Paul Clolery

Americans’ trust in nonprofits has remained the roughly the same as last year, but down one point to 56%. It beats overall philanthropy by 27 points, which dropped four points from last year to just 29%. The perceived independence of nonprofit organizations from profit motives drives stronger trust in their integrity and societal role compared to corporations and government, according to authors of a new report from advocacy organization Independent Sector.

Americans helped charities beat inflation during 2025, donating an estimated $617.2 billion, which was a 5.7% increase compared to 2024’s total. The U.S. inflation rate for 2025 was 2.6%. Individuals again led all funders with an estimated $394.2 billion, which was 64% of all giving. Total charitable giving reached a new high in current dollars and the second-highest amount on record in inflation-adjusted dollars.

Nearly two-thirds (62%) of giving platform users say a charity’s presence on a well-known online donation platform would increase their trust in the nonprofit. At the same time fewer than half (48%) assume that the charities are responsible for creating and managing donation pages. And, just 49% expect platforms to ensure that the information displayed about the charity is accurate and timely.