Americans are volunteering again at levels not seen since before the pandemic, even as financial giving softens slightly.
A new Gallup analysis shows 63% of U.S. adults say they volunteered their time to a charitable organization in the past year. That marks a seven-point increase from 2021, when volunteering dipped during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Financial giving remains widespread, though slightly lower than pandemic-era highs. Gallup found that 76% of Americans donated money to a religious or other nonprofit organization in the past year, about five points lower than in 2021.
Blood donation, however, has held steady. Seventeen percent of adults report giving blood in the past 12 months, a figure Gallup says has changed little in recent years.
Shift toward secular organizations
The data also point to a long-term shift in where Americans direct their charitable efforts.
Fewer people now give money to religious organizations. In 2025, 41% of Americans reported donating to a religious group, the lowest level Gallup has recorded since it began tracking the measure in 2001. That figure is down 21 points over the past two decades.
Volunteering for religious organizations has remained more stable and has edged up to 39%, nearing pre-pandemic levels.
By contrast, Americans are more engaged with secular nonprofits. Sixty-nine percent say they donated to a nonreligious organization in the past year, while 55% reported volunteering for one. That volunteer figure marks the first time a majority of Americans have reported giving time to secular organizations in Gallup’s trend.
Who is most likely to give and volunteer
Gallup found that charitable activity continues to vary by income, education, and age.
Higher-income and more highly educated adults are more likely to donate money and volunteer time. Older Americans tend to give more financially, while volunteering is most common among middle-aged adults.
These patterns have remained consistent across Gallup’s decades of tracking civic engagement.
Big picture
Overall, Gallup says the findings suggest Americans are still deeply engaged in charitable life, but the way they contribute is evolving.
While inflation and economic pressures may have tempered financial donations since 2021, volunteering has rebounded strongly. At the same time, long-term declines in religious affiliation appear to be reshaping the charitable landscape, with secular organizations playing a growing role in mobilizing volunteers.
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