Giving Trends
Cash and credit cards aren’t the only ways donors are supporting the causes they care about.
New research from M+R points to significant growth in non-cash giving through donor-advised funds (DAFs) and stock. Donors who switch from traditional giving to DAFs give roughly 10 times more on average, while online stock donations grew 127% in 2025, with an average gift of more than $51,000.
But perhaps the most interesting finding is what motivates these donors. When asked what determines how much they give, 68% said it comes down to which ministry or cause needs their support most. Only 2% said a financial advisor influences the amount.
Why This Matters
The opportunity isn’t necessarily to give donors a lesson on DAFs or stock transfers. It’s to make these giving options easy to find and connect them to impact.
Many giving pages still lead with credit cards while alternative giving methods are buried under “other ways to give” (and often followed by a lot of financial and tax language).
If donors are already comfortable giving from assets instead of cash, don’t make them hunt for the door.
Next Steps
Review your ministry’s giving experience before year-end campaigns begin.
Can a donor find information about giving stock or through a DAF in one click? Is the process simple? And, most importantly, does the messaging focus on what their gift can accomplish rather than how the financial mechanism works?
Making the path easier may be one of the simplest fundraising improvements you make this year.
How easy is it for someone who wants to make a non-cash gift to your ministry today?
Sam Rinearson
Director of Strategy | sam@eaglecom.us