8 predictions for nonprofit trends in 2026

A new year means new questions, but you don’t need to have all the answers. 

To better understand the shifting fundraising landscape, we asked more than 350 nonprofit professionals for their take on a range of issues—from artificial intelligence to direct mail strategy to burnout and beyond. 

Then, with a panel of fundraising experts, we unpacked the responses, delving into areas of strong consensus, disagreement, and uncertainty, and offering helpful takeaways as a practical roadmap for navigating the year ahead with more confidence. 

2026 Nonprofit Predictions

Download the full survey results →

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Givebutter’s very own Stephanie Barnhill moderated the panel, which included John McCoy, and Becky Endicott of We Are For Good, Crystal Clark, Senior Director of National Donor Engagement at Stop Soldier Suicide, and Michael Mitchell, Co-Founder and CEO at The Fundraising Academy. 

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Let’s dive into the predictions!

Prediction #1: Direct mail will shift from a generic fundraising channel to a more targeted and personalized one in 2026 📬

📊 Survey says: 73% agree—snail mail lives! 

While panelist Michael Mitchell gets straight into #realtalk, bemoaning the low bar for quality in direct mail fundraising across the sector, the experts agree that when done with care, segmented, highly personalized mailings are more effective for donor engagement. A small batch of handwritten letters, for example? Chef’s kiss. 

The notable uncertainty here may lie in pace, execution, and cost.

👉 The bottom line for 2026: Take the time to examine how your nonprofit uses direct mail fundraising, if at all. How can you focus your efforts this year on a more targeted group for deeper personalization and greater impact? 

Prediction #2: In 2026, donors will want clearer communication about where their donations go 👁️

📊 Survey says: 91% agree. Transparency is one of the clearest expectations for nonprofits in the year ahead, and rightly so. 

“Nothing feels better when you get the email sharing what you helped make possible, that specific, exact impact,” says Crystal Clark, and her fellow panelists agree.

“Clarity is stewardship. Our ability to show up with transparency, especially about where money is going, builds relationships that open up everything else to follow.” — Jon McCoy, We Are For Good 

Becky adds, “Donors are not going to settle for vague language anymore, like, ‘Your donation helps our mission.’ A donor needs to know what program their gifts support… They want to see numbers that are paired with stories that they can feel.”

👉 The bottom line for 2026: Clearer communication means greater specificity, but not just in long reports and data charts. Develop a donor communications plan to track your messaging and goals throughout the year.

Prediction #3: Community-powered fundraising will drive more revenue than major gifts in 2026 💸

📊 Survey says: Highly divided, with “Not sure” leading by a thin margin at 42%.

With the permanent universal charitable deduction in place, many organizations may hope to see higher levels of grassroots donations, but are skeptical about the scale of such a shift. 

Standing firmly in the “Disagree" camp, Michael notes that while “peer-to-peer and community campaigns are loud, they’re rarely large,” and are unable to bring in as much revenue as a single high-dollar gift. 

For Crystal, the answer ultimately depends on each particular nonprofit and their fundraising priorities at a given moment: “You need a groundswell to figure out who's in your community, and then you need to have a plan for the people who are raising their hand a little bit differently [i.e., major gift giving]. You can do both in parallel if you have the right team structure.”

👉 The bottom line for 2026: Instead of picking a side, commit to cultivating a diverse revenue stream in 2026. As you develop your annual fundraising plan, consider leveraging a broader range of funding sources, including grants and corporate sponsorships, major gifts, monthly giving programs, events, peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, and more.

Prediction #4: AI will become a standard part of nonprofit marketing and fundraising workflows in 2026 🤖

📊 Survey says: 75% agree. 

Nonprofits are building fluency in artificial intelligence, but when it comes to standardization, there’s a sizable “watching closely” segment, along with a healthy number of AI skeptics. 

Becky encourages changemakers to bake AI into their work, but only for repetitive administrative tasks, such as summarizing donor notes and meetings, producing first drafts of appeals, and brainstorming content. 

“AI should make nonprofit work more human, not less. It’s not replacing people, it’s not replacing judgment, it’s not replacing heart—because AI has not figured out two things: creativity and empathy.” — Becky Endicott, We Are For Good 

👉 The bottom line for 2026: Use it, but don’t abuse it. “Standard doesn't mean more effective,” warns Michael. If you’re using AI to “produce more mediocre content faster and not fundamentally improve human relationships,” it’s time to rethink your strategy. ‍

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Not sure where to begin? Dive into our AI for nonprofits getting started guide →

Prediction #5: In 2026, nonprofit events will remain primarily in-person rather than hybrid 🎟️

📊 Survey says: 55% agree—far from unanimous. The experts explain why: 

Virtual events exploded during the COVID era, and while many nonprofits now offer more in-person gatherings for supporters who are craving that kind of authentic connection with other humans, many organizations continue to prioritize the accessibility that online community spaces and hybrid events enable. 

