For the first time, a majority (56%) of the biggest charities in the US are ready to accept cryptocurrency donations, including St. Jude’s, Feeding America and United Way Worldwide.
This is a major milestone for nonprofit crypto adoption, and an uptick from last year, when our analysis found that 49% of the top 100 organizations were crypto-friendly.
When most of the biggest charities in the country want crypto donations, a $2 Billion fundraising opportunity, what does it say about crypto’s future as a revenue stream for nonprofits?
Discover more about this trend in charitable giving below—and why charities are so eager to attract cryptocurrency donors.
Key Takeaways:
%
Top 100 US charities that accept crypto
Top crypto-friendly charities using The Giving Block
Crypto donated to charitable causes
A Brief History of Nonprofit Crypto Adoption
Bitcoin was introduced to the world in 2009. As early as 2013, forward-thinking charities like Save the Children began accepting bitcoin donations.
Soon, new cryptocurrencies, blockchains, and of course, new wealth from investors and venture capital funds transformed crypto into a legitimate asset class. Today, more than $2 Trillion is invested in the global crypto market.
Because donors do not pay capital gains taxes on donated cryptocurrency, investors are highly-incentivized to donate crypto to charity.
Initially, the problem was that most nonprofits didn’t know what crypto was, where to find crypto donors, or how to accept it safely and compliantly.
But eventually, solutions like The Giving Block helped charities break through and become crypto-friendly organizations.
In recent years, we have seen a steady upward trend among top charities accepting crypto. In 2020, crypto media outlet The Block reported that just 12% of the top charities accepted bitcoin donations. Last year, we counted 49 crypto-friendly charities on the list. Now, an impressive 56 of the 100 top charities take crypto donations.
What’s Driving Crypto Adoption Among Top Charities?
In the past few years, fundraisers have really warmed up to crypto philanthropy.
Crypto fundraising is now widely considered a once-in-a-generation opportunity to engage a demographic of young, affluent and generous crypto donors for decades to come.
Interestingly, the tax incentive of donating crypto is no longer an isolated benefit. Thanks to a growing library of crypto-related resources geared toward nonprofits, fundraisers can better judge how crypto fundraising can help them increase their donation revenues.
The combination of quality resources, intuitive technology and success stories means that nonprofits can tap into crypto donors in a more strategic, long-term approach. This is due to factors like:
- Continued growth in the crypto user base.
- Excitement for crypto among the traditional investors.
- The ease of use of crypto giving forms.
- A deeper understanding of crypto donors.
- New crypto-based fundraising tools like NFTs.
We’re excited to see nonprofit adoption continue to climb in the coming years.
Which of America’s Top 100 Charities Accept Crypto?
Today, there are thousands of charities that accept crypto donations, and the number grows each year. The top charities lead these waves of crypto adoption by example.
We found 56 crypto-friendly charities on Forbes’ list, and two-thirds of them used The Giving Block to accept crypto donations.
See the table below for the complete list based on our research. (Note: Organizations with an asterisk use The Giving Block.)
The Top US Crypto-Friendly Charities (2024)
Rank | Name |
1 | Feeding America* |
2 | Good 360* |
3 | United Way Worldwide* |
4 | St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital* |
5 | Direct Relief* |
6 | Salvation Army |
7 | Habitat for Humanity International* |
9 | Americares |
10 | Samaritan’s Purse |
13 | Compassion International* |
14 | American National Red Cross |
16 | World Vision* |
18 | The Arc of the United States* |
22 | Doctors Without Borders USA* |
24 | Catholic Relief Services* |
25 | American Cancer Society* |
27 | International Rescue Committee* |
28 | Cru |
29 | MAP International* |
30 | CARE USA* |
31 | American Heart Association* |
32 | Shriners Hospitals for Children |
33 | Mayo Clinic |
34 | Save the Children Federation* |
35 | Convoy of Hope* |
37 | Easter Seals* |
38 | Food for the Poor |
39 | Catholic Medical Mission Board* |
41 | Make-A-Wish Foundation of America |
42 | Wounded Warrior Project |
43 | Alzheimer’s Association* |
47 | Leukemia & Lymphoma Society* |
49 | Feed the Children* |
51 | Marine Toys for Tots Foundation* |
54 | Matthew 25: Ministries |
56 | Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research* |
57 | American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals* |
60 | American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee* |
61 | American Kidney Fund |
62 | Providence St. Joseph Health |
64 | Houston Food Bank |
71 | Second Harvest of Silicon Valley* |
72 | Disabled American Veterans* |
75 | Society of St. Vincent de Paul |
81 | Metropolitan Museum of Art |
82 | International Fellowship of Christians and Jews |
83 | ChildFund International |
89 | North Texas Food Bank* |
90 | Smithsonian Institution* |
91 | Mercy Ships* |
92 | Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina* |
95 | JDRF International* |
96 | Second Harvest Heartland* |
97 | Covenant House* |
98 | Wycliffe Bible Translators* |
99 | Humane Society of the United States* |
How to Get Started With Crypto Fundraising in 2024
Is it easy for charities and nonprofits to start accepting crypto donations? Yes—and it’s not only easy, but onboarding is often very quick, too.
We’ve worked with dozens of nonprofits that knew nothing about crypto, but had a donor eager to give some Bitcoin or Ethereum to support their mission.
Once they were set up with a crypto giving form, they were able to process the donation while learning more about the opportunity to steward new crypto donors.
Others are excited about putting some of their ample resources behind a forward-thinking fundraising strategy that primes them for major donor stewardship in the years ahead.
Many of these nonprofits have developed six- or seven-figure revenue streams from crypto fundraising, including Orangutan Outreach, CARE, and Trees for the Future.
Why Choose The Giving Block?
Over the past 5 years, The Giving Block has established itself as the leading nonprofit fundraising platform for crypto and non-cash assets, helping our clients raise more than $125 Million to date.
1. We’re true experts in crypto and charity.
Our top-notch team at The Giving Block prides itself on bridging the gap between the crypto community and the nonprofit sector. We invented the term “Crypto Philanthropy,” and have launched viral campaigns like Crypto Giving Tuesday that have generated millions for nonprofits.
2. Our forms are easy to use for you (and your donors).
We make it easy for your donors to give the leading cryptocurrencies—and we handle selling crypto donations for cash upon receipt, so you don’t have to. Plus, we automate tax receipts and can generate IRS Forms 8282 and 8283.
3. We offer more ways to give than just crypto.
Crypto fundraising is part of a bigger push to modernize how nonprofits steward non-cash asset donations. That’s why our giving forms allow you to accept donations of crypto, stock, and DAF grants, too.
4. We empower nonprofits at every level.
With our different package types, we help your organization find the right approach for its crypto strategy. Choosing the perfect experience for maximizing your crypto, stock and DAF fundraising has never been easier.
5. Our clients and donors are making an impact.
Our solution has helped provide new revenue streams for all kinds of charities. We’ve helped organizations with revenue shortfalls, looking to increase major gifts, or future-proof their donor outreach strategy.
Whether you’re one of the charities on Forbes’ list or a brand-new registered nonprofit, charities of any size can work with The Giving Block to take advantage of our expansive suite of product offerings.
To learn more about what crypto donations can do for your nonprofit’s mission, get in touch with us about accepting crypto (and stock and DAF) donations this year.