Giving overall was up in 2018 compared to 2017. While the year was a tumultuous one with many large-scale factors affecting philanthropy, 2018 saw a return to double-digit growth rates in online giving for all sizes of organizations.

Overall giving and online giving to Arts & Culture organizations grew the most in 2018.

December remains the largest giving month of the year with 17.0% of overall giving occurring that month in 2018. This has remained consistent for several years now, but there are signs of giving shifting during the calendar year. Online giving has also grown consistently since the inception of #GivingTuesday, having increased 518% since 2012. We also see a notable spike in June, which points to the fact that with enough focus and energy, organizations can shift when giving happens based on their needs. In this case, many organizations push for giving in June to coincide with the end of their fiscal year.

Sustainer programs remain a major driver of growth. Online monthly giving revenue was up 2% in 2017, with an average online monthly gift of $25. While that number may look smaller than the average gift amount, keep in mind that the monthly giving numbers come out ahead in the long term, especially when combined with the promising stats around multi-year donor retention.