Nonprofit fundraising performance depends on more than volume—it’s shaped by channels, donor behavior, and long-term relationships. Below, you’ll find stats on online, mobile, and email giving, plus what drives new vs. returning donor growth and retention. The dataset also breaks down age cohort patterns, major-gift and planned-gift trends, and how impact stories influence donor loyalty after the pandemic.
Key Takeaways
- Online giving revenue increased 7.2% YoY in 2023 per Blackbaud Charitable Giving Report analyzing 2,800 orgs
- Email fundraising open rates averaged 26.1% for nonprofits in FY2023 per M+R Benchmarks
- 29% of online revenue came from new donors in 2023, down from 33% pre-pandemic per M+R
- In 2023, 72% of nonprofits planned to increase digital fundraising investments per NTG
- Boomers (born 1946-1964) gave 40% of total charitable dollars in 2022 despite being 20% of population
- Gen X donors increased average gift size by 12% in 2022 to $1,200 per Blackbaud data
- Major gifts over $100K accounted for 20% of nonprofit revenue despite 1% of donors
- Planned giving revenue grew 12% YoY to $42B in 2022 per Giving USA bequests data
- 80% of major donors give to fewer than 5 orgs lifetime per DonorSearch analytics
- In 2022, total charitable giving in the United States amounted to $499.33 billion, representing a 3.4% increase (1.7% adjusted for inflation) from 2021
- Individuals contributed $369.58 billion to charity in 2022, accounting for 74% of total giving and a 2.1% increase from prior year
- Foundations gave $188.05 billion in 2022, up 7.5% from 2021 and comprising the second-largest source of charitable dollars
- Donor retention rate for monthly givers reached 82% in 2023 per Bloomerang report on 10,000 orgs
- First-year donor retention averaged 42% in FY2023, down from 45% pre-pandemic per AFP
- Recurring donors give 46% more over lifetime than one-time per DonorPerfect data
Digital fundraising is growing faster yet, but retention and new donor growth remain the key challenges for nonprofits.
Related reading
01 · Category
Digital And Online Fundraising30 stats
01
Online giving revenue increased 7.2% YoY in 2023 per Blackbaud Charitable Giving Report analyzing 2,800 orgs
02
Email fundraising open rates averaged 26.1% for nonprofits in FY2023 per M+R Benchmarks
03
29% of online revenue came from new donors in 2023, down from 33% pre-pandemic per M+R
04
Mobile giving accounted for 22% of online donations in 2023 per Classy report on 1,100 orgs
05
Peer-to-peer fundraising grew 14% YoY to $4.5B in 2023 per Classy data
06
41% conversion rate for text-to-give campaigns in 2023 per Donorbox stats
07
Social media drove 15.3% of online gifts in FY2023 per Blackbaud, highest ever
08
Average online gift size rose 5% to $128 in 2023 amid economic caution
09
68% of nonprofits use Facebook for fundraising with 12% revenue share per NTG 2023
10
TikTok fundraising views hit 2.5B in 2023 with 25M+ raised for nonprofits
11
Crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe raised $15B for personal causes benefiting nonprofits indirectly in 2023
12
55% of digital revenue from recurring gifts in 2023 per Bloomerang benchmarks
13
SEO drives 53% of nonprofit website traffic leading to 14% donation conversion
14
Live-stream fundraising events yielded 3x ROI vs static video in 2023 per Streamyard
15
73% of millennials donate via mobile devices per 2023 Classy survey
16
Chatbots increased online donation completion by 20% for tested orgs in 2023
17
Instagram fundraising tools raised $2B+ since 2020 launch per Meta 2023
18
Email click-to-donate links converted at 4.2% in FY2023 per M+R
19
47% of online donors abandoned carts due to lack of payment options per PayPal nonprofit study
20
Virtual events generated $1.2B in 2023, down 20% from peak but up 50% pre-COVID
21
NFTs for charity raised $30M+ in 2022-2023 per NonFungible data
22
82% of nonprofits plan AI integration for personalized online appeals in 2024
23
Google Ad Grants utilized by 60% of nonprofits averaged $10K/month free spend
24
Text donation opt-in rates hit 35% with personalized SMS per Textedly 2023
25
29% of total giving now digital per Blackbaud 2024 report projecting continued growth
26
Facebook Fundraisers averaged $350per fundraiser in 2023 per Meta stats
27
64% of donors expect one-click giving on nonprofit sites per Donorbox 2023
28
Online monthly giving retention at 85% vs 45% for one-time per Recurring Donor Alliance
29
21% revenue growth from personalized landing pages per Funraise A/B tests 2023
30
Twitch charity streams raised $200M+ cumulatively by 2023 per Tiltify
Interpretation
Digital And Online Fundraising Interpretation
In digital and online fundraising, growth is steady but donor quality is shifting, with online giving revenue up 7.2% YoY in 2023 while the share coming from new donors fell to 29% from 33% pre pandemic.