It’s all about meeting people where they are.

“​​You feel the heartbeat in a room when you are in an in-person event, and it gives that ripple effect for people to want to support or be engaged in a way that matters to them,” says Crystal, who runs a mental health organization for veterans. “But there are some ways that people still need to connect virtually as well.”

👉 The bottom line for 2026: When it comes to events, you know your community best. Nonprofit event management tools help you sell tickets, run silent auctions, accept donations, and engage participants through online, virtual, and hybrid events. 

Get inspired

Browse fundraising event ideas from real changemakers →

Prediction #6: Most nonprofits will stick with a mix of specialized tools instead of moving to all-in-one platforms in 2026 💾

📊 Survey says: 41% not sure—one of the survey’s biggest gray areas. 

The lack of specificity in the question might account for some of the uncertainty, since nonprofits use a wide range of tools beyond fundraising tech, what Becky calls the “intentional ecosystems” that organizations cultivate. 

For a lot of nonprofits, “it’s less about preference and more about just inertia and budget,” Michael explains. Certain all-in-one legacy platforms are expensive, and migration to a new system can be daunting, especially for larger nonprofits. “A lot of organizations will… keep their cobbled-together tech stack because change is terrifying.” 

👉 The bottom line for 2026: Take the time to do an audit of your nonprofit software. Where are you paying for tools that you can get for free elsewhere? What migration supports are available? The work you put into this process will save you time, money, and a whole lot of stress down the road. 

Prediction #7: In 2026, nonprofit workforce burnout will pose a greater risk than funding shortfalls 😥

📊 Survey says: 60% agree. 

Overall, the response shows a clear concern for people’s well-being, which reflects recent nonprofit burnout statistics. In Givebutter’s own recent poll, 95% of nonprofit employees reported that they or a colleague has experienced burnout in the last three years. 

The strain may very well come to a head this year. Becky’s summation: “The biggest threat to nonprofit impact won't be the money. It'll be the people.” 

“You can fundraise your way out of a cash crunch. You cannot fundraise your way out of all of your institutional knowledge walking out the door because people are burnt to a crisp.” — Michael Mitchell, The Fundraising Academy

👉 The bottom line for 2026: The experts are fully in agreement that nonprofit leaders must invest time and resources into supporting their staff before it’s too late. 

“Look at your staff right now,” Becky urges. “Look at turnover, look at disengagement. Is there creativity, or is there fear of trying new things?”  

Countering burnout means prioritizing development, checking in, boundaries, recovery after big events, time off, even sabbaticals—and writing these priorities into organizational policy. 

Prediction #8: In 2026, nonprofits will increasingly prioritize recurring giving programs to create more stable and predictable funding 🔁

📊 Survey says: 85% agree—a strong consensus here, with little controversy. 

Recurring donors are driving huge impact for nonprofits of all sizes, and donors are taking note.

Countering Michael’s initial skepticism from prediction #3, Jon makes a passionate case for community-driven fundraising in the form of monthly giving: 

“We believe in flipping the donor pyramid entirely... A core value that we have seen play out is ‘Play the long game.’ The people that you can bring in and give on a monthly basis that's connected to your mission, that's aligned on values, that see it as part of their identity—those are the people that are going to carry us through.” — Jon McCoy, We Are For Good 

👉 The bottom line for 2026: Recurring giving isn’t just adding a “Give Monthly” check box on your donation form. It’s about building long-term relationships based on identity and belonging with your organization’s mission and values. 

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Discover how to launch your own monthly giving program →

Thrive in 2026 & beyond with Givebutter 

While certain predictions elicited strong agreement and others had more complicated results, this study is not about being right or wrong. Our hope is that changemakers can use these questions and ideas as a jumping-off point for conversations within their own organizations as they determine what to prioritize for the year ahead. 

2026 Nonprofit Predictions

Download the full survey results →

‍

Regardless of where you stand or what direction you’re moving in, Givebutter is here to help you reach your fundraising goals. Built on transparency and the belief that all changemakers deserve access to world-class fundraising tools, Givebutter is the easiest-to-use, all-in-one fundraising and donor management platform. 

Thousands of nonprofits trust Givebutter to power their donation forms, recurring giving programs, direct mail campaigns, email marketing, and in-person, hybrid, and fully virtual events and auctions. We take the stress out of fundraising so you can focus on what matters most.  

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