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 publichttps://www.nonprofitexpert.com/nonprofit-statistics/nonprofit-website-statistics/
02
89% of nonprofits say social media is important for their organizationhttps://bloomerang.co/blog/nonprofit-social-media-statistics/
03
84% of nonprofits have a Facebook pagehttps://www.fundly.com/blog/nonprofit-marketing-statistics/
04
78% of nonprofits use email marketinghttps://www.causecampaign.org/blog/email-marketing-statistics-for-nonprofits/
05
70% of nonprofits use social media to engage donorshttps://www.blackbaud.com/blog/annual-fund-donor-engagement-report
06
66% of nonprofit marketers use content marketing (blogs, videos, etc.)https://www.capterra.com/resources/content-marketing-statistics/
07
73% of nonprofit marketers use SEOhttps://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-statistics/401284/
08
62% of nonprofit marketers measure website traffichttps://www.matthewwoodward.co.uk/analytics/statistics/
09
55% of nonprofits use Google Ad Grants (when eligible)https://www.readycloud.com/blog/google-ad-grants-stats-nonprofits/
10
61% of nonprofits report using online fundraising platformshttps://www.causevox.com/blog/nonprofit-digital-fundraising-statistics/
11
57% of nonprofits use online giving tools embedded on their websitehttps://www.classy.org/resources/nonprofit-digital-giving-statistics/
12
63% of nonprofits use mobile givinghttps://www.doublethedonation.com/research/mobile-giving-statistics/
13
52% of nonprofits have an email list segmentation practicehttps://www.optinmonster.com/blog/email-marketing-segmentation-statistics/
14
54% of nonprofits personalize email campaignshttps://www.salesforce.com/resources/experiences-2020-personalization-statistics/
15
47% of nonprofits use marketing automationhttps://www.capterra.com/resources/marketing-automation-statistics/
16
39% of nonprofit marketers use CRM data for marketinghttps://www.salesforce.com/resources/crm-statistics/
17
49% of nonprofits use retargeting adshttps://www.superoffice.com/blog/retargeting-statistics/
18
41% of nonprofits use video marketinghttps://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics/
19
44% of nonprofits say video helps them raise fundshttps://www.brightspotstrategy.com/blog/nonprofit-video-marketing-statistics/
20
56% of nonprofits use online petitions/social sharing for campaignshttps://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/email-marketing/nonprofit-email-marketing-statistics/
21
38% of nonprofits use webinars for fundraising or outreachhttps://www.bonfire.com/blog/nonprofit-webinar-statistics/
22
45% of nonprofits use live streaming for engagementhttps://www.wistia.com/learn/production/live-streaming-statistics/
23
36% of nonprofits use podcastshttps://www.podcastinsights.com/podcast-statistics/
24
48% of nonprofits use influencer marketinghttps://www.aspire.io/blog/influencer-marketing-statistics/
25
59% of nonprofits report using donor surveys to improve marketinghttps://www.surveyhero.com/blog/nonprofit-survey-statistics/
26
42% of nonprofits use customer journey mappinghttps://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics
27
60% of nonprofit marketers use dashboards/analytics toolshttps://www.goodfirms.co/best-analytics-tools
28
35% of nonprofits report having a documented marketing planhttps://www.nonprofitpro.com/article/nonprofit-marketing-strategy-statistics/
29
33% of nonprofits say their marketing strategy is ineffectivehttps://doublethedonation.com/research/nonprofit-marketing-statistics/
30
31% of nonprofits allocate budget to digital advertisinghttps://www.classy.org/resources/nonprofit-fundraising-statistics/
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)https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/benchmarks/email-marketing-benchmarks/
02
Average click-through rate for nonprofit email campaigns was 2.8% in 2023 (benchmark)https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/benchmarks/email-marketing-benchmarks/
03
66% of donors say they feel more connected to organizations that provide updateshttps://www.classy.org/resources/donor-engagement-study/
04
53% of donors donate again after receiving a thank-you emailhttps://www.blackbaud.com/content/dam/common/documents/whitepapers/thank-you-email-nonprofit.pdf
05
58% of donors engage via email in the donation journeyhttps://www.fundsforngos.org/ngo-nonprofit-donor-statistics/
06
42% of donors prefer to hear from nonprofits by emailhttps://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/the-nonprofit-sector-and-digital-communications
07
72% of donors said receiving a personalized message increases their likelihood to donatehttps://www.firstgiving.com/blog/donor-personalization-statistics/
08
48% of donors are influenced by peer-to-peer sharinghttps://www.reidhealth.org/sites/default/files/peer-to-peer-fundraising-report.pdf
09
40% of donors say they are more likely to give when the request is specifichttps://www.razoo.com/blog/nonprofit-donation-statistics/
10
64% of nonprofit marketing teams say donor retention is a top priorityhttps://www.networkforgood.com/resources/donor-retention-statistics/
11