02 · Category
Donor Demographics27 stats
01
In 2023, 72% of nonprofits planned to increase digital fundraising investments per NTG
02
Boomers (born 1946-1964) gave 40% of total charitable dollars in 2022 despite being 20% of population
03
Gen X donors increased average gift size by 12% in 2022 to $1,200 per Blackbaud data
04
Millennials represented 35% of new donors in 2022 but only 21% of total giving volume
05
51% of Gen Z donors prefer monthly recurring gifts per 2023 NTG survey of 5,000+
06
Women donors outpaced men by 15% in giving volume in 2022 per Women's Philanthropy Institute
07
High-net-worth individuals (HNI >$1M assets) gave $200B+ annually, 40% of total US giving
08
28% of donors aged 65+ made planned gifts in 2022 per Legacy Initiative
09
Hispanic donors grew 18% in number from 2021-2022 per Classy State of the Donor report
10
Black/African American donors gave 11% more in 2022 amid social justice focus
11
62% of donors under 40 research causes online before giving per M+R Benchmarks 2022
12
Average donor age for new acquirers dropped to 42 in 2022 from 47 in 2019 per Bloomerang
13
45% of household donors give to 4+ organizations annually per 2022 Giving USA
14
Lapsed donors (1-2 years) respond 2x better than cold prospects per DonorSearch data
15
73% of donors are married or in partnerships influencing joint giving decisions
16
Urban donors give 25% more per capita than rural donors per IRS SOI data 2022
17
39% of donors motivated by personal connection to cause per 2023 CAF survey
18
Repeat donors (3+ years) give 45% more lifetime value than new donors per Bloomerang
19
67% of high-value donors (> $10K gifts) are college-educated per DonorPerfect
20
Female-headed households donate 8.3% of income vs 4.7% for male-headed per WPI
21
55% of donors aged 30-49 use mobile apps for giving per Classy 2023
22
Baby boomers control 70% of US disposable income but only 50% plan to leave inheritance to charity
23
24% of Gen Z donors influenced by social media peers per NTG 2023
24
Average new donor lifetime value at $1,500vs $5,200 for retained donors per AFP
25
76% of donors over 70 have estate plans including charity per Leaving a Legacy study
26
Corporate employee donors average $500/year with 60% matching eligibility
27
33% of donors shifted to local causes post-COVID per 2022 Fidelity Charitable
Interpretation
Donor Demographics Interpretation
Donor demographics show a clear shift in where fundraising growth should come from since Boomers gave 40% of charitable dollars in 2022 on just 20% of the population while Millennials made up 35% of new donors but only 21% of total giving volume and Gen Z is most responsive to monthly recurring gifts with 51% preferring that format.
