The 2026 Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) World Giving Report Donor Insights surveyed 60,443 respondents across 105 countries and territories, collecting data on giving behaviors, motivations, and barriers to generosity worldwide. Here are some insights we found relevant to our community.
A Generous World
Six in ten people globally gave money to a good cause in 2025, whether directly to someone in need, to a charity, or for religious reasons. On average, donors gave 1% of their personal income. The most supported causes globally were religion, children and young people, and poverty relief. In North America, the top cause was children and young people, reflecting a strong commitment to investing in future generations.
The Power of Community and Trust
The donor insights also found that a sense of community is one of the most powerful influences on generosity, as were a more positive view of how trustworthy charities are, and a clearer sense of the impact that charities have locally. In particular, nearly three quarters of donors to charities that work in many countries around the world (72%) would like more transparency and communication from charities. Barriers to giving play a role in limiting generosity: the report highlights the fact that nearly a quarter of donors surveyed said that making it easier to donate would encourage them to give.
The feeling of belonging has a powerful tie to local communities, with a meaningful multiplying effect: those who have seen the positive impact of charities near them are not only more inclined to support local charities, but national and international ones as well. Yet the effect of belonging on generosity is not limited to communities close to home. From religious affinities to online groups, shared values, hopes, and goals lie at the heart of generosity.
International Giving – Local Expertise with Global Impact
While most donors give locally, more than one in five donors globally supported charities working across multiple countries. As Jessie Krafft, President and CEO of CAF America, reminds us: “To build local, national, and global civil society resilience, funds must reach those who need it most, when and where they need it, and in the forms that are most effective for their local purpose… By working collaboratively with local organizations, the international philanthropic community can enable a thriving environment for local, national, and cross-border giving.”
Opportunities for French-American Philanthropy
At Friends of Fondation de France, we strive to break down the barriers to cross-border generosity by providing a secure, tax-deductible way for U.S. donors to support over 200 French charitable projects. We are proud to partner with Fondation de France (one of the 31 national organizations that contributed to CAF’s 2026 World Giving Report) whose expertise in the French philanthropic landscape and rigorous due diligence allows us to connect U.S. donors with the most trustworthy and transparent projects. Through partnerships with Giving Europe, Fondation de France Asia and Fondation de France UK, Fondation de France enables outreach to donors in many different regions.
Fondation de France embodies the approach of working in close collaboration with local organizations to best understand local needs in its local and international support, working with some of the most localized organizations over the long term, as it is currently doing in Mayotte.
We are grateful to be a part of the incredibly generous French-American community dedicated to making a positive impact in France and beyond through philanthropy across all causes, from health, education and research to arts and culture, international development, and more. To our donors, we thank you for your unwavering commitment to expanding generosity beyond borders, and for strengthening the unique bond between France and the United States in the service of the greater good. Learn more about what French-American philanthropy has made possible through our latest report.
