. On the flip side, the stock market performed well, which allowed midlevel and big donors to continue to give.  

This year, if the stock market continues to do well and the larger economy doesn’t, will bigger gifts be enough to keep things afloat — even as larger donors experience a less generous tax break for their gifts? And if the economy continues to skitter, will everyday donors continue to give at the rates they have, or will the number of donors continue to fall, as the Fundraising Effectiveness Project has shown over and over again?

No matter what happens, fundraisers will need to continue to listen to their donors to inform how they interact with them. Leaning into programs that are popular with donors in uncertain times, tailoring messages for donors facing economic challenges, and focusing approaches for everyday, midlevel, and major donors will be key. Some nonprofits have already begun reinventing themselves for the new paradigm of reduced federal funding and will be able to build on those practices this year.

Staff will need motivation.

Turnover has long been a problem among nonprofits, especially fundraisers. And while the job market may seem tough given the multitude of layoffs, that doesn’t mean staff won’t leave. Or that those who stay won’t burn out or fall into a pattern of low motivation or productivity.

It will be more important than ever to focus on retaining staff and helping them bring their best selves to work. That means warding off the triggers that lead to burnout and turnover. This includes helping staff navigate ongoing economic uncertainty and other crises. Staff will also need to brush up on their own strategies for maintaining their well-being. Leaning on friends or mentors can also help them navigate the stressors that lead to struggles.

Every nonprofit’s greatest asset is its human capital, so this year leaders will need to nurture their staff to enable their organizations to thrive.