03 · Category
Major Gifts And Planned Giving27 stats
01
Major gifts over $100K accounted for 20% of nonprofit revenue despite 1% of donors
02
Planned giving revenue grew 12% YoY to $42B in 2022 per Giving USA bequests data
03
80% of major donors give to fewer than 5 orgs lifetime per DonorSearch analytics
04
Average major gift size $25K for mid-sized nonprofits per Blackbaud 2023
05
Bequest society members give 6x more annually than non-members pre-death
06
Corporate foundations gave $10B in major grants over $1M each in 2022
07
62% of planned gifts come from donors over 75 per PG Calc data 2023
08
Major donor acquisition cost averages $1,200vs $50 for small donors per AFP
09
91% of major gifts unsolicited per 2023 Major Gifts Initiative study of 200 orgs
10
DAF grants to nonprofits hit $54.8B in 2022 with average grant $11K
11
Family foundations represent 45% of all US foundations with $300B assets
12
Top 1% of donors provide 33% of major gifts revenue per Indiana University Lilly study
13
Planned giving marketing yields 10:1 ROI over 5 years per Stelter Company
14
35% of major donors motivated by capital campaigns per CASE survey 2023
15
Endowments grew 8% to $1.1T for higher ed nonprofits in FY2023 per NACUBO
16
48% of HNWIs use stock gifts for major donations to avoid capital gains tax
17
Community foundations distributed $15B in grants from major gifts in 2022
18
76% retention rate for major donors vs 45% overall per Bloomerang 2023
19
IRA QCDs totaled $12B+ since 2007 with 100K+ donors annually
20
Venture philanthropy deals grew 15% to 500+ in 2023 per Global Impact Investing Network
21
55% of major gifts follow personal meetings vs 10% from events per Van Wagner study
22
Charitable lead trusts used in 12% of planned major gifts per PG Calc
23
Billion-dollar gifts to nonprofits hit 20 in 2023 per Chronicle of Philanthropy
24
67% of major donors want impact reports quarterly per DonorVoice research
25
Retained major donors increase gift size 15% YoY per Blackbaud analytics
26
42% of planned gifts revocable via wills amended post-80 years old
27
Corporate major gifts averaged $500K with 60% multi-year pledges in 2023
Interpretation
Major Gifts And Planned Giving Interpretation
Major gifts and planned giving are driving outsized impact, with $100K plus gifts making up 20% of nonprofit revenue from just 1% of donors while planned giving rose 12% year over year to $42B in 2022, confirming that a focused strategy for top donors and bequest-minded supporters can generate significant results.
More related reading
04 · Category
Overall Fundraising Trends30 stats
01
In 2022, total charitable giving in the United States amounted to $499.33 billion, representing a 3.4% increase (1.7% adjusted for inflation) from 2021
02
Individuals contributed $369.58 billion to charity in 2022, accounting for 74% of total giving and a 2.1% increase from prior year
03
Foundations gave $188.05 billion in 2022, up 7.5% from 2021 and comprising the second-largest source of charitable dollars
04
Bequests totaled $42.12 billion in 2022, a 10.9% rise year-over-year driven by strong stock market performance
05
Corporations donated $29.48 billion in 2022, including $21.56 billion in direct giving and $7.92 billion in foundation grants, up 3.4%
06
Religion subsector received $143.53 billion in 2022, 29% of total giving despite a slight 1.3% decline adjusted for inflation
07
Human services organizations saw $74.82 billion in 2022, up 7.3% and second-highest recipient subsector
08
Education received $71.55 billion in 2022, a modest 1.9% increase primarily from individual donors
09
Grantmaking organizations got $65.83 billion, up 8.6% in 2022 due to foundation support
10
Health organizations raised $44.81 billion in 2022, a 4.2% increase led by hospitals
11
2023 Blackbaud Charitable Giving Report showed online giving surged 7.2% year-over-year to nonprofits
12
Total online revenue for nonprofits grew 13.4% in FY2022 per M+R Benchmarks, driven by digital appeals
13
Average nonprofit saw 4.3% growth in total revenue in 2022 according to Nonprofit Finance Fund
14
Fundraising expenses averaged 18% of total budget for nonprofits in 2022 per NCCS data
15
41% of nonprofits reported increased fundraising revenue in 2023 per Nonprofit Tech for Good survey
16
US charitable giving as percentage of GDP held steady at 2.1% in 2022 per Giving USA
17
Post-COVID, 2021 giving rebounded 10.5% to $484.87 billion before moderating in 2022
18
Inflation-adjusted giving declined 2.1% in 2022 after years of growth, per Giving USA analysis
19
Small nonprofits (under $1M revenue) saw 5.2% fundraising growth in 2022 per Classy report
20
Mid-sized orgs ($1-10M) experienced 3.8% decline in giving post-2022 per Blackbaud
21
Large nonprofits (over $10M) grew fundraising 4.1% in FY2022 per M+R
22
2023 saw 2.1% projected growth in giving per Blackbaud forecast
23
Global nonprofit revenue grew 4.7% in 2022 excluding US per CAF World Giving Index
24
Donor-advised funds distributed $54.77 billion in 2022, up 8% per NPTrust
25
Impact investing in nonprofits reached $1.164 trillion assets under management in 2022
26
69% of nonprofits diversified revenue streams in 2022 to boost fundraising per Guidestar
27
Fee-for-service revenue overtook donations for 25% of nonprofits in 2022 per NFF
28
Year-end giving accounted for 30% of annual revenue for average nonprofit in 2022
29
55% of nonprofits missed 2022 revenue goals due to economic pressures per AFP survey
30
Corporate giving matched employee giving at $4.5B via matching programs in 2022
Interpretation
Overall Fundraising Trends Interpretation
Overall fundraising in 2022 reached $499.33 billion in the United States, up 3.4% year over year, with individuals driving most of the growth at $369.58 billion, about 74% of all giving.
