Steps for Successful Community Partnership Models

Federal financing cuts; attacks on equity, immigrants, the guideline of law, and the country's democracy; a brand-new tax costs; and the growing usage of artificial intelligence are simply a few of the elements that have actually upended the not-for-profit world. Amidst this turmoil, how can funders and their grantees prepare for 2026 and beyond? In this unique package, you'll hear from structure leaders and significant donors about giving trends in the coming year and efforts to react to Trump administration risks.

You'll find strong predictions from leaders and thinkers across the sector about what lies ahead, including what the sector will appear like 5 years from now, and how to react to what promises to be another extraordinary year. It's time to shed our worry and acknowledge that those who desire modification will stop working if the people closest to the cash lack the nerve to bear the most run the risk of.

Kathleen Enright, president & CEO, Council on Foundations The humanitarian sector need to be clear-eyed about the challenges ahead: the pattern of targeted attacks and government overreach created to suppress our most fundamental liberties. John Palfrey, president, MacArthur Foundation Nonprofits are addicted to the hamster wheel of fundraising, and in 2026, AI might supersize both the wheel and the addiction.

Michael McAfee, CEO, PolicyLink It's hard to think of passage anytime quickly of legislation needing greater payout rates. Bella DeVaan and Chuck Collins coordinate the Charity Reform Effort, Institute for Policy Studies Communication is no longer background noise.

Essential Guidelines for Better Non-Profit Partnerships

Dimple Abichandani, author of A New Age of Philanthropy. Lighthouse illustration by Greg Mably for The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Findings from Church Mutual can assist assist nonprofits as they browse 2026 and modifications in generational offering.

With that, here are five essential takeaways from the Church Mutual 2026 survey: The Church Mutual study found holy places continue to take in the lion's share of contributions. All four generations represented (Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and Infant Boomers) contributed primarily to locations of worship, making up 74% of charitable donations.

Organizations that have spiritual ties must highlight this connection to donors, particularly if they actively support houses of worship or schools. Another essential finding from the study was that donors tended to make their contributions toward the end of the year (OctoberDecember). Across the 4 generations, end-of-year donations made up the greatest portion, with JanuaryMarch taking second place, followed by AprilJune, then JulySeptember.

In addition, out of the four generations, Gen Z was probably to offer during the slowest time of the year (JulySeptember). Those who work in the not-for-profit space must take note of the end-of-year increase in donations, which suggests that OctoberDecember campaigns such as Giving Tuesday events, matches, etc, might bring in a fundraising windfall.

How Leading Businesses Prioritise Youth Health

That said, "slow-down" durations need to not be disregarded, as the younger generations might still be inclined to provide even when the older ones are not. The study contains an area that information "contribution expectations" for 2026, and it is these findings that might sound alarm bells. On the one hand, around half of donors (48%) said they will not make any modifications to their financial contributions, with Boomers being the group most likely to leave their charitable offering the same.

Millennials were determined as the group more than likely to cut their giving, whereas Gen Z was not just identified as the group least most likely to cut their offering, but likewise the group most likely to increase their offering in 2026. Church Mutual has a few sections dedicated to the primary financial issues of donors, something that falls beyond the scope of this post.

One finding that nonprofits ought to likewise know is that a bulk of donors have concerns about the financial health of the groups they support. Church Mutual discovered that 54% of donors are fretted about the financial health of the receivers of their contributions. By generation, Gen Z was the most worried, followed by millennials and Gen X respectively, while Boomers were the least concerned.

They must be prepared to deal with younger donors' concerns and be proactive in dealing with any concerns affecting the company internally. Doing so might make a distinction in winning over younger donors during financially uncertain times. While lower monetary contributions may be worrisome for nonprofits, there might be some excellent news.

When asked if they would increase "time and effort" to assist in other methods ought to they minimize their financial contributions, a bulk of donors suggested they would; 26% said they were "extremely likely" and 32% said "rather likely," equaling 58% of donors in general. The study suggests these responses might imply "strong potential to convert reduced monetary giving into more volunteering, advocacy, or other non-financial support." In the face of smaller monetary contributions, nonprofits ought to lean into other channels to engage their donors.

How Strategic Philanthropy Supports Pediatric Health

There are other findings from Church Mutual that were not covered in this article, such as contribution techniques and the top monetary priorities of donors, and so I motivate all those in the nonprofit area to check out the report. The findings from Church Mutual can help guide nonprofits as they navigate 2026, particularly as Gen Z begins to handle a more prominent role in the giving world.

Sign up for the Johnson Center's e-mail newsletter! This year marks a turning point for the Johnson Center: the tenth edition of our 11 Patterns in Philanthropy report. What started in 2017 as a modest supplement to our yearly report has grown into a commonly read and discussed publication, reaching more than 100,000 readers each year.

Usually, these articles explore new shifts or developing movements throughout the field of philanthropy. For this tenth edition, however, we have actually taken a different technique. Rather than identifying a wholly brand-new set of emerging trends, we have turned our attention backwards to review the themes that have actually shaped our sector over the past 10 years, and to call both sustaining shifts and brand-new advancements.

It is also an acknowledgment of the minute we discover ourselves in a moment of hyper interruption, that combines both fantastic stress and anxiety about where we are headed and excellent possibility for what might follow. Our future feels more unpredictable than ever, but the chance to produce and scale life-altering innovations for our communities feels present, too.

Measuring the Impact of Charitable Initiatives

As executive orders, legal contests, and legislative debates play out, we do not have a clear photo of just how much federal financing has been rescinded or kept from nonprofits and neighborhoods. We do not understand how numerous nonprofits have closed or will close their doors, the number of staff have actually lost their jobs, or the number of communities have lost access to vital services.