What Giving USA Foundation does

Giving USA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation established in 1985 and headquartered in McLean, Virginia. It publishes "Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy," the longest-running annual report on charitable giving in the United States, with continuous data spanning more than 70 years (since 1956). The foundation serves as the public-facing research and education arm of its parent organization, The Giving Institute (founded 1935), and operates with a small team of 1-10 employees. Its research is conducted in partnership with the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, which has served as research partner since 2000 and provides the academic methodology underlying the annual report.

The foundation's core product is the annual Giving USA report, supplemented by derivative data products including data tables, downloadable PowerPoint presentations, and special topical reports. Its work is underwritten by a multi-sponsor model that includes fundraising software vendors (Bloomerang, Blackbaud, Virtuous) and consulting firms (CCS, Huron, Campbell & Company, Alford Group), whose senior leaders also populate the foundation's board. This ecosystem ties the foundation's research output to the strategic needs of the fundraising services industry.

The business model combines annual subscriptions ($159 per year), one-time purchases of reports and data products, and corporate sponsorship revenue. Customers include nonprofit organizations, fundraising professionals, scholars, policymakers, journalists, and major donors who rely on the report as the authoritative annual reference on U.S. philanthropic activity. The foundation does not conduct fundraising campaigns or solicit charitable donations for direct service delivery; rather, it monetizes research output and industry sponsorship to sustain its publication mandate.

Name

Giving USA Foundation

Legal name

Giving USA Foundation

Website

https://givingusa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Giving USA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that publishes the annual Giving USA report on U.S. charitable giving, serving nonprofits, fundraising professionals, scholars, and donors with 70+ years of longitudinal data and academic research partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropy Research

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

Keywords

• Philanthropy research
• Charitable giving data
• Annual philanthropy report
• Nonprofit fundraising research
• Giving trend analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Mclean

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Annual Subscription: Annual subscription at $159/year providing access to current report year insights, reports, exclusive webinars, and all historical reports and insights from previous years. Includes the Annual Report on Philanthropy, Key Findings, Infographic, PowerPoint presentations, access to special reports, and subscriber-only webinars.
2. Data Tables: One-time purchase of data tables providing over 40 years of historical giving data. Includes giving by sources and recipient categories in current and inflation-adjusted dollars.
3. Comprehensive Presentation PowerPoint: One-time purchase of comprehensive PowerPoint presentation with graphs, talking points, and in-depth findings on charitable giving trends.
4. Key Findings Report: One-time purchase of condensed key findings report summarizing top-level numbers and trends from the annual report.
5. Library Rate Package: One-time purchase package including Key Findings PDF, digital Annual Report, and printed book version at $599.95.
6. Special Reports: One-time purchase or subscriber-access reports on specific topics including Donor-Advised Funds, Impact Giving, Generations and Giving, Giving to Religion, Workplace Giving, Planned Giving, and more at $69.95 each.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Giving USA Foundation publishes the Giving USA Annual Report on Philanthropy, a 350+ page annual research report on U.S. charitable giving, along with Key Findings, Data Tables, Comprehensive Presentation PowerPoint, and Special Reports. The core product is the $159/year Annual Subscription that bundles the current report, all historical reports, special reports, infographics, and subscriber-only webinars. Individual products are also sold separately as one-time digital downloads.

Product overview

Giving USA Foundation offers a single, unified publishing and research subscription product centered on its flagship annual publication, Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy. The core offering is the Annual Subscription ($159/year), which bundles the Annual Report (350+ pages), Key Findings, Infographic, Comprehensive Presentation PowerPoint, all current-year Special Reports, and access to historical archives and subscriber-only webinars. Individual products are also available separately: the 2026 Annual Report ($599.95 Library Rate), Key Findings ($69.95), Data Tables ($99.95), Comprehensive Presentation PowerPoint ($169.95), and multiple Special Reports on topics such as Donor-Advised Funds, Impact Giving, Generations and Giving, Planned Giving, Giving to Religion, and Workplace Giving ($69.95 each). Historical Annual Reports dating back to 2017 are also available for purchase. The product portfolio is entirely focused on philanthropic research data and reporting, not a software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Giving USA Annual Subscription Annual subscription at $159/year granting access to all Giving USA insights, reports, exclusive webinars, and historical archives for the current and all previous report years. Includes the Annual Report, Key Findings, Infographic, PowerPoint presentation, and access to Special Reports and subscriber-only webinars. Target buyers: nonprofit professionals, fundraising consultants, scholars, and grant-makers.
• Giving USA 2026 Annual Report on Philanthropy Flagship 350+ page annual report providing in-depth analysis of total U.S. charitable giving, giving by sources (individuals, foundations, bequests, corporations), and giving to nine major recipient categories, with strategic insights into the latest giving trends. Target buyers: nonprofit organizations, fundraising professionals, scholars, and donors.
• 2026 Infographic One-page visually compelling infographic summarizing the numbers and trends from Giving USA 2026, available as a free digital download.
• 2026 Key Findings High-level summary report providing the 2025 numbers and overview of key data from the annual report, including introductory chapters, the Key Findings chapter, Numbers chapter, and Methodology summary. Available as a $69.95 PDF digital download.
• 2026 Data Tables Comprehensive data set on American charitable giving with over 40 years of data for sources and recipient categories, including current and inflation-adjusted dollar figures. Priced at $99.95 for PDF download. Target buyers: nonprofits, researchers, and analysts.
• 2026 Comprehensive Presentation PowerPoint 40+ slide PowerPoint presentation providing graphs, talking points, and in-depth findings on economic forces driving philanthropy, charitable giving by all four sources, and nine major recipient categories over 40 years. Priced at $169.95, included free with an Annual Subscription.
• 2026 Library Rate Package Library package including Key Findings PDF, digital version of the Annual Report (PDF), and one printed copy of the book. Priced at $599.95.
• Donor-Advised Funds: New Insights (Special Report) Comprehensive study of Donor-Advised Funds analyzing $74 billion in grant funds to over 240,000 organizations from 87 DAF sponsors. Available as a digital PDF for $69.95, included free with subscription.
• Impact Giving (Special Report) Captures insights on the evolving major donor landscape including impact measurement, transparency expectations, and new models of philanthropic engagement. Available as a one-time purchase for $69.95 or included with a subscription.
• Generations and Giving (Special Report) In-depth analysis of generational giving trends showing how Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z engage with charitable giving, including actionable data for donor engagement strategy. Included with a subscription.
• Giving by Generation UPDATE (Special Report) Updated data-driven look at how each generation engages with charitable giving and how trends are shifting. Available as a one-time purchase for $69.95 or included with a $159 subscription.
• The Data on Donor-Advised Funds (Special Report) In-depth analysis of how much donor-advised funds give to nonprofits annually, which types of nonprofits receive grants, and how these trends have changed over time. Available as a digital PDF for $69.95.
• Leaving a Legacy: A New Look at Planned Giving Donors (Special Report) Landmark research on planned giving donors covering key trends in gift types including bequests, charitable annuities, retirement plans, insurance policies, and trusts. A 96-page digital report providing insight into motivations and relationship-building strategies.
• Giving to Religion (Special Report) In-depth analysis of giving to religion, the recipient category receiving the largest proportion of charitable support, including how estimates are constructed and insights on changes in America's religious environment.
• The Evolution of Workplace Giving (Special Report) Data on how employee giving has evolved, including employer matching, employee attitudes, and the impact of workplace giving on employee retention and corporate social responsibility.

