Giving overall increased 1.0% in 2019 compared to 2018. While many large-scale factors affected philanthropy, several subsectors experienced double-digit growth rates in online giving.

Overall giving to Animal Welfare organizations and online giving to Environment organizations grew the most in 2019.

December remains the largest giving month of the year with 18.0% of overall giving occurring that month in 2019. This has remained consistent for several years now, but there are signs of giving shifting during the calendar year. We also see a notable spike in June, which points to the fact that with enough focus and energy, organizations can shift when giving happens based on their needs. In this case, many organizations push for giving in June to coincide with the end of their fiscal year.

Sustainer programs remain a major driver of growth. Monthly giving revenue increased 17% in 2018, with an average monthly gift of $23. While that number may look smaller than the average gift amount, keep in mind that the monthly giving numbers come out ahead in the long term, especially when combined with the promising stats around multi-year donor retention.