Drawing on a recent survey of 70 corporate citizenship leaders, this report examines how companies are adjusting citizenship and philanthropy budgets, priorities, partnerships, and capabilities amid an evolving economic, policy, and reputational landscape.

Trusted Insights for What’s Ahead

• Corporate citizenship budgets enter 2026 largely stable, although 52% of leaders said they expect to allocate more resources toward volunteering, while a significant minority anticipate reductions in cash grantmaking and sponsorships.
• Many companies are preparing for greater discipline around allocation and timing of citizenship grants and expenditures, as the new US 1% charitable deduction floor reinforces tighter portfolio management and more deliberate pacing of cash grants.
• Thematic priorities are narrowing toward broadly shared, economically grounded needs— notably food security, affordability, housing, and digital inclusion—while issues carrying higher political or reputational exposure show the steepest pullbacks.
• Nonprofit fragility is emerging as a material execution risk: only 15% of leaders described partners as very or somewhat stable, with most attributing fragility to federal funding cuts.
• Delivering impact in 2026 is constrained by both internal and external pressures, as sustained expectations to demonstrate business value coincide with uncertainty around nonprofit capacity, political polarization, and media scrutiny.
• AI adoption within citizenship teams remains early stage and exploratory (55% of respondents), with key priorities for 2026 focused on staff literacy, reporting and analysis automation, and building foundational readiness before extending AI into higher-impact or outward-facing applications.

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