Fundraising group says high cost of living driving down charitable giving

A national survey by the Christian fundraising group Fellowship Development reported that nearly 23% of Americans will make no charitable donations this Christmas due to financial constraints. Respondents said they felt that generosity matters now more than ever, but most said they would protect their money for dining out over donations, according to Fellowship Development’s survey statement.

The group noted that the instinct to help remained strong, with over 60% of respondents agreeing that charity is more important during hard times. About 63% of respondents also felt that charity, specifically during the holidays, has a larger impact than consumer spending. Yet, only 23% planned to protect money earmarked for charitable contributions over dining, entertainment, and travel for the holidays. The higher number of people planning to protect dining, entertainment, and travel over charitable donations suggested a shift toward Americans investing in shared activities for meaningful connections, Fellowship Development noted.

Why do charitable donations appear to have the lowest priority? Fellowship Development described donations as competing with people’s regular living expenses, noting that nearly two-thirds of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. People want to give, but aren’t sure they can, given the rising grocery bills and economic uncertainty, putting generosity to the test of endurance, the group explained.

Nearly 55% of respondents wished they could give more but couldn’t afford to, according to the survey data. About 39% of Americans planned to spend less overall this Christmas, with just over 8% planning to spend more than last year.

A study by the Charities Aid Foundation also found that fewer people donated to charity in 2025, but charities received more money than the year before. Research found that the typical donor doubled his or her normal donation amounts in November and December, explaining the bump in funding despite fewer Americans giving.  CAF’s data also showed a 20% rise in interest toward giving in 2025. The percentage of respondents who supported five or more causes doubled from 12% to 33%.