We’re 0.5% away from

Charitable giving hasn’t moved beyond 2.5% of US GDP for 50+ years. Reaching 3% would unlock an additional $155 billion annually for communities nationwide.

Why 3% by ‘33

The Vision

For decades, the social sector has operated with extraordinary commitment, but no growth target. 3% by ‘33 is the vision to change that.

The Math

The math is simple. The coordination is not. And that’s been our challenge to solve at Bonterra.

We sit at the center of social impact innovation. Across our network, 18,000 mission-driven organizations — including 13,000 nonprofits and 50 Fortune 100 companies — connect through shared infrastructure. Each year, that network powers $22 billion in giving, billions in grants, and 21 million individual donations.

The Story

And the data tells a clear story: Generosity isn’t stagnant because people don’t care. It’s limited by fragmentation.

So we’re bringing the sector together to unlock what’s already possible.

Together, with your ambition and our infrastructure, we can accelerate generosity. Scale impact. Change our world.

Volunteers in matching shirts painting a colorful mural on an outdoor wall
Volunteer holding up a shirt for a young girl at a clothing donation center
Volunteers in blue shirts organizing boxes and checking clipboards at a warehouse
Caregiver and a girl in a wheelchair blowing bubbles together outdoors
Man petting a dog at an emergency shelter with blankets and boxes nearby
Two people tending to plants in a community garden

Who are you?

Achieving 3% by ‘33 would unlock $155 billion in additional annual impact. That’s a massive infusion of funding that could:

  • Provide 39 billion meals to hungry families annually.

    At an average cost of $3.99 per meal, $155 billion per year could fund nearly 39 billion meals annually. That’s far beyond current emergency-food distribution levels, creating a buffer against shortages.

    Volunteers serving food to a man in a wheelchair at a community meal event

  • Cover the full annual cost of universal Pre-K nationwide.

    The potential funds unlocked by hitting 3% by ‘33 are more than 11x what states currently spend on Pre-K, and about 4x the CBO’s most recent annual estimate for universal preschool plus expanded childcare.

    Toddler and teacher smiling while playing with a bead maze toy in a preschool classroom

  • Support a US-wide, tuition-free public college program.

    A national tuition-free public college program is estimated to cost $58.2 billion in year one. Boosting giving to 3% could provide not only debt-free public education, but capacity to support living expenses and last-mile financial support for students.

    Student focused on writing at a desk in a classroom

  • Staff crisis hotlines so no urgent call ever goes unanswered.

    National crisis-response systems operate on budgets measured in the hundreds of millions. An additional $155 billion annually could fully staff hotlines, expand follow-up care, and build local response capacity nationwide.

    Young woman wearing a headset working at a computer in a call center

  • Power 28 million American homes with clean energy from 800 solar and wind initiatives.

    Estimates are based on federal benchmarks for the typical size and cost of renewable energy projects, along with government data on how much electricity the average American household uses annually.

    Two workers in hard hats reviewing plans at a wind farm

  • Guarantee every family has access to safe drinking water.

    The EPA estimates US infrastructure needs roughly $625 billion over 20 years to ensure reliable, safe drinking water in every community. The extra billions associated with hitting 3% by ‘33 could help address decades of underfunding.

    Hand filling a glass with water from a kitchen faucet

  • Move every person in a shelter into permanent housing.

    The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates that providing Housing First placements to all households who used shelter in 2022 would require roughly $9.6 billion in additional annual cost on top of existing funding.

    Parent holding a young child with a teddy bear on a couch

  • Connect every rural American household to broadband internet.

    The federal BEAD broadband buildout cost $42.5 billion; $155 billion per year is about 3.5x that scale annually — enough to accelerate "connect everyone" infrastructure and provide additional affordability support.

    Cell tower rising above a forested rural landscape in autumn

  • Help more than 15 million workers earn a living wage.

    Research shows that sector-based job training programs can meaningfully increase participants' earnings. At roughly $10,000 per worker for intensive training, $155 billion annually could fund pathways for more than 15 million workers.

    Young woman in a hijab smiling while taking notes in a training session

  • Restore tens of millions of acres of coastal and marine wildlife habitats.

    Since 1996, NOAA’s Community-Based Habitat Restoration program has restored 130,000+ acres of wetlands, rivers, and coastal habitat and reopened over 6,000 miles of streams for fish — with tens of millions more acres possible at similar investment levels.

    Volunteers and children picking up litter on a beach

Explore the full 3% by ‘33 report for proven strategies — and how to act on them.

Learn more about our data methodology.