BBB’s Give.org Study: Donor Openness Near High Although Trust Gap Persists

Arlington, VA (May 5, 2026) – According to new research from BBB’s Give.org, 42.1% of U.S. adults say they are open to being approached by charities, one of the highest levels observed over the past nine years. This includes 27.9% who say they might give more if asked and 14.1% who would like charities to approach them more. 

The standards-based, charity-evaluation group today released the Give.org Donor Trust Report 2026: Trends in Donor Trust and Perspectives. Based on a December 2025 survey of more than 1,500 U.S. adults and nine years of trend data, the report examines donor trust, engagement, and giving preferences. 

“The sector is well aware that donor participation is declining and that giving is becoming increasingly concentrated among a small group of major donors. Yet openness to giving reached its highest levels in 2024 and 2025 since 2017,” said Bennett Weiner, President and CEO of BBB’s Give.org. “This increased receptiveness signals potential to re-engage broader support and reduce reliance on fewer contributors.” 

Report highlights include: 

• High openness to solicitation: 42.1% of respondents are open to being approached by charities, making 2025 the second-highest level recorded since 2017. Younger generations are significantly more receptive. For example, 63% of Gen Z say they might give more if asked and would like charities to approach them more. 

• Trust gap persists: 67.7% of respondents say trusting a charity is essential before donating, yet only 18.3% report high trust. This gap has been relatively stable since 2017. 

• Trust increased across most categories: 12 of 13 charity categories saw increases in high-trust ratings between 2024 and 2025. Between 2017 and 2025, four charity categories experienced fluctuations of at least seven percentage points: civil rights, veterans, religious, and environmental organizations. 

• Preferred charity types vary by generation: Health organization and Veterans organizations are most trusted among Matures. Animal welfare and civil rights organizations are most trusted among Gen Alphas.  

• Trust still comes from traditional sources. Among those who say they seek information before giving, participants report being most influenced by charities’ websites (54%) and third-party monitors (39%). As of the end of 2025, AI summaries were considered less influential during the giving process, with only 7% of donors saying AI summaries influence their choices. 

For a free copy of the report, go to Give.org/DonorTrust.  

Generational age ranges used in the Give.org Donor Trust Report: Generation Alpha (18-20), Generation Z (21-27), Millennial (28-44) Generation X (45-60) Boomers (61-79), Matures (80 and above). 

BBB’s Give.org urges donors to give thoughtfully by taking the time to investigate charities before making a donation and to visit Give.org to verify if a charity meets the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. 

ABOUT BBB WISE GIVING ALLIANCE: BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB’s Give.org) is a standards-based charity evaluator that seeks to verify the trustworthiness of nationally soliciting charities by completing rigorous evaluations based on 20 holistic standards that address charity governance, results reporting, finances, fundraising, appeal accuracy and other issues. National charity reports are produced by BBB’s Give.org and local charity reports are produced by local Better Business Bureaus – all reports are available for free at Give.org. 

MEDIA CONTACTS: For more information, journalists should contact Elvia Castro (703-247-9322 or ecastro@give.org)