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In the sports world, the phrase “one and done” is not a good thing. It means you were eliminated from a run at a championship in just one game.
The same is true in fundraising and during the second quarter of this year there were plenty of one and done donors. One-time donors comprised more than two-thirds of the total number of donors through second quarter of 2025 and had the third largest decline (-7.9% year over year, unadjusted for late data) in donors relative to the same period in 2024.
Meanwhile, donors who have contributed twice year-to-date experienced the largest decrease across all groups (-11.0% year over year, unadjusted). This segment comprises roughly one in 10 donors.
That’s some of the data in the latest report from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP). It is a collaborative project of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Foundation for Philanthropy and GivingTuesday. It includes fundraising data providers, researchers, analysts, associations, and consultants to track and evaluate trends in giving. The FEP releases quarterly findings on giving trends, released both via downloadable reports at www.fepreports.org and in a free online dashboard.
The data shows a modest increase in overall fundraising. Despite the flat to reduced trend in donor engagement and retention. Organizations experienced a 2.9% increase in the amount of dollars raised year over year, after factoring in late-arriving data.
There was an over representation in large donor participation, as usual. Fundraising outcomes continue to depend heavily on large donors. Year-to-date performance among supersize donors has been softer than in 2024, though they remain a significant contributor at mid-year.
Nonprofits engaged and retained donors during the second quarter of 2025 at roughly the same rate as the year prior, once late-data adjustments and the margin of error are factored in. The figures suggest a stabilizing trend, with the year over year decline in donor numbers decelerating and possibly leveling off in the second quarter.
“As the latest data shows, donor engagement and retention have begun to stabilize, an encouraging sign after several quarters of decline,” said Woodrow Rosenbaum, chief data officer of GivingTuesday. “Yet the sector’s continued reliance on large gifts underscores a structural vulnerability, particularly as performance among supersize donors decreases.”
According to Rosenbaum, “ahead of giving season, is the time to double down on efforts to broaden participation and diversify revenue streams. Engaging and inspiring everyday givers is more critical than ever at this moment. Fortunately, with GivingTuesday around the corner, we’re seeing signs that people are ready and willing to give.”
The FEP tracks five levels of donors, Micro ($1-$100); Small ($101-$500); Midsize ($501-$5,000); Major $5,001-$50,000); and, Supersize (more than $50,000). All of them show percentage declines for the quarter, although the FEP numbers project a slight gain in revenue. The anomaly is because “the detailed splits are based on current data, while the topline metrics are modeled estimates accounting for late data. We’re working on methodology now that will allow us to model that late data effect across all metrics,” Rosenbaum explained.
The data is based on four million donors giving $5.3 billion to a combined 15,054 organizations. The data is compiled from various giving platforms. including BetterUnite, Bloomerang, Bonterra, DonorDock, DonorPerfect, FundraiseUp, Givebutter, Givesmart, GoFundMe Pro, Neon One, and Qgiv. FEP’s partner network also includes data infrastructure support from AWS Nonprofits.
“The latest FEP report shows promising signs of stability, but it’s also a wake-up call. Nonprofits can’t rely on a handful of funders — it’s everyday donors who keep missions alive,” said Ann Fellman, chief marketing officer at Bloomerang. “When organizations build authentic relationships with their supporters, they build the kind of resilience that lasts.”
