Recent Research - Nonprofit philanthropy

Independent sector | Public trust is the currency of the nonprofit sector.

"Without the public’s trust, everything we do to advance our collective missions becomes harder, if not impossible.

The public’s belief that nonprofits will “do the right thing” is one of the central reasons the sector exists. Communities have relied upon nonprofits to provide education, culture, life-sustaining services, environmental stewardship, and places of refuge for centuries. In today’s highly polarized environment, understanding and managing trust have never been more important for organizations to own their license to operate, lead, and succeed.

For the last six years, Independent Sector has partnered with Edelman Data & Intelligence to survey the American public, exploring the nuances of trust in American nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. These are the largest nationally representative surveys of their kind, surveying over 3,000 adults. We also conduct online focus groups to provide richer context for our findings. Given the outsized importance of trust to our sector, it is imperative to regularly assess the status of trust so, ultimately, we can fashion the policy and practice changes needed to build this critical asset." From Independent Sector

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The 2025 Bank of America Study of Philanthropy 

"A collaboration between Bank of America and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

This study is a continuation of the 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 Bank of America Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy, the 2014, 2016, and 2018 U.S. Trust® Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy, and the 2021 and 2023 Bank of America Study of Philanthropy: Charitable Giving by Affluent Households research series."

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CCS Fundraising 2025 Philanthropy Landscape, 14th Edition

"This report provides a comprehensive look at the current state of US philanthropy, compiling and analyzing annual data from Giving USA and other prominent research to ensure your organization stays up-to-date on the most significant industry trends."

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