Giving USA 2026 Board Briefing: Three takeaways your board should act on now

The 2026 Giving USA report is out — and the headline number is good news: Americans gave a record $617.2 billion to charity in 2025, up 5.7%.

But beneath the topline is the number that demands your board's attention: bequest giving jumped 19.7%, reaching $62.19 billion. That's the third double-digit gain in the last four years, and it is the clearest signal yet that the Great Wealth Transfer has begun.

FreeWill Co-CEO Patrick Schmitt put together this board briefing to surface the three findings with the most strategic implications for your organization.

Whether you're an executive director preparing for your next board meeting or a development leader looking for data to make the case for planned giving investment, this memo gives you the framing and the numbers you need to understand why bequests are today's most urgent fundraising opportunity.