Gitnux/Report 2026

Nonprofit Marketing Statistics

Nonprofits report that 84% have a Facebook page—see how to use social and content to improve donor engagement using proven marketing benchmarks.
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July 26, 2026Updated
Nonprofit Marketing Statistics
Megan GallagherWritten by Megan Gallagher·Edited by Olivia Thornton·Fact-checked by Jonathan Hale
Published ·Updated
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Nonprofit marketing is built around the channels that help supporters discover, trust, and respond—like websites, social media, email, and direct outreach. This page connects common tactics (from timely updates and thank-you emails to storytelling and fundraising events) to what donors actually do and how performance gets measured. You’ll also find benchmarks on engagement, re-donation, analytics use, and ROI tracking so you can spot what’s working.

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 use digital tools and see better engagement, with social media and email driving donor connection and returns.

Related reading

01 · Category

Digital & Web Presence30 stats

01
87% of nonprofit organizations reported using a website to communicate with the public[1]
02
89% of nonprofits say social media is important for their organization[2]
03
84% of nonprofits have a Facebook page[3]
04
78% of nonprofits use email marketing[4]
05
70% of nonprofits use social media to engage donors[5]
06
66% of nonprofit marketers use content marketing (blogs, videos, etc.)[6]
07
73% of nonprofit marketers use SEO[7]
08
62% of nonprofit marketers measure website traffic[8]
09
55% of nonprofits use Google Ad Grants (when eligible)[9]
10
61% of nonprofits report using online fundraising platforms[10]
11
57% of nonprofits use online giving tools embedded on their website[11]
12
63% of nonprofits use mobile giving[12]
13
52% of nonprofits have an email list segmentation practice[13]
14
54% of nonprofits personalize email campaigns[14]
15
47% of nonprofits use marketing automation[6]
16
39% of nonprofit marketers use CRM data for marketing[14]
17
49% of nonprofits use retargeting ads[15]
18
41% of nonprofits use video marketing[16]
19
44% of nonprofits say video helps them raise funds[17]
20
56% of nonprofits use online petitions/social sharing for campaigns[18]
21
38% of nonprofits use webinars for fundraising or outreach[19]
22
45% of nonprofits use live streaming for engagement[20]
23
36% of nonprofits use podcasts[21]
24
48% of nonprofits use influencer marketing[22]
25
59% of nonprofits report using donor surveys to improve marketing[23]
26
42% of nonprofits use customer journey mapping[24]
27
60% of nonprofit marketers use dashboards/analytics tools[25]
28
35% of nonprofits report having a documented marketing plan[26]
29
33% of nonprofits say their marketing strategy is ineffective[12]
30
31% of nonprofits allocate budget to digital advertising[11]
Interpretation

Digital & Web Presence Interpretation

Nonprofits are overwhelmingly leaning on their digital channels, with 87% using websites and 89% saying social media is important, showing that a strong online presence is now central to outreach rather than optional.

02 · Category

Donor Engagement & Fundraising30 stats

01
Average open rate for nonprofit email campaigns was 33.0% in 2023 (benchmark)[18]
02
Average click-through rate for nonprofit email campaigns was 2.8% in 2023 (benchmark)[18]
03
66% of donors say they feel more connected to organizations that provide updates[11]
04
53% of donors donate again after receiving a thank-you email[5]
05
58% of donors engage via email in the donation journey[27]
06
42% of donors prefer to hear from nonprofits by email[28]
07
72% of donors said receiving a personalized message increases their likelihood to donate[29]
08
48% of donors are influenced by peer-to-peer sharing[30]
09
40% of donors say they are more likely to give when the request is specific[31]
10
64% of nonprofit marketing teams say donor retention is a top priority[32]
11
90% of charities are donor-dependent[33]
12
79% of donors say they check social media before donating[34]
13
61% of donors say impact reporting makes them more likely to donate again[35]
14
34% of donors cite trust as the primary factor in donating[36]
15
38% of donors say they need more information before giving[37]
16
57% of donors say clear messaging improves their giving decision[38]
17
46% of nonprofit donors say recurring gifts are the easiest type of giving to sustain[31]
18
37% of donors prefer monthly giving options[11]
19
62% of nonprofits use recurring giving campaigns[5]
20
27% of donations come from repeat donors in the U.S.[39]
21
74% of nonprofits measure donor engagement through email analytics[18]
22
41% of nonprofits use donor surveys to segment outreach[40]
23
45% of donors open impact emails[17]
24
51% of donors say a specific story makes them more likely to give[41]
25
39% of donors increase giving after seeing results[26]
26
36% of donors consider event participation as a way to assess credibility[42]
27
33% of donors say they would give more after a volunteer experience[43]
28
55% of nonprofits send donation receipts within 24 hours[44]
29
29% of nonprofits lack a donor retention strategy[45]
30
38% of donors prefer to interact via text messaging[46]
Interpretation

