AUSTIN, Texas — Americans are willing to give more to the causes they care about, but barriers in engagement and communication may be preventing billions of dollars from reaching communities that need support most.
Bonterra, a provider of ethical AI technology for social good organizations, released its 2026 Impact Report outlining a data-backed strategy to increase U.S. charitable giving from 2.5% to 3% of gross domestic product by 2033. According to the report, that shift would unlock more than $155 billion in additional charitable giving every year.
The report suggests the challenge is not generosity but the systems that connect people with opportunities to make a difference. Eighty percent of donors and 65% of nonprofit leaders believe reaching the 3% goal is achievable, yet many organizations struggle to convert one-time supporters into long-term partners.
“Giving hasn’t kept pace with how people engage in the rest of their lives,” said Scott Brighton, CEO of Bonterra. “That disconnect is what stands between where we are today and reaching 3% of GDP. Closing it is one of the biggest opportunities to expand resources for communities, and it will require rethinking how organizations engage and retain donors.”
Researchers found that affordability concerns, limited visibility into impact, and a lack of simple ways to participate often discourage continued giving. At the same time, many nonprofits rely on short-term campaigns rather than sustained relationship-building strategies.
The report identifies two major opportunities for growth: making charitable impact more visible and using data and artificial intelligence to create more personalized, ongoing engagement with supporters.
Seventy-five percent of stakeholders surveyed said measurable impact is one of the strongest motivators for continued giving, while nearly nine in ten nonprofit leaders reported that technology has increased trust with supporters and improved their ability to connect with them.
“People want to know that what they do matters, and they want it to be easy to stay involved,” said Kimberly O’Donnell, Chief Fundraising Officer at Bonterra. “The organizations that will grow giving are the ones that clearly show impact and make it simple for people to take part over time. AI is becoming an important part of that, helping more organizations deliver that experience consistently and at scale, not just those with the largest teams or resources.”
Bonterra’s research combines survey responses from nonprofit leaders, donors, and volunteers with aggregated data from its network of more than 213,000 nonprofits. In 2025, that network facilitated more than $22 billion in charitable giving.
The report argues that increasing generosity by just one-half of one percent of GDP could create transformative resources for education, food security, health initiatives, disaster relief, workforce development, and thousands of local nonprofits serving communities across America.
Bruce Petillo, founder of Heartitude, said the report highlights an encouraging truth: “The greatest resource in America isn’t money—it’s the willingness of people to care. When compassion becomes easier to act on, communities become stronger, hope grows deeper, and ordinary generosity creates extraordinary change.”
For nonprofits, donors, businesses, and volunteers alike, the message is optimistic: the capacity for greater impact already exists. The opportunity now is creating stronger connections that turn good intentions into lasting action.
Source: Bonterra 2026 Impact Report, released May 14, 2026.