Nonprofit marketing is heavily digital. Eighty-seven percent of nonprofits use a website to communicate with the public, but only 62% measure website traffic and just 33% say their marketing plan is documented. The next sections break down what drives donor connection through email, social, and content, and where measurement, staffing, and strategy stop working together.
Key Takeaways
- 87% of nonprofit organizations reported using a website to communicate with the public
- 89% of nonprofits say social media is important for their organization
- 84% of nonprofits have a Facebook page
- Average open rate for nonprofit email campaigns was 33.0% in 2023 (benchmark)
- Average click-through rate for nonprofit email campaigns was 2.8% in 2023 (benchmark)
- 66% of donors say they feel more connected to organizations that provide updates
- Nonprofits account for 5.6% of all jobs in the U.S. (2017)
- In 2020, nonprofit organizations generated $2.3 trillion in revenue in the U.S.
- Nonprofits spent $1.9 trillion in 2020 in the U.S.
- Donor acquisition cost via digital channels increased by 10% from 2022 to 2023 (average)
- Nonprofit organizations that used storytelling in marketing had higher engagement; 72% reported improved donor response
- The average nonprofit event attendance conversion to donors is 3.5% (industry benchmark)
- 75% of nonprofits use direct mail in some form (survey)
- 63% of nonprofits say they use donor CRM data for reporting (survey)
- 41% of nonprofits measure marketing ROI monthly
Most nonprofits rely on digital channels and email, but many lack effective strategy and KPI tracking.
Related reading
01 · Category
Digital & Web Presence30 stats
01
87% of nonprofit organizations reported using a website to communicate with the public
02
89% of nonprofits say social media is important for their organization
03
84% of nonprofits have a Facebook page
04
78% of nonprofits use email marketing
05
70% of nonprofits use social media to engage donors
06
66% of nonprofit marketers use content marketing (blogs, videos, etc.)
07
73% of nonprofit marketers use SEO
08
62% of nonprofit marketers measure website traffic
09
55% of nonprofits use Google Ad Grants (when eligible)
10
61% of nonprofits report using online fundraising platforms
11
57% of nonprofits use online giving tools embedded on their website
12
63% of nonprofits use mobile giving
13
52% of nonprofits have an email list segmentation practice
14
54% of nonprofits personalize email campaigns
15
47% of nonprofits use marketing automation
16
39% of nonprofit marketers use CRM data for marketing
17
49% of nonprofits use retargeting ads
18
41% of nonprofits use video marketing
19
44% of nonprofits say video helps them raise funds
20
56% of nonprofits use online petitions/social sharing for campaigns
21
38% of nonprofits use webinars for fundraising or outreach
22
45% of nonprofits use live streaming for engagement
23
36% of nonprofits use podcasts
24
48% of nonprofits use influencer marketing
25
59% of nonprofits report using donor surveys to improve marketing
26
42% of nonprofits use customer journey mapping
27
60% of nonprofit marketers use dashboards/analytics tools
28
35% of nonprofits report having a documented marketing plan
29
33% of nonprofits say their marketing strategy is ineffective
30
31% of nonprofits allocate budget to digital advertising
Interpretation
Digital & Web Presence Interpretation
With 87% of nonprofits leaning on websites and 89% treating social media like oxygen, they are more digitally equipped than ever, but only 35% have a documented marketing plan and a sobering 33% say their strategy is ineffective, suggesting that the real challenge is not access to tools, but using them with intention, measurement, and enough budget to actually move the mission forward.
02 · Category
Donor Engagement & Fundraising30 stats
01
Average open rate for nonprofit email campaigns was 33.0% in 2023 (benchmark)
02
Average click-through rate for nonprofit email campaigns was 2.8% in 2023 (benchmark)
03
66% of donors say they feel more connected to organizations that provide updates
04
53% of donors donate again after receiving a thank-you email
05
58% of donors engage via email in the donation journey
06
42% of donors prefer to hear from nonprofits by email
07
72% of donors said receiving a personalized message increases their likelihood to donate
08
48% of donors are influenced by peer-to-peer sharing
09
40% of donors say they are more likely to give when the request is specific
10
64% of nonprofit marketing teams say donor retention is a top priority
11
90% of charities are donor-dependent
12
79% of donors say they check social media before donating
13
61% of donors say impact reporting makes them more likely to donate again
14
34% of donors cite trust as the primary factor in donating
15
38% of donors say they need more information before giving
16
57% of donors say clear messaging improves their giving decision
17
46% of nonprofit donors say recurring gifts are the easiest type of giving to sustain
18
37% of donors prefer monthly giving options
19
62% of nonprofits use recurring giving campaigns
20
27% of donations come from repeat donors in the U.S.
