Quick Stops Along the Way is a monthly collection of issues, challenges, and thoughts I think you’ll find helpful on the road ahead. Send your questions to me for future Quick Stop posts.
Netflix and Amazon Prime changed how we consume stories. We learned to stream — faster and easier than reading a book. No more trips to the movie theater — just your favorite popcorn, your own chair, and no one stepping over you.
Life is all about the stories, no matter if they are played out on the screen, in a book, or told verbally. But here’s the thing: every great story is built on a few key facts. Without facts, stories lose their truth. And without stories, facts lose their meaning.
That’s why I want you to bear with me for a few numbers from the 2024 Giving Trends USA report — because hidden in these numbers are stories waiting to be told. And we’ll unpack why they matter.
The numbers
Charitable giving was up in 2024 by 6.2% (3.3% after inflation). We gave a total of $592.5 billion. Four of the giving sectors reached all-time highs: education, health, the arts and culture, and environmental protection and animal welfare.
Why does it matter? Despite funding challenges and threats from state and federal sources, the story of generosity in America continues. We’re still a nation of givers.
Bigger checks, fewer donors
Mega-donors and gifts from donor-advised funds (DAFs) now represent a growing percentage of individual giving.
Why does it matter? It’s easy for those large gifts from a few donors to make headlines, creating a misleading narrative that “everything’s taken care of.” But the true story remains: millions of smaller gifts are the fuel that keeps nonprofit engines running. The small donor’s story is still the heart of philanthropy.
Good news, bad news: A shift in priorities
Donors are shifting their focus. Inflation of 3.7% in 2024 means real dollars given show slight declines. Still, giving to education rose by 13%, international affairs by 18%, and public society benefit by 19%.
Why does it matter? Donors are telling us something through their giving patterns — they’re prioritizing quality of life within their communities and supporting global causes. These choices reveal a story of values and changing motivations.
Giving to human services and health each saw only a 5% increase.
To thrive, nonprofits must understand their donors. This shift signals the growing influence of younger donors and the different motivations of three generations stepping into the spotlight: Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z.
Nonprofits must abandon one-size-fits-all messaging in favor of generation-specific strategies. If your nonprofit is still writing stories only for Baby Boomers, you’re missing the next chapters. Organizations that rely solely on Boomer donations will face continued declines — and a growing list of funerals.
Facts tell, stories sell
It’s a popular marketing adage with unclear origins, but it’s never been more relevant: We have the facts — now we need to craft the stories.
There’s another saying I like: “To a man with a hammer, everything is a nail.” To a nonprofit with good facts, everything should be a story.
Most of us are expert story-bingers — watching episode after episode, reading chapter after chapter, drawn toward endings we can’t predict, and sometimes, we secretly dread. A skilled nonprofit storyteller flips the script — leading donors to an ending they do want to be part of.
Thus, donors need to use their storytelling instincts to better understand the organizations they support. And nonprofits need to connect the dots between their facts and their stories — not just to inform, but to inspire.
Everything is a story; every story has a beginning. And now, those beginnings stream chapter by chapter. The best donor appeals are not isolated asks — they’re story arcs, crafted with episodes designed to resonate across generations.
Why story matters to every nonprofit and donor:
- Connects the donor’s desire to make a difference to the mission
- Becomes the glue that sticks the mission, making it memorable
- Demonstrates the impact you’re making — and the donor is supporting
- Builds the bridge of transparency between the donor and the nonprofit
- Motivates action
I don’t know what the 2025 Giving Trends report will say. My friend Suzanne Smith of Social Impact Architects makes this prediction: “If 2023 was about recalibration, and 2024 was about recovery, then 2025 is the year of reinvention.”
Nonprofits will tell their stories even more effectively, and donors will understand the key facts. Younger donors will teach us what we need to know to keep up with the changing trends.
I think that will be the main plot of 2025 relating to donors and nonprofits. It is the story in which we are living each day, scene to scene, chapter to chapter.
Learning at the Leading Edge
Facts bring you to the table. Stories bring you to your feet.
— Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II
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© Copyright 2025. Dawn Franks. All rights reserved.
