Funding & Fundraising Watch — Week of August 29, 2025 (& What it means for your pipeline)

🌍 Fundraising News & Insights – Weekly Development Sector Roundup

This past week has been rich in fundraising updates across the nonprofit and development world. 

💡 Philanthropy Is Growing, But Small Donors Are Slipping

The Giving USA 2025 report shows total charitable giving in the U.S. rose by 3.3% (inflation-adjusted), reaching a record $592.5 billion.

Individual giving: +5%

Corporate giving: +6%

Foundation giving: –0.5%

Top-gaining sectors:

Public benefit (+16.1%)

International affairs (+14.3%)

Education (+9.9%)

📌 Takeaway: Growth is being driven by fewer, wealthier donors, while grassroots participation is weakening. This imbalance threatens long-term resilience and sector inclusivity.

🌱 Global Campaigns in Action

> Edition Hope: The Prints for Wildlife fundraiser launched its 2025 edition, selling art prints to support Conservation International.

> United Way Midland County launched its annual community-driven campaign with volunteers assembling 1,000+ “Community Caring Kits.”

> CIFF (Children’s Investment Fund Foundation) pledged $10M to school feeding in Nairobi’s informal settlements, ensuring over 9 million meals annually.

> Education Cannot Wait announced a $7M investment in Niger to safeguard education amid crisis.

📊 Global Fundraising Snapshot

Here’s a visual overview of where the fundraising world is moving:

📈 Major donor giving – Rising, driving overall philanthropy growth

📉 Grassroots donor engagement – Declining, small donors & retention falling

📈 Corporate giving – Growing globally

➖ Foundation giving – Slight dip

📈 Regulation focus – Rising scrutiny on ethics and subcontractors

The Executive Order on 'Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking' introduces stricter accountability and alignment of federal grants with national priorities.

Key provisions:

📌Agencies must designate senior appointees to review new funding announcements and discretionary grants.

📌Applications must be simplified, written in plain language, and coordinated across agencies to avoid duplication.

📌Discretionary grants must not fund racial preferences, denial of the sex binary, illegal immigration, or activities deemed contrary to U.S. interests.

📌Preference will go to institutions with lower overhead costs and proven commitment to reproducible “Gold Standard Science.”

📌OMB will revise the Uniform Guidance to: Require termination clauses allowing cancellation if awards no longer align with agency priorities.

📌Limit use of grant funds for facilities and administrative costs.

📌Agencies must update grant agreements to permit termination “for convenience” and strengthen oversight of fund drawdowns.

🎯 Strategic Reflections for Fundraisers

$ Diversify Donor Portfolios

$ Leverage Match-Funding Models

$ Strengthen Governance & Compliance

$ Tell Impactful Stories for Global Donors

$ Keep tabs with these updates

#TheDottediKenya

References

Associated Press. (2025, April). Most U.S. adults give to charity. Here's where they donated. AP News. AP News

Executive Office of the President. (2025, August 12). Executive Order 14332 of August 7, 2025: Improving oversight of federal grantmaking [Presidential document]. Federal Register, 90, 38929. Federal Register

Faegredrinker. (2025). New executive order imposes stricter federal control over grant awards. Faegredrinker Insights. Faegre Drinker

Giving USA Foundation. (2025, June 24). Giving USA 2025: The annual report on philanthropy for the year 2024 [Press release]. Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Campbell & Companygivingusa.org

Plaskett, S. (2025). [Remarks on executive order and USVI funding implications]. V.I. Consortium. The Virgin Islands Consortium

Stelter, L. M. (2025, June 24). Giving USA 2025: Inside the numbers – plus a look back and a look ahead [Blog post]. Stelter. blog.stelter.com

The White House. (2025). Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking [Executive order]. The White House

USC Department of Contracts & Grants. (2025, August 8). New executive order impacting federal grant making. USC. dcg.usc.edu