05 · Category
Retention And Recurring Giving27 stats
01
Donor retention rate for monthly givers reached 82% in 2023 per Bloomerang report on 10,000 orgs
02
First-year donor retention averaged 42% in FY2023, down from 45% pre-pandemic per AFP
03
Recurring donors give 46% more over lifetime than one-time per DonorPerfect data
04
69% of retained donors cite impact stories as top retention factor per M+R 2023
05
Lapsed donor reactivation rate 25% with personalized appeals per Classy 2023
06
Monthly giving programs grew 20% in participation since 2020 per Classy
07
85% retention for sustainer programs vs 22% for annual appeals per NTG survey
08
Thank-you speed under 48 hours boosts retention 30% per Bloomerang study
09
56% of donors stop giving due to lack of communication per 2023 Blackbaud
10
Upgrading monthly donors by 10% annually doubles revenue over 5 years per Paradigm
11
73% of recurring donors via auto-renew credit card per Funraise 2023
12
Personalized retention emails have 40% higher open rates per Mailchimp nonprofit benchmarks
13
2-year lapsed donors worth 3x reactivation effort per DonorSearch ROI calc
14
Events retain 65% of attendees as donors next year with follow-up per Peer-to-Peer report
15
91% of donors want less mail, prefer digital for retention per 2023 Donor Fatigue study
16
Sustainer cancellation rate under 5% with proactive surveys per Recurring Donor Alliance
17
Volunteering donors retained at 78% vs 40% non-volunteers per Points of Light
18
Mid-level donors ($1K-$25K) retained at 70% with cultivation events per AFP
19
44% retention improvement from donor surveys per DonorVoice pyramid model
20
Legacy society members retained 95% with annual events per Stelter
21
Email frequency optimal at 4-6/year for 50%+ retention per M+R
22
62% of lapsed cite irrelevant appeals; segmentation fixes 35% per Blackbaud
23
Corporate partners renew 88% with impact dashboards per CECP 2023
24
77% of Gen Z donors stay loyal with social proof updates per NTG
25
Reactivation campaigns ROI 5:1 for 1-3 year lapsed per Target Analytics
26
52% retention lift from video thank-yous per VideoAsk nonprofit study
27
Household giving retains 2x better when addressed to both spouses
Interpretation
Retention And Recurring Giving Interpretation
Retention and recurring giving is strengthening, with monthly givers holding an 82% retention rate in 2023 and monthly programs growing 20% in participation since 2020, showing that investing in ongoing donor relationships is paying off.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Thomas Lindqvist. (2026, February 13). Nonprofit Fundraising Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/nonprofit-fundraising-statistics
MLA
Thomas Lindqvist. "Nonprofit Fundraising Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/nonprofit-fundraising-statistics.
Chicago
Thomas Lindqvist. 2026. "Nonprofit Fundraising Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/nonprofit-fundraising-statistics.
Sources & references
56 datasets cited across this report