Trusted Guidance for Doing Good

Ahead of the publication of new research on Community-Centric Fundraising, the researcher sat down to discuss what inspired them to do this work and what they learned about doing fundraising differently.

On Saturday, January 25, Grand Valley State University (GVSU) students and staff participated in the National Day of Service to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy and commitment to civic action. When volunteers set off to their service locations, to nonprofit organizations they may have never encountered otherwise, two compelling questions emerged: “What impact will we have today?” and “What impact will this service have on me?”

How reliant are nonprofits on federal government funding? Two studies released in recent weeks tackle this question from different angles, offering insights that not only illuminate the current funding landscape but also reveal persistent gaps in the sector’s data infrastructure.

Our 2025 Trends report examines topics including collective giving, nonprofit lobbying, limited-life philanthropy, giving days, the future of volunteering, social justice, nonprofit workplace wellness, and more!

More organizations and communities are experimenting with innovative programs and strategies for managing the nonprofit workplace wellness crisis, but skepticism remains as to whether or not our field will finally make progress against burnout.

Since the 2016 election, billions of dollars have been invested in areas like voting rights, fair elections, and civil discourse. But challenges like inequitable access to civic resources and a "boom-and-bust" funding cycle persist.

As organizations grapple with the pressures of polarization and social justice backlash, marginalized communities risk losing essential support systems — and what progress we have been able to make in the first half of this decade.

The U.S. is facing a national shortage of healthcare workers driven by post-pandemic burnout among professionals, growing demands for services from an aging population, rising education costs, and more.

Volunteer programs remain underfunded and undervalued, despite evidence linking them to broader philanthropic participation. Nonprofits and funders must invest in new approaches and rethink opportunities to fit the needs of new generations.

GivingTuesday has helped to spur a wave of organization-specific giving days that leverage the familiarity and model of the 24-hour digital event to build community and drive donations from first-time and repeat donors alike.