Donor Engagement & Fundraising Interpretation

For donor engagement and fundraising, nonprofits are seeing that email performs best when they treat it as an ongoing relationship, since 33.0% of donors open emails and 2.8% click in 2023 while 53% give again after a thank-you email and 66% feel more connected when they receive updates.

03 · Category

Budget, Staffing & Operations28 stats

01
Nonprofits account for 5.6% of all jobs in the U.S. (2017)[47]
02
In 2020, nonprofit organizations generated $2.3 trillion in revenue in the U.S.[47]
03
Nonprofits spent $1.9 trillion in 2020 in the U.S.[47]
04
Total nonprofit employment was about 12.1 million in 2017[48]
05
2022 median nonprofit size (by revenue) was about $1M–$10M (median band)[49]
06
63% of nonprofit organizations report having 2–10 staff members[50]
07
41% of nonprofits have a marketing budget under $25,000 annually[26]
08
52% of nonprofits report marketing is underfunded[51]
09
38% of nonprofit marketers report being understaffed[26]
10
24% of nonprofits said lack of staff time limits marketing effectiveness[51]
11
29% of nonprofits outsource marketing functions[52]
12
37% of nonprofits use external agencies for digital advertising[53]
13
31% of nonprofits use freelancers for design/content[54]
14
46% of nonprofits track marketing ROI[55]
15
33% of nonprofits have a documented fundraising plan[56]
16
28% of nonprofits have a comprehensive CRM system[14]
17
48% of nonprofit staff are volunteers (share of hours worked)[57]
18
22% of nonprofits have a development/fundraising staff of 1–2 FTE[58]
19
Average nonprofit wages were $?? (not provided)[48]
20
2019 nonprofit administrative expenses average were 8.7% of total expenses (by survey)[59]
21
2020 median nonprofit fundraising expense ratio was 10.5% (by survey)[60]
22
2021 nonprofit program expense ratio median was 79.3% (by benchmark)[59]
23
2019 nonprofit marketing expense ratio median was 3.2% (by benchmark)[61]
24
27% of nonprofits said they experienced budget cuts in 2023[62]
25
34% of nonprofit leaders said inflation impacted donations[26]
26
18% of nonprofits said they reduced marketing spending due to budget constraints[63]
27
25% of nonprofit budgets are discretionary (fundraising/marketing)[64]
28
19% of nonprofits use grant funds for marketing[65]
Interpretation

Budget, Staffing & Operations Interpretation

With nonprofits accounting for 12.1 million jobs in 2017 while 63% of organizations run with just 2 to 10 staff members, the combination of $1.9 trillion in 2020 spending and many groups operating in a roughly $1M to $10M revenue range underscores how budget and lean staffing are central constraints and priorities for marketing under Budget, Staffing & Operations.

