Fundraising trends charities are expecting in 2025

For the last five years, charities have responded to rising demand for their services amid economic downturns, pandemics, and changes in government, adapting in order to drive maximum impact for the communities they serve. Now, in 2025, charities might be hoping for a bit of stability – but will it come? 

According to the 2025 Charity Pulse report from fundraising and events platform Enthuse, there’s plenty of cause for optimism. In fact, 77% of charities saw fundraising income grow or stay the same in 2024. What’s more, three in five charities (60%) remain optimistic about fundraising for 2025, rising from 44% who said the same the previous year.  

Charities have been able to increase their fundraising in the last year but remain aware of how quickly circumstances can change. Nearly half (47%) of charities see the economy as a significant challenge, while three quarters had slight or significant concerns around donor fatigue.  

Indeed, with limited time and resources on their hands, it can be difficult for charities to stay ahead of the curve and prepare themselves for what the future might bring. In this article, we look at some of the highlights from the 2025 Charity Pulse report, exploring the trends charities have experienced in the last 12 months andwhat they can expect from the year ahead. 

Download the full report 

What can charities expect from 2025? 

Growth in fundraising streams 

Fundraising has been difficult in recent years, with 29% of fundraisers feeling reluctant to ask for donations due to money being tight. The sector is nonetheless optimistic for the year ahead, with many charities expecting growth across different areas of fundraising, from legacy to individual giving.  

The report reveals that more than half of charity leaders are expecting to see growth in corporate fundraising, while 48% say the same about individual giving – 18 percentage points more than who said the same thing in the previous year.  

Regular giving is also expected to rise in 2025, according to 45% of respondents. And more than a quarter of charities expect in-memory and legacy giving to grow (27% and 26% respectively).  

Looking at data to understand donor behaviour and preferences will be therefore invaluable in helping charities nurture their relationship with existing donors. That 30% of small and medium charities aren’t using a CRM system to do this should be a cause for concern, leaving them less able to take advantage of the predicted growth in giving.  

More mass events 

More than four in five (82%) charities say they’re planning to offer a physical mass participation event in the next 12 months, whether it’s their own event or run by a third-party, such as the TCS London Marathon. 

Charities also see mass participation events as a good way to engage with younger donors, with 55% believing increased participation from this demographic is reason for optimism. Fitness and physical challenges were popular among supporters, according to 52% of charities, while 44% respondents also believed that big name events such as the TCS London Marathon and AJ Bell Great North Run are more inclusive and accessible. 

The report also delves into how charities can support fundraisers to maximise donations. Nearly nine in ten (87%) say providing information on how the money will be used is helpful, while around three quarters offer tips on how to ask people for support. A similar proportion (73%) also advise running initiatives to get runners fundraising as early as possible, publishing the amount raised on the official event webpage, and providing fundraising ideas. 

Increased emphasis on digital 

Charities are not afraid of innovation, which has been particularly important in an increasingly cashless society. Nearly four in five charities (79%) say they make use of QR codes in fundraising, with a further 10% trialling or actively researching them. Nearly three quarters (73%) are using contactless donations.  

But it’s not just donations themselves where charities are innovating. The report shows that three quarters (74%) of charity leaders believe making greater use of digital channels is a reason to be positive about 2025.   

More than a third of charities (34%) are making use of video channels such as TikTok to raise awareness of their cause. Interestingly, there has been a vast increase in the number of charities who say there is greater awareness of their cause over the last year, rising to 74% from 47% in 2024. While the functionality and popularity of platforms waxes and wanes (charities are trialling alternatives to X, for example), charities are adapting to ensure they can still get their message out there. 

“Storytelling is a key part of fundraising so it’s perhaps not surprising to see that good causes are looking to engage with the public in this way,” explains the report. “We’ve seen TikTok used to great effect in the non-profit space with early adopters such as the British Red Cross, who’ve now built an audience of over 442,000 followers. And with nearly a third (29%) of charities researching or trialling video channels, this is a trend that looks set to continue.”