Partners No More? Government and Philanthropy Navigate a Fractured Relationship
Government and philanthropy have long been partners: sometimes uneasy, but aligned in purpose. As of 2025, they look more like adversaries.
11 Trends in Philanthropy for 2026
For this tenth edition of the Trends report, we reflect on the themes that have shaped our sector over the past ten years and name both enduring shifts and new developments.
The Evolving Landscape of Philanthropy: Collective Practices, Digital Tools, and the Search for Connection
Philanthropy is shifting from institutional to participatory and from elite to networked as digital tools expand access and collective practices redistribute power among the new generation of philanthropists.
Donors Face New Dangers Amid Increasing Political Violence and Attacks on Charitable Foundations
Attacks on public figures, executive orders and rhetoric that target specific nonprofits, and widespread instability have donors concerned about the safety of giving.
Employee Well-Being at Risk During Times of Hyper Disruption
Nonprofit organizations are facing increasingly existential challenges — challenges that not only put their missions at risk, but threaten the well-being of their most valuable resource: their staff.
We Need Data and We Need Context. Both Are at Risk.
With federal datasets disappearing and trust in institutions continuing to decline, philanthropy must find ways to secure the data resources and capacity we need.
Partners No More? Government and Philanthropy Navigate a Fractured Relationship
Government and philanthropy have long been partners: sometimes uneasy, but aligned in purpose. As of 2025, they look more like adversaries.
Community-Led Movements are Driving Climate Action
Climate action from grassroots organizations, Indigenous communities, and large-scale funders alike is working to fill the gaping holes left by eliminated federal funding, research teams, and entire agencies.
Innovation and Survival: The Charitable Sector is Looking for New Ways to Work
Facing unprecedented threats, some nonprofits are contracting while others reinvent themselves through experimentation, bifurcating into two distinct streams: how funding is organized, and how operations are structured.
Where the Government Steps Back, Business and Philanthropy Can Step Forward Together
In this era of hyper-disruption, navigating the tension between business goals and social goals will be a natural part of any partnership or crossover between business and philanthropy.