More related reading

04 · Category

Campaigns, Content & Channels30 stats

01
Donor acquisition cost via digital channels increased by 10% from 2022 to 2023 (average)[66]
02
Nonprofit organizations that used storytelling in marketing had higher engagement; 72% reported improved donor response[14]
03
The average nonprofit event attendance conversion to donors is 3.5% (industry benchmark)[67]
04
Peer-to-peer fundraising on average raised 1.3x more than other methods in 2022 (benchmark)[5]
05
In 2023, 37% of nonprofits reported running an annual giving campaign[68]
06
44% of nonprofits reported using holiday giving campaigns[69]
07
54% of nonprofits said they use Giving Tuesday or similar days[70]
08
61% of nonprofit marketers planned a spring campaign in 2023[71]
09
58% of nonprofits run email fundraising campaigns at least monthly[18]
10
36% of nonprofits run SMS campaign blasts weekly[46]
11
45% of nonprofits run paid search ads[72]
12
26% of nonprofits run paid social ads[73]
13
21% of nonprofits use programmatic advertising[74]
14
33% of nonprofits run direct mail campaigns for fundraising[75]
15
35% of donors respond to direct mail appeals within 30 days (benchmark)[76]
16
28% of nonprofits rely on TV/Radio for awareness[77]
17
22% of nonprofits use print ads[78]
18
41% of nonprofit marketing leaders say the best performing content format is video[16]
19
32% of nonprofit marketing leaders say the best performing format is case studies[79]
20
47% of nonprofits say testimonials improve conversion[80]
21
26% of nonprofits use live events (virtual or in-person) for donor acquisition[81]
22
19% of nonprofits use sponsorships as awareness channel[82]
23
23% of nonprofits use cause marketing partnerships[78]
24
20% of nonprofits use membership drives/loyalty[83]
25
25% of nonprofits use PR/earned media as part of campaigns[84]
26
29% of nonprofits have a newsletter[24]
27
38% of subscribers are more likely to donate after reading a newsletter[85]
28
17% of nonprofits rely on SMS keyword campaigns[46]
29
24% of nonprofits use events plus email follow-up[86]
30
16% of nonprofits use augmented reality campaigns[87]
Interpretation

Campaigns, Content & Channels Interpretation

For Campaigns, Content & Channels, the data points to a clear push toward smarter donor outreach, with storytelling driving 72% improved donor response and 44% of nonprofits using holiday giving campaigns, even as digital donor acquisition costs rose 10% from 2022 to 2023.

05 · Category

Measurement, Roi & Compliance30 stats

01
75% of nonprofits use direct mail in some form (survey)[40]
02
63% of nonprofits say they use donor CRM data for reporting (survey)[14]
03
41% of nonprofits measure marketing ROI monthly[28]
04
52% of nonprofits report using Google Analytics[88]
05
58% of nonprofits track conversions from website to donations[74]
06
46% of nonprofits have a privacy policy and comply with consent requirements[89]
07
71% of marketers believe transparency builds trust with donors[90]
08
88% of organizations say data accuracy is critical to reporting[91]
09
66% of nonprofits report using impact metrics (outcomes) in marketing[92]
10
59% of nonprofits include outcome metrics in annual reports[93]
11
47% of nonprofits use donor advised funds as a channel for gifts (share)[94]
12
33% of nonprofits use benchmarking dashboards[95]
13
40% of nonprofit marketing teams use A/B testing for email or landing pages[7]
14
21% of nonprofits run tests weekly[96]
15
38% of organizations say compliance with fundraising regulations is a challenge[97]
16
25% of nonprofits report inaccurate donor data[98]
17
57% of nonprofits have data governance procedures[91]
18
69% of donors want transparency in how donations are used[90]
19
52% of nonprofits disclose overhead percentages in public materials[59]
20
31% of nonprofits publish audited financial statements online[99]
21
60% of nonprofits use fundraising software[100]
22
48% of nonprofits track LTV (lifetime value) for donors[101]
23
35% of nonprofits track donor acquisition rate[102]
24
28% track churn/retention monthly[103]
25
62% of nonprofits use benchmarks for fundraising metrics[104]
26
44% of nonprofits say reporting requirements consume significant resources[62]
27
30% of nonprofits have a documented risk management process for marketing[105]
28
26% of nonprofits retain marketing records for 3+ years[106]
29
19% of nonprofits face donor data consent violations (reported)[107]
30
84% of organizations say they need better reporting tools[108]
Interpretation

Measurement, Roi & Compliance Interpretation

With 41% of nonprofits measuring marketing ROI monthly and 58% tracking website to donation conversions, while 46% still report having a privacy policy and meeting consent requirements, the data suggests they are investing more in performance measurement but compliance remains a gap that can limit trustworthy, ROI driven reporting.
Reference

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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.

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