A new Chartered Institute of Fundraising report sets out five trends reshaping philanthropy over the next ten years. A panel of major giving specialists at Fundraising Convention 2026 unpacked what that means in practice.
High net worth giving is growing. Beacon Collaborative research cited at the session found donations from high net worth individuals have risen by 18 per cent each year since 2020, even once inflation is accounted for, and government and sector bodies alike are paying closer attention to how that growth is supported.
Against that backdrop, Charlotte Sherman, Policy Manager at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, launched Philanthropy 2035, a new report drawing on workshops, interviews and conferences held with members over the past year.
She was joined by a panel of major giving specialists to discuss what the findings mean for fundraisers day to day:
The report identifies five themes likely to shape major giving to 2035:
Each is explored in more depth in the full report, alongside recommendations aimed at strengthening how the sector engages with the wider philanthropic ecosystem.
Whatever changes ahead, the panel agreed that strong, relationship-based fundraising is what allows organisations to navigate them.
Lucy described a shift towards donors who are more strategic, more focused on impact, and increasingly looking for the giving experience itself to be personally rewarding. Meeting that shift means working well beyond the fundraising team, from making online giving genuinely straightforward to building relationships that run from trustees through to frontline colleagues.
Dr Ikhlaq Hussain framed the fundraiser's task as understanding a donor's own reasons for giving, shaped by values, faith and relationships, something he described as unlocking a donor's own philanthropic code. That takes active listening rather than simply presenting a case, and a good question is often more valuable than a polished pitch.
Louise Morris argued that some of the most useful changes are far less glamorous than artificial intelligence or major systems overhauls. Can a donor give through Google or Apple Pay on your website? Does your search function actually work? Are your annual report and trustee biographies easy to find?
Prospective major donors and their advisors research organisations quickly and expect to find clear answers, and friction at this stage can cost a relationship before it begins. She also encouraged fundraisers to treat generative AI tools as a practical aid for tightening up donor communications, while being mindful never to input identifiable donor information, and to keep a properly maintained CRM system, since relationship management depends on good records existing in the first place.
Both Dr Hussain and Lucy Sargent returned to the importance of storytelling, and specifically stories about one identifiable person or outcome rather than statistics alone.
Dr Hussain challenged fundraisers to be able to tell five clear impact stories about their organisation, not two, and to proactively gather them rather than relying on whatever already exists on a website. Lucy shared a similar challenge from a WWF donor, who said he could not describe a single story about the difference his membership had made.
The panel's message was consistent: donors want to feel confident their gift is making a tangible difference, and specific stories build that confidence far more effectively than broad claims of impact.
Donor advised funds and professional advisors featured heavily in discussion, with panellists acknowledging some discomfort in how arm's length UK donor advised fund giving can feel compared with the more advisory relationship common in the United States.
Sarah Bissell's advice was to think about who each intermediary is and what success looks like for them, whether that is a wealth advisor, a private bank, or a donor advised fund provider, and to build relationships accordingly rather than treating them as an equally unknown or unapproachable group.
The panel agreed the sector still has work to do collectively in this space, including improving fundraisers' confidence and understanding around areas like Gift Aid and tax efficient giving, within the bounds of what is appropriate rather than regulated financial advice.
Fewer people are giving to charity overall, even as the amount given by existing donors continues to rise, which makes understanding what motivates giving, and what puts people off, more important than ever.
Philanthropy 2035 is part of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising's wider work to champion positive messages about giving and help charities build long term, sustainable relationships with supporters rather than short term asks.
Supporting fundraisers to navigate a changing major giving landscape with confidence, and to make the case for investment in relationship-based fundraising within their own organisations, is central to building a stronger, more resilient culture of giving across the sector.
CIOF members can explore the full Philanthropy 2035 report, along with further research and analysis, on the Philanthropy 2035 Hub.
(Please note that the video below shows you the slides from the session with the audio recorded from the speakers)
AI disclosure statement - This article was created using the support of AI, based on the transcript from the session recording. It has been reviewed, edited and approved by a member of CIOF staff and the speakers mentioned in this article.
