Cryptocurrency Acceptance Among Top 100 Charities (2020-2024)
Cryptocurrency donation acceptance has surged among America’s largest charities in the last five years. In 2020, uptake was minimal, but by 2024 a majority of top charities were crypto-friendly. Key milestones include:
- 2020: Only about 12% of Forbes’ Top 100 U.S. Charities accepted cryptocurrency donationsthegivingblock.com. Most nonprofits were hesitant or unaware of how to handle crypto at this stage.
- 2021: Adoption started to accelerate as Bitcoin’s price boom drew attention to crypto philanthropy. Several high-profile charities announced crypto donation programs in 2021 (e.g. American Cancer Society’s Crypto Fund), though still a minority of the Top 100 were on board (exact percentage not reported). This year laid the groundwork for broader acceptance.
- 2022: Nearly half of the Top 100 charities were accepting crypto. An analysis of Forbes’ 2022 list found 49 out of 100 charities (49%) could take cryptocurrency donations, up from just 12% in 2019go.thegivingblock.com. This sharp rise reflects many large nonprofits adding crypto as a giving option during 2021–2022.
- 2023: Crypto adoption among leading charities held around 50%. By early 2023, roughly half of the Top 100 charities were “crypto-friendly,” marking a plateau after the previous year’s big jumpthegivingblock.com. Some organizations were still evaluating crypto, especially amid the 2022 bear market, so growth in new adopters temporarily slowed.
- 2024: A majority of top charities now embrace crypto donations. As of January 2024, 56% of Forbes’ Top 100 charities accept cryptocurrencythegivingblock.com. This trend continued to gain momentum through 2024 – by the end of the year, about 70% of the top 100 charities were accepting crypto giftsgo.thegivingblock.com. In other words, seven in ten of the largest U.S. charities now solicit donations in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital assets. This represents a remarkable change from just a few years prior.
(Data sources: Forbes “America’s Top Charities” lists 2019–2023, analyzed by The Giving Block. The Giving Block reported 12% adoption in 2020
thegivingblock.com, growing to 49% by 2022
go.thegivingblock.com, ~50% in 2023
thegivingblock.com, and ~56–70% in 2024
Key Drivers Behind Crypto Donation Growth
Several factors have fueled the rise of cryptocurrency donations in the nonprofit sector:
- Tax Incentives: Donating appreciated cryptocurrency is tax-efficient. Donors avoid capital gains taxes and can still claim a charitable deduction, which “highly incentivizes” crypto giftsthegivingblock.com. This financial benefit encourages crypto investors to give larger donations than they might in cash. More than half of crypto donors cite tax benefits as a motivation for givingfidelitycharitable.org.
- New Wealth and Big Donors: The crypto boom created a new class of wealthy individuals eager to “do good” with their gains. Many early crypto adopters and investors (often young millionaires) turned to philanthropy, especially during bull markets. For example, in 2021 many donors saw their crypto assets appreciate significantly and chose to donate a portion (56% of crypto donors said their assets had grown a lot, enabling generosity)fidelitycharitable.org. High-profile crypto charity events (like the $55M “Pineapple Fund” in 2017, and multi-million dollar gifts in 2021) showed the potential of crypto philanthropy.
- Young, Tech-Savvy Donor Demographics: Crypto gives nonprofits access to a young and affluent donor base. Millennials and Gen Z investors are enthusiastic about cryptocurrency and also highly charitable. Nearly 45% of crypto investors donated $1,000+ to charity in 2020, compared to 33% of general investorsfidelitycharitable.org. These donors often prefer to give in the form of assets they hold. Charities see crypto as a way to engage globally-minded, internet-native donors who might not donate via traditional channels.
- Growing Crypto Market Size: The sheer scale of the crypto market is hard for nonprofits to ignore. By the early 2020s, over $2 trillion in value was held in cryptocurrencies, representing a huge pool of potential fundingcointelegraph.com. As one nonprofit leader noted, “there aren’t many markets in the world that allow a nonprofit to tap into a $2 trillion donor base”cointelegraph.com. The continued growth in crypto users each year means an ever-larger audience of prospective crypto philanthropists.
