The Next Decade of Donors: What Demographics Tell Us About the Future of Charitable Giving

If you think fundraising is about to be disrupted by TikTok or the blockchain or whatever Silicon Valley cooked up this week, you're missing the real story. The biggest shift in nonprofit fundraising over the next decade won't be about technology. It'll be about demographics.

That’s right. People. Aging. Math. Let’s walk through it.

The Donor Class Starts Around Age 67

No mystery here. People start giving more—and more often—once they hit retirement age. Why? Disposable income, more time to reflect, fewer dependents, and a growing sense of legacy. Most of that starts to click in at 67.

That’s when they get serious about their causes. They move from occasional to consistent givers. That’s the donor class. That’s where your fundraising dollars live.

The Boomers Still Own the Table

Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. The oldest turned 67 back in 2013. The youngest? They won’t hit that threshold until 2031. Which means every single year between now and then, more Boomers are aging into the donor class.

It also means this: we are not at peak donor class. We’re still climbing.

The Donor Class Is Growing—and Will Keep Growing

As more Boomers turn 67, they’re not replacing lost donors—they’re adding to them. That’s why the donor base is getting larger, not smaller. And it’s going to keep growing through at least 2031.

The next time someone tells you "the donor file is shrinking," you should ask them to show you their math.

And No, Checks Aren’t Dead

There’s a lot of noise in the fundraising world about going digital. And sure, online giving is up. We process ACH, credit cards, and digital gifts every day. But the donors who are entering—and driving—the donor class? Many of them still prefer mail. Most of them still write checks.

Want to know why?

Because they trust it. Because fraud is getting worse online. Because writing a check feels secure. And because it's what they've done for decades.

Engage USA’s Clients Are Seeing It in Real Time

We ran the numbers. We looked at same-organization donation volume from 2022 to 2024. The result? 6.17% growth. In the middle of a volatile election cycle, the number of donations to non political organizations grew. That’s not speculation. That’s actual behavior. And it's consistent with what we’re seeing demographically.

The Clock Is Ticking—In a Good Way

So, what does all this mean?

It means you’ve got a decade—maybe a little more—where the donor class is going to be as large, as stable, and as generous as it's ever going to be. These aren’t just good years. They’re the best years we’ll get for a while.

Plan accordingly.

What Comes Next

Eventually, the curve will bend. Boomers will age out. Gen X will take the lead. Then Millennials. And their giving patterns are different. That’s a story for another day.

But today? Follow the data. Respect the check. And understand that demographic momentum is the most powerful force in fundraising right now.

This isn’t nostalgia. It’s math.

And the math says: now is the time to double down.