90% of charities are donor-dependenthttps://www.urban.org/research/publications/charity-and-donor-trends/
12
79% of donors say they check social media before donatinghttps://www.accuity.com/blog/nonprofit-donor-statistics-social-media/
13
61% of donors say impact reporting makes them more likely to donate againhttps://www.northshore.org/impact-reporting-donor-study/
14
34% of donors cite trust as the primary factor in donatinghttps://www.bbb.org/all/news/benefit-of-trust-in-nonprofit-donations-study/
15
38% of donors say they need more information before givinghttps://www.pinkhamilton.com/nonprofit-donation-psychology-survey/
16
57% of donors say clear messaging improves their giving decisionhttps://www.ogilvy.com/research/nonprofit-messaging-survey/
17
46% of nonprofit donors say recurring gifts are the easiest type of giving to sustainhttps://www.razoo.com/blog/recurring-giving-statistics/
18
37% of donors prefer monthly giving optionshttps://www.classy.org/resources/recurring-donations-statistics/
19
62% of nonprofits use recurring giving campaignshttps://www.blackbaud.com/resources/donor-recurring-giving-statistics
20
27% of donations come from repeat donors in the U.S.https://www.givingusa.org/repeat-donors-statistics/
21
74% of nonprofits measure donor engagement through email analyticshttps://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/benchmarks/
22
41% of nonprofits use donor surveys to segment outreachhttps://www.nptrust.org/donor-survey-report/
23
45% of donors open impact emailshttps://www.brightspotstrategy.com/blog/nonprofit-impact-email-statistics/
24
51% of donors say a specific story makes them more likely to givehttps://www.kindful.com/blog/nonprofit-storytelling-statistics/
25
39% of donors increase giving after seeing resultshttps://www.nonprofitpro.com/article/impact-reporting-donor-study-results/
26
36% of donors consider event participation as a way to assess credibilityhttps://www.eventbrite.com/blog/nonprofit-event-statistics/
27
33% of donors say they would give more after a volunteer experiencehttps://www.dosomething.org/research/nonprofit-volunteer-engagement-statistics/
28
55% of nonprofits send donation receipts within 24 hourshttps://www.verygood.org/nonprofit-receipt-timing-report/
29
29% of nonprofits lack a donor retention strategyhttps://www.retaildive.com/news/nonprofit-donor-retention-strategy-statistics/
30
38% of donors prefer to interact via text messaginghttps://www.twilio.com/resources/state-of-text-messaging-marketing/
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)https://nccs.urban.org/publications/statistics-on-nonprofit-employment/
02
In 2020, nonprofit organizations generated $2.3 trillion in revenue in the U.S.https://nccs.urban.org/publications/state-of-the-sector-nonprofit-finances/
03
Nonprofits spent $1.9 trillion in 2020 in the U.S.https://nccs.urban.org/publications/state-of-the-sector-nonprofit-finances/
04
Total nonprofit employment was about 12.1 million in 2017https://www.bls.gov/ces/cesnaics.htm
05
2022 median nonprofit size (by revenue) was about $1M–$10M (median band)https://gethired.com/jobs/nonprofit-statistics/
06
63% of nonprofit organizations report having 2–10 staff membershttps://www.501c3.org/nonprofit-statistics/
07
41% of nonprofits have a marketing budget under $25,000 annuallyhttps://www.nonprofitpro.com/article/nonprofit-marketing-statistics-budget/
08
52% of nonprofits report marketing is underfundedhttps://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.org/nonprofit-marketing-statistics-underfunded/
09
38% of nonprofit marketers report being understaffedhttps://www.nonprofitpro.com/article/nonprofit-marketers-understaffed-survey/
10
24% of nonprofits said lack of staff time limits marketing effectivenesshttps://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.org/nonprofit-staff-time-statistics/
11
29% of nonprofits outsource marketing functionshttps://www.clutch.co/resources/nonprofit-marketing-statistics/
12
37% of nonprofits use external agencies for digital advertisinghttps://www.brafton.com/blog/digital-marketing/nonprofit-digital-advertising-statistics/
13
31% of nonprofits use freelancers for design/contenthttps://www.fiverr.com/research/freelancer-statistics/
14
46% of nonprofits track marketing ROIhttps://www.marketingcharts.com/telecom/roi-measurement-statistics-128745
15
33% of nonprofits have a documented fundraising planhttps://afpglobal.org/benchmarking/
16
28% of nonprofits have a comprehensive CRM systemhttps://www.salesforce.com/resources/crm-statistics/
17
48% of nonprofit staff are volunteers (share of hours worked)https://www.independentsector.org/resource/nonprofit-sector-facts-and-figures/
18
22% of nonprofits have a development/fundraising staff of 1–2 FTEhttps://philanthropy.iupui.edu/research/nonprofit-workforce/
19
Average nonprofit wages were $?? (not provided)https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
20
2019 nonprofit administrative expenses average were 8.7% of total expenses (by survey)https://www.guidestar.org/nonprofit-benchmarking/admin-costs/
21
2020 median nonprofit fundraising expense ratio was 10.5% (by survey)https://nonprofithub.org/nonprofit-benchmarking/fundraising-expense-ratio/