21
74% of nonprofits measure donor engagement through email analytics
22
41% of nonprofits use donor surveys to segment outreach
23
45% of donors open impact emails
24
51% of donors say a specific story makes them more likely to give
25
39% of donors increase giving after seeing results
26
36% of donors consider event participation as a way to assess credibility
27
33% of donors say they would give more after a volunteer experience
28
55% of nonprofits send donation receipts within 24 hours
29
29% of nonprofits lack a donor retention strategy
30
38% of donors prefer to interact via text messaging
Interpretation
Donor Engagement & Fundraising Interpretation
In 2023, nonprofit emails managed to pull in about a third of recipients and clicks stayed in the single digits, but the real takeaway is that donors want trust built through timely, personalized, specific, and story-driven communication, with clear impact, steady follow up, and retention strategies that many organizations still haven’t fully nailed.
03 · Category
Budget, Staffing & Operations28 stats
01
Nonprofits account for 5.6% of all jobs in the U.S. (2017)
02
In 2020, nonprofit organizations generated $2.3 trillion in revenue in the U.S.
03
Nonprofits spent $1.9 trillion in 2020 in the U.S.
04
Total nonprofit employment was about 12.1 million in 2017
05
2022 median nonprofit size (by revenue) was about $1M–$10M (median band)
06
63% of nonprofit organizations report having 2–10 staff members
07
41% of nonprofits have a marketing budget under $25,000 annually
08
52% of nonprofits report marketing is underfunded
09
38% of nonprofit marketers report being understaffed
10
24% of nonprofits said lack of staff time limits marketing effectiveness
11
29% of nonprofits outsource marketing functions
12
37% of nonprofits use external agencies for digital advertising
13
31% of nonprofits use freelancers for design/content
14
46% of nonprofits track marketing ROI
15
33% of nonprofits have a documented fundraising plan
16
28% of nonprofits have a comprehensive CRM system
17
48% of nonprofit staff are volunteers (share of hours worked)
18
22% of nonprofits have a development/fundraising staff of 1–2 FTE
19
Average nonprofit wages were $?? (not provided)
20
2019 nonprofit administrative expenses average were 8.7% of total expenses (by survey)
21
2020 median nonprofit fundraising expense ratio was 10.5% (by survey)
22
2021 nonprofit program expense ratio median was 79.3% (by benchmark)
23
2019 nonprofit marketing expense ratio median was 3.2% (by benchmark)
24
27% of nonprofits said they experienced budget cuts in 2023
25
34% of nonprofit leaders said inflation impacted donations
26
18% of nonprofits said they reduced marketing spending due to budget constraints
27
25% of nonprofit budgets are discretionary (fundraising/marketing)
28
19% of nonprofits use grant funds for marketing
Interpretation
Budget, Staffing & Operations Interpretation
Nonprofits employ about 12.1 million Americans and generate around $2.3 trillion in revenue, yet most operate with tiny teams, lean marketing budgets, and heavy constraints, so while they account for 5.6% of US jobs, only 46% track ROI and many still lack time, staffing, or funds, meaning marketing often runs on optimism, volunteers, and a carefully negotiated share of discretionary dollars.