- Ease of Donation Technology: It has become much easier for charities to accept crypto. Turn-key solutions and platforms (e.g. The Giving Block, BitPay, Engiven) handle the heavy lifting – from instant crypto-to-cash conversion to receipting – making crypto donations as simple as credit card gifts. This lowered the barrier to entry for nonprofitsthegivingblock.com. As a result, even organizations without crypto expertise can safely accept Bitcoin/Ethereum without volatility risk or legal concerns. The auto-conversion features (auto-selling crypto for fiat on receipt) address fears of price swingscointelegraph.com.
- Success Stories & Education: Early adopters have showcased successful crypto fundraising, spurring others to follow. As resources and case studies proliferated, nonprofit executives became more comfortable with crypto. By 2023, fundraising professionals widely saw crypto giving as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to expand donor engagementthegivingblock.com. Increased education about crypto’s benefits (via webinars, guides, and nonprofit conferences) has helped demystify it. In short, the sector moved from skepticism to understanding that crypto donors can significantly boost revenue.
- Innovative Fundraising Methods: The rise of Web3 philanthropy (NFTs and decentralized autonomous organizations for charity) has also driven interest. Charities have raised funds through NFT art auctions and crypto crowdfunding campaigns. For instance, NFT projects contributed over $12M to charity in 2021thenonprofittimes.com. Crypto donation platforms even host events like #CryptoGivingTuesday to mobilize donors. New crypto-based fundraising tools – from accepting NFT donations to launching charity tokens – generated excitement and new revenue streamsthegivingblock.comgo.thegivingblock.com. This innovation convinces charities that embracing crypto can tap entirely new channels of giving.
Major Charities Accepting Cryptocurrency Donations
Over the past few years, many leading charities (beyond just tech-oriented nonprofits) have begun accepting crypto. Notable examples include:
- Save the Children: A trailblazer – in 2013 it became one of the first major nonprofits to accept Bitcoin donationsthegivingblock.com. This early adoption demonstrated crypto’s viability for charity and set a precedent.
- United Way Worldwide: The nation’s largest charity (by private donations) started accepting Bitcoin as early as 2014. United Way’s Innovation Fund began taking BTC donations to fund disaster relief and other programs, signaling mainstream acceptance.
- American Red Cross: This global humanitarian charity partnered to accept crypto (around 2014) and continues to welcome Bitcoin/Ether donations on its website. As one of the most recognized nonprofits, Red Cross’s participation lent credibility to crypto philanthropy.
- Feeding America: The largest domestic hunger-relief charity in the U.S. now accepts cryptocurrencies (e.g. via The Giving Block)thegivingblock.com. By 2024, Feeding America was ranked #1 on Forbes’ charity list and prominently solicits crypto gifts to help fight hunger.
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: A top medical charity, St. Jude began taking crypto and even ran campaigns around crypto giving. It’s among the big-name nonprofits embracing crypto (ranked #4 on the Forbes list)thegivingblock.com.
- Direct Relief: This humanitarian medical aid nonprofit (Forbes top 5) accepts crypto to support its global programsthegivingblock.com. Direct Relief saw the potential and integrated crypto donations early via platforms like The Giving Block.
- Habitat for Humanity International: A major housing charity, also in the Top 10, now accepts cryptocurrency to fund home-building projectsthegivingblock.com.
- Salvation Army: Known for its Red Kettle holiday campaigns, the Salvation Army has added crypto donation options as well, to reach new donorsthegivingblock.com.
- International Charities: It’s not just U.S. organizations. UNICEF launched a CryptoFund in 2019 to receive and distribute crypto for humanitarian projects, and by 2021 had raised millions via crypto for global causes. Similarly, charities like UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency) and Save the Children International have run crypto campaigns for emergency relief.
By 2024, 56 of the top 100 U.S. charities were accepting crypto – including household names like St. Jude’s, Feeding America, United Way, the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and Goodwill
thegivingblock.com. This roster makes it clear that crypto giving has entered the nonprofit mainstream. In total, thousands of charities of all sizes now accept cryptocurrency donations, a number that grows each year.