Quantifiable outcome

• U.S. charitable giving reached $617.20 billion in 2025, surpassing $600 billion for the first time
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Indiana University Lilly Family School of PhilanthropycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Research partner since 2000, responsible for researching, analyzing, and writing the annual Giving USA report on behalf of Giving USA Foundation. Located at IU Indianapolis, the school provides econometric analysis, data compilation, and expert insights on U.S. charitable giving.
• The Giving InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1985Parent organization of Giving USA Foundation, established in 1985. Provides expertise and volunteer leadership to the Foundation and works in partnership to advance research, education, and public understanding of philanthropy. Member organizations embrace ethics, excellence, and leadership in advancing philanthropy.
• BloomerangminorOthersPlatinum level supporter ($25,000+) of Giving USA 2026 publication. Provides fundraising software solutions to nonprofits.
• CCS FundraisingminorOthersPlatinum level supporter ($25,000+) of Giving USA 2026 publication. Fundraising consulting firm.
• Huron Consulting GroupminorOthersPlatinum level supporter ($25,000+) of Giving USA 2026 publication. Management consulting firm serving nonprofits.
• BlackbaudminorOthersPatron level supporter ($10,000+) of Giving USA. Provides cloud software solutions for philanthropy.
• Campbell & CompanyminorOthersPatron level supporter of Giving USA. Fundraising consulting firm.
• Alford GroupminorOthersPatron level supporter of Giving USA. Management consulting firm serving the social sector.
• VirtuousminorOthersPlatinum level supporter of Giving USA 2026. Provides nonprofit fundraising and engagement software.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Candid: Formed from the merger of GuideStar and Foundation Center, Candid is the dominant publisher of nonprofit and foundation data in the U.S. It sells information products, foundation directories, and research reports to the same nonprofit, fundraising, and grantmaker audience that Giving USA Foundation serves.
• Nonprofit Times: A long-running trade publication covering nonprofit management, fundraising, and philanthropy. It competes for the attention and subscription dollars of the same nonprofit executive and fundraising audience that buys Giving USA's annual report.
• Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP): The largest professional membership association for fundraisers worldwide. AFP provides research, certification, and education to the same primary buyer of Giving USA products — fundraising professionals at nonprofits — and is a peer in the 'authoritative information for fundraisers' category.
• Chronicle of Philanthropy: The leading news and data publication dedicated to the U.S. nonprofit sector. It is both a media competitor and a regular distribution channel for Giving USA data, serving overlapping audiences of fundraisers, nonprofit executives, donors, and scholars.

Broad incumbents

• Bonterra: A consolidated nonprofit software platform (Network for Good, GivingDays, CommitChange, etc.) serving fundraising, donor management, and corporate social responsibility. Comparable because Ben Miller (Bonterra) sits on the Giving USA Foundation board and the two share customer overlap.
• Bloomerang: A leading donor management and fundraising CRM for small and mid-sized nonprofits. It is a Platinum-level supporter of Giving USA 2026 and serves the same nonprofit development office buyer, making it both a channel partner and a potential substitute for some research needs.
• Blackbaud: The largest provider of cloud software, analytics, and services to nonprofits, foundations, and CSR programs. It is also a Patron-level supporter of Giving USA and represents the kind of platform through which Giving USA data could be distributed or potentially displaced.
• Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud / Salesforce.org: Salesforce's nonprofit, education, and philanthropy-focused cloud offering, used by many large nonprofits and grantmaking organizations. It is a broad incumbent in the nonprofit software category with overlapping institutional customers.

Others

• CCS Fundraising: A major fundraising consulting firm and Platinum-level supporter of Giving USA 2026. While not a data publisher, it is a key member of the Giving Institute and a primary buyer of philanthropy research for its consulting engagements.
• Aspen Institute Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation: A think tank that publishes research and convenes leaders on U.S. philanthropy policy and practice. Comparable as a thought-leadership and research producer in the philanthropic sector, though funded by foundations rather than by subscriptions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GivingUSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/GivingUSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/giving-usa-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Giving USA Foundation