More related reading
04 · Category
Campaigns, Content & Channels30 stats
01
Donor acquisition cost via digital channels increased by 10% from 2022 to 2023 (average)
02
Nonprofit organizations that used storytelling in marketing had higher engagement; 72% reported improved donor response
03
The average nonprofit event attendance conversion to donors is 3.5% (industry benchmark)
04
Peer-to-peer fundraising on average raised 1.3x more than other methods in 2022 (benchmark)
05
In 2023, 37% of nonprofits reported running an annual giving campaign
06
44% of nonprofits reported using holiday giving campaigns
07
54% of nonprofits said they use Giving Tuesday or similar days
08
61% of nonprofit marketers planned a spring campaign in 2023
09
58% of nonprofits run email fundraising campaigns at least monthly
10
36% of nonprofits run SMS campaign blasts weekly
11
45% of nonprofits run paid search ads
12
26% of nonprofits run paid social ads
13
21% of nonprofits use programmatic advertising
14
33% of nonprofits run direct mail campaigns for fundraising
15
35% of donors respond to direct mail appeals within 30 days (benchmark)
16
28% of nonprofits rely on TV/Radio for awareness
17
22% of nonprofits use print ads
18
41% of nonprofit marketing leaders say the best performing content format is video
19
32% of nonprofit marketing leaders say the best performing format is case studies
20
47% of nonprofits say testimonials improve conversion
21
26% of nonprofits use live events (virtual or in-person) for donor acquisition
22
19% of nonprofits use sponsorships as awareness channel
23
23% of nonprofits use cause marketing partnerships
24
20% of nonprofits use membership drives/loyalty
25
25% of nonprofits use PR/earned media as part of campaigns
26
29% of nonprofits have a newsletter
27
38% of subscribers are more likely to donate after reading a newsletter
28
17% of nonprofits rely on SMS keyword campaigns
29
24% of nonprofits use events plus email follow-up
30
16% of nonprofits use augmented reality campaigns
Interpretation
Campaigns, Content & Channels Interpretation
In other words, nonprofits are spending more to acquire donors online, leaning on storytelling and video to raise engagement, and doubling down on the usual campaign rhythm while quietly experimenting with newer tools like chatbots and augmented reality, because in a world of shrinking attention, every extra percentage point and follow up within 30 days still matters.
05 · Category
Measurement, ROI & Compliance30 stats
01
75% of nonprofits use direct mail in some form (survey)
02
63% of nonprofits say they use donor CRM data for reporting (survey)
03
41% of nonprofits measure marketing ROI monthly
04
52% of nonprofits report using Google Analytics
05
58% of nonprofits track conversions from website to donations
06
46% of nonprofits have a privacy policy and comply with consent requirements
07
71% of marketers believe transparency builds trust with donors
08
88% of organizations say data accuracy is critical to reporting
09
66% of nonprofits report using impact metrics (outcomes) in marketing
10
59% of nonprofits include outcome metrics in annual reports
11
47% of nonprofits use donor advised funds as a channel for gifts (share)
12
33% of nonprofits use benchmarking dashboards
13
40% of nonprofit marketing teams use A/B testing for email or landing pages
14
21% of nonprofits run tests weekly
15
38% of organizations say compliance with fundraising regulations is a challenge
16
25% of nonprofits report inaccurate donor data
17
57% of nonprofits have data governance procedures
18
69% of donors want transparency in how donations are used
19
52% of nonprofits disclose overhead percentages in public materials
20
31% of nonprofits publish audited financial statements online
21
60% of nonprofits use fundraising software
22
48% of nonprofits track LTV (lifetime value) for donors
23
35% of nonprofits track donor acquisition rate
24
28% track churn/retention monthly
25
62% of nonprofits use benchmarks for fundraising metrics
26
44% of nonprofits say reporting requirements consume significant resources
27
30% of nonprofits have a documented risk management process for marketing
28
26% of nonprofits retain marketing records for 3+ years
29
19% of nonprofits face donor data consent violations (reported)
30
84% of organizations say they need better reporting tools
Interpretation
Measurement, ROI & Compliance Interpretation
These statistics sketch a nonprofit marketing world where most organizations are already doing the basics like email, analytics, and direct mail, but many still struggle with the hard parts of modern trust building, namely consistent KPIs, accurate donor data, rigorous compliance, and impact-focused reporting that donors actually want.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Megan Gallagher. (2026, February 13). Nonprofit Marketing Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/nonprofit-marketing-statistics
MLA
Megan Gallagher. "Nonprofit Marketing Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/nonprofit-marketing-statistics.
Chicago
Megan Gallagher. 2026. "Nonprofit Marketing Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/nonprofit-marketing-statistics.
Sources & references
141 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+31 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)