Reasons to be optimistic about fundraising in 2025

Finances are notably precarious in the charity sector. In recent years, charities have had to balance an uncertain economy with rising costs, rising service demand, and a much-talked-about cost-of-giving crisis, in which financial pressures affected how much donors were able to give.  

However, in 2025, there is considerable cause for optimism. While research from fundraising and events platform Enthuse found that some donors did indeed cease giving during the cost-of-living crisis in 2022, the fundraising landscape has since shown strong signs of recovery and even stability. According to Enthuse’s Donor Pulse 2025 report, donation levels are set to remain happily consistent, with three quarters of the public saying they have donated in the last three months and 73% intending to do so in the next quarter.  

This news will be welcome to charities, particularly those juggling rising costs and rising demand. Fortunately, the Donor Pulse report also shows that fewer people are feeling worse off than they did a year ago – while 34% reported feeling worse off, this is ten percentage points less than those who said the same in 2024. 

Likewise, two thirds of respondents said they felt either the same or better off, with the percentage of those feeling better off rising from 19% to 23% over the last year – indicating that perhaps charities might see that prosperity reflected in their fundraising as more people feel able to give to the causes they care about. 

To help charities take advantage of the changing fundraising landscape, in this article we explore more of the key trends highlighted in the Enthuse 2025 Donor Pulse report – from how organisations can capitalise on increased trust in the sector to the ways online giving is boosting their bottom lines. 

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Trust in charities is high 

Given that the financial situation of many people in the UK appears to be stabilising, there is an opportunity for charities to engage with potential donors for increased support to deliver their services.  

This process is made far more possible as a result of the unique position charities hold in the hearts of the public. Enthuse’s report found that charities are considered the most trusted institution in the UK, with three quarters rating their trust in the sector as moderate to high – more than double the amount who said the same about the government. 

The report also revealed that the public trust information about charities most when it comes directly from them. More than three quarters (77%) trusted information about charities from charities themselves, while the second most trusted source was mainstream media (trusted by 61%). Charities should take this position as a trusted authority seriously, particularly when engaging with supporters. Trust is the foundation for fundraising so it is vital charities build on it, making the most of the opportunity to talk to people about their cause. ​     ​ 

Digital donations entice donors 

The Donor Pulse report discovered that three in five charitable donations were made online in the past three months. Younger donors aged 25 to 44 were the most likely group to donate this way, making them a good prospect for charities looking to engage supporters online, but it broadly tracks across the majority of age groups and income levels too. 

The report also found that more than half of donors prefer to give directly through a charity’s website, quadruple the amount that like to give via a consumer giving platform, such as JustGiving or GoFundMe. The average donation value was also 21% higher through a charity’s website and it improved brand recall, with 83% of people remembering who they donated to when through a website, compared to 61% who remembered when giving through a consumer platform. 

“An important takeaway for good causes is that donating directly through a charity’s website is unanimously the preferred option,” the report concluded. “Having the ability to accommodate donations through the website is not a nice-to-have or something for the future; it’s vital for accommodating donors’ preferences in the here and now.” 

Conclusion 

Trust and convenience are two of the best tools available to charities in 2025. With levels of trust high in the charity sector, charities are able to focus on strengthening their connection with supporters, finding out what matters to them and what they want from the charities they support. And what they want, according to Enthuse’s research, is often convenience – the ability to donate to charities digitally, as and when they want to. By building trust and making it easy for donors to give, charities are not only meeting their donors’ needs, but ensuring they can continue to deliver impact for their communities for a long time in the future. 

“Around three quarters of people have given in the last three months and the same amount intend to give in the upcoming quarter,” reiterates Enthuse. “This is a consistent trend over the last four years. People will give if they can and more than that, they trust charities. More than any other British institution. They greatly value their role in society too.  

“The challenge for charities is ensuring that they’re memorable when people make a donation so they can build their supporter base and increase their number of repeat donors.” 

Download the full report