The Johnson Center’s 11 Trends in Philanthropy for 2026 looks at the wider landscape in which charities and funders are operating: workforce pressures, shifts in donor expectations, evolving relationships with communities, and more. It’s less about campaign tactics and more about the ground beneath everyone’s feet.
11 Trends in Philanthropy for 2026 (Johnson Center)What stood out to us
Systemic pressures are real. The report talks candidly about staff burnout, wage pressure, and the strain on organisations delivering more with less.
Communities expect a different kind of relationship. There is growing emphasis on participation, power-sharing and accountability, not just on impact reports.
Traditional fundraising models are under scrutiny. Some long-standing practices are being questioned in light of equity and community priorities.
Why this matters for leaders
Pieces like this can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re already busy. But they’re also a useful reminder that some of the challenges you’re facing are structural, not just local. That matters, because it helps you discern what you can reasonably try to fix, and what you need to navigate.
Clarity about your choices can be a source of confidence when everything around you feels in motion.
You cannot single-handedly solve workforce shortages or rewrite the philanthropic system. You can decide how your organisation will show up in this environment: how you will talk about power and partnership, how you will look after your people, how you will align what you ask of donors with what you ask of the communities you serve.
Clarity about those choices can be a source of confidence when everything around you feels in motion. And again, perspective helps: when you’re deep inside the day-to-day, it’s hard to see which challenges are truly “yours” to solve and which are shared sector realities you need to plan around.
