On July 4th this year, the United States of America marks its 250th anniversary. The moment captures the paradox of modern America: on the one hand offering a valuable reminder of the democratic ideal captured in the Declaration of Independence and how this has gone on to shape the world over the past 250 years; and on the other hand highlighting the deep divisions and polarisation in US society, as an event which should have been an opportunity for non-partisan national celebration instead becomes yet another battleground in the ongoing culture war that has consumed American politics in recent years.

I will hold my hand up at this point and say that I am a big Americanophile and always have been. Over the past 20 years of working in global philanthropy, I have been lucky enough to get to know many great friends and colleagues in the US, so my fascination with, and affection for, all things American has only deepened.

There are, of course, plenty of things about US philanthropy that aren’t so great: it has a tendency to be quite insular and inward looking; vast amounts of money end up sitting in DAFs and foundations rather than getting out to nonprofits; and many would argue that still far too little has been done to address deep-seated racial inequalities and injustices. But at the same time, there is also a lot to like: strong cultural norms about the responsibility to give; infrastructure for philanthropy knowledge and practice that is pretty much unparalleled anywhere else in the world; and some of the best global examples of innovative donors and organisations trying to push philanthropy to be better.

So, what should those of us watching from afar make of the current state of US philanthropy at this landmark moment?

As a starting point, the numbers suggest America’s culture of giving is in reasonably rude health. The recently-published Giving USA 2026 report shows that donors gave $617 billion to US charities in 2025—an inflation-adjusted increase of 3 percent from the year before.

Read the full article about the state of U.S. philanthropy at 250 by Rhodri Davies at Alliance Magazine.