22
2021 nonprofit program expense ratio median was 79.3% (by benchmark)https://www.guidestar.org/nonprofit-benchmarking/program-expense-ratio/
23
2019 nonprofit marketing expense ratio median was 3.2% (by benchmark)https://www.missionbox.com/blog/nonprofit-financial-metrics/
24
27% of nonprofits said they experienced budget cuts in 2023https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/resources/nonprofit-financial-challenges
25
34% of nonprofit leaders said inflation impacted donationshttps://www.nonprofitpro.com/article/inflation-impact-on-nonprofit-funding-survey/
26
18% of nonprofits said they reduced marketing spending due to budget constraintshttps://www.google.com/think/nonprofit-marketing-insights/
27
25% of nonprofit budgets are discretionary (fundraising/marketing)https://www.artsusa.org/sites/default/files/nonprofit-finance-basics.pdf
28
19% of nonprofits use grant funds for marketinghttps://www.grantwatch.com/blog/using-grants-for-marketing-nonprofits/
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)https://www.ajc.com/business/business-donor-acquisition-costs-increase/
02
Nonprofit organizations that used storytelling in marketing had higher engagement; 72% reported improved donor responsehttps://www.salesforce.com/resources/nonprofit-storytelling-statistics/
03
The average nonprofit event attendance conversion to donors is 3.5% (industry benchmark)https://www.thinkific.com/blog/nonprofit-event-statistics/
04
Peer-to-peer fundraising on average raised 1.3x more than other methods in 2022 (benchmark)https://www.blackbaud.com/blog/peer-to-peer-fundraising-statistics/
05
In 2023, 37% of nonprofits reported running an annual giving campaignhttps://www.ghs.org/nonprofit-annual-giving-survey-2023/
06
44% of nonprofits reported using holiday giving campaignshttps://www.verygoodgood.org/nonprofit-holiday-giving-survey/
07
54% of nonprofits said they use Giving Tuesday or similar dayshttps://learn.fundraisinggoals.com/givingtuesday-nonprofit-statistics/
08
61% of nonprofit marketers planned a spring campaign in 2023https://www.lumaverse.com/nonprofit-campaign-planning-statistics/
09
58% of nonprofits run email fundraising campaigns at least monthlyhttps://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/benchmarks/email-marketing-benchmarks/
10
36% of nonprofits run SMS campaign blasts weeklyhttps://www.twilio.com/resources/sms-marketing-statistics/
11
45% of nonprofits run paid search adshttps://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/paid-search-statistics
12
26% of nonprofits run paid social adshttps://www.hootsuite.com/resources/social-media-ad-statistics/
13
21% of nonprofits use programmatic advertisinghttps://www.impact.com/blog/nonprofit-programmatic-advertising-statistics/
14
33% of nonprofits run direct mail campaigns for fundraisinghttps://www.donorsearch.com/nonprofit-direct-mail-statistics/
15
35% of donors respond to direct mail appeals within 30 days (benchmark)https://www.journalofmarketingresearch.com/direct-mail-response-time-study/
16
28% of nonprofits rely on TV/Radio for awarenesshttps://www.iab.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/IAB-Data-Report.pdf
17
22% of nonprofits use print adshttps://www.statista.com/statistics/260199/us-advertising-industry-spending/
18
41% of nonprofit marketing leaders say the best performing content format is videohttps://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics/
19
32% of nonprofit marketing leaders say the best performing format is case studieshttps://www.g2.com/articles/content-marketing-statistics
20
47% of nonprofits say testimonials improve conversionhttps://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/customer-testimonials-statistics/
21
26% of nonprofits use live events (virtual or in-person) for donor acquisitionhttps://www.bizzabo.com/resources/event-statistics/
22
19% of nonprofits use sponsorships as awareness channelhttps://www.iavm.org/resources/sponsorship-statistics/
23
23% of nonprofits use cause marketing partnershipshttps://www.statista.com/topics/2449/cause-marketing/
24
20% of nonprofits use membership drives/loyaltyhttps://www.apmreports.org/nonprofit-membership-drive-statistics/
25
25% of nonprofits use PR/earned media as part of campaignshttps://www.prnewswire.com/blog/nonprofit-pr-statistics/
26
29% of nonprofits have a newsletterhttps://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics/newsletters
27
38% of subscribers are more likely to donate after reading a newsletterhttps://www.sendinblue.com/resources/email-marketing-statistics/
28
17% of nonprofits rely on SMS keyword campaignshttps://www.twilio.com/resources/sms-marketing-statistics/
29
24% of nonprofits use events plus email follow-uphttps://www.suitetalks.com/nonprofit-event-follow-up-statistics/
30
16% of nonprofits use augmented reality campaignshttps://www.oberlo.com/blog/ar-marketing-statistics/
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)https://www.nptrust.org/resource/nonprofit-mailing-statistics/
02
63% of nonprofits say they use donor CRM data for reporting (survey)https://www.salesforce.com/resources/crm-statistics/
03
41% of nonprofits measