Donor Trust Report 2026: Trends in Donor Trust and Perspectives
Topics Covered
In the Give.org Donor Trust Report 2026: Trends in Donor Trust and Perspectives, we examine trends and changes in donor attitudes over nine years regarding public trust in charities, openness to charitable solicitation, preferred giving channels, and the information sources that influence donor decisions.
Key Findings
Highlights from the report, based on a survey of more than 1,500 U.S. adults, and nine years of trend data, include:
High Openness to Solicitation:
- 42.1% of respondents say they are open to being approached by charities, the second-highest level recorded since 2017.
- This includes 27.9% who say they might be willing to give more if asked and 14.1% who would like charities to approach them more.
- Younger generations are significantly more receptive. For example, 63% of Gen Zers say they might give more if asked and would like charities to approach them more
The Trust Gap Persists:
- Trust remains a fundamental condition for giving. While 67.7% of respondents say it is essential to trust a charity before donating, only 18.3% report having high trust in charities.
- Older participants place greater importance on trusting a charity before donating, while younger generations tend to report higher levels of trust across several charity categories.
Trust Increased Across Most Charity Categories:
- Between December 2024 and December 2025, “high trust” increased across 12 of the 13 charity categories measured.
- Between 2017 and 2025, four charity categories experienced fluctuations of at least seven percentage points: civil rights, veterans, religious, and environmental organizations.
- The largest trust gains were seen among environmental and animal welfare organizations.
Preferred charity types vary by generation:
- Animal Welfare, Civil Rights and Community Action organizations are most trusted among Gen Alpha.
- Health and Veterans organizations are most trusted among Matures.
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.
Infographics
Infographics from the Give.org Donor Trust Report 2026: Trends in Donor Trust and Perspectives.
The State of Public Trust in the Charitable Sector
Trust remains a fundamental condition for charitable giving, yet a substantial gap persists between how much donors value trust and the level of trust they actually report. While 67.7% say trusting a charity is highly important before donating, only 18.3% report high trust in charities. Animal Welfare, Civil Rights and Community Action organizations are most trusted among Gen Alpha. Health and Veterans organizations are most trusted among Matures.
Openness to Solicitation
In December 2025, 42.1% of respondents said they were open to being approached by charities, the second-highest level recorded since 2017. This includes 28% who might be willing to give more if asked and 14% who would like charities to approach them more often. Younger respondents report significantly greater openness to being approached, while older participants are more likely to feel they are asked to give more than they should.
Download the Full Report (PDF)
Download the full Give.org Donor Trust Report 2026: Trends in Donor Trust and Perspectives.
