What fundraising leaders need to know about the future of Individual Giving

1: Fewer people are giving, but they’re giving more

Across our Charity Benchmarks 2024 cohort, fundraising income totalled £1.2bn in 2024 - a strong number on paper, but when you adjust for inflation, that figure is worth less than five years ago.

CAF’s UK Giving 2025 echoes this trend: only 50% of UK adults donated in 2024 (down from 58% five years ago), but the average gift has climbed to £72. That balance - fewer donors, bigger gifts - is keeping revenues steady for now.

But it’s a short-term fix. If response rates keep falling, and we run out of room to push up gift values, the sums stop working.

“That trend of fewer people responding, but those that respond giving more, is absolutely playing through for us.” - Fundraising Director, Benchmarks participant

2: Regular giving: stable but shrinking at the edges

Regular giving - still the heart of most IG programmes - was down 2% year on year in 2024. The number of active regular givers dropped slightly, and acquisition costs rose to £181 per new supporter on average.

Recruitment volumes are falling, and we’re increasingly reliant on direct dialogue, which is now recruiting donors in their 40s and 50s rather than the new generation it once targeted.

This ageing model, paired with creeping digital CPAs, means the next phase of IG growth can’t rely on volume alone. It needs to come from smarter journeys, stronger value exchange, and more integrated storytelling.

3: Digital: expensive, crowded, but still essential

Benchmarks data shows a clear shift: over half of new regular givers were recruited online in 2024 - up from 42% the year before.

That’s a positive sign for reach, but less so for ROI. The Enthuse Donor Pulse found 60% of donations now happen online, yet charities report rising CPAs, falling conversion rates, and “toxic” social platforms making acquisition harder.

The opportunity? Not more channels - but better connections between them.

 Charities that align their DRTV, digital, and supporter journeys are seeing better second-gift rates and lower attrition. It’s where the commercial world has been for years - and where fundraisers need to catch up fast.

4: The loyalty gap: Gen Z, contactability, and consent

Charity Benchmarks data highlights a worrying reality: contactability rates are falling across all channels, and the youngest audiences are tuning out.

Only 36% of 16-24s gave to charity in 2024, down from 52% five years ago. That’s an existential challenge.

The incoming ‘soft opt-in’ law change (expected in 2025) is one bright spot - giving charities new permission to contact donors who’ve shown interest before. But regulation alone won’t fix what’s really missing: relevance.

“We’re not doing much to get our brand to land with younger audiences. What are we going to do about that gap?” - Fundraising Director, Charity Benchmarks 2024 ‘Sector Survey’ participant

5: What’s next: value over volume

The smartest fundraising leaders we work with aren’t chasing more donors - they’re deepening relationships with the ones they already have.

But the challenge is capacity: 64% of fundraisers in our survey said they struggle with data insight and analysis, and over half are changing their CRM.

The sector’s optimism is real; 93% believe they’ll grow income over the next three years - but optimism needs systems, skills, and bravery behind it.

How Open can help

But of course, this is just a summary - the real results come from valuable context that can show a fundraising team exactly how their programme compares to similar organisations

Through tools like Charity Benchmarks and Plan to Grow, and our full service agency, we help some of the UK's leading charity fundraising teams to:

• Identify where value is leaking in their IG programmes
• Build supporter journeys that convert one-off donors to long-term givers
• Create integrated campaigns that connect channels, stories, and experiences

If you need insights to make confident, strategic decisions to grow sustianable income, Get in touch today to get started.

Key data sources

Charity Benchmarks 2024 - Open & Sequoia

CAF UK Giving 2025

Enthuse Donor Pulse 2025

Massive’s Mass Participation Pulse 2025

JustGiving Events Report 2025