Many of the largest nonprofit organizations in the United States have posted stronger fundraising numbers during the past year, but many do not anticipate this to be the end of a period marked by slower contributions, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

During 2011, the largest charities, which raise money from private funders, saw a 7.5 percent spike in donations, the source explains. However, they anticipate that improvement will peter off in 2012 as gains are expected be less than 1 percent in 2012.

Another trend nonprofits noted was a rise in noncash contribution, reports the media outlet, noting that 40 of the top 400 charities saw more than half of their contributions come in the form of food, medicine and other items besides money. This trend helped some nonprofits recover and move ahead of larger charities in terms of donations. Feeding America, for example, experiences a 71.6 percent increase in contributions since 2010 and skipped ahead eight positions to land in the number six spot for top philanthropies.

Additionally, nonprofits can participate in new trends to attract additional funding sources. As foundations tap into emerging digital channels to raise funds online, they can benefit from nonprofit fundraising software that tracks incoming donations and quantitatively measures the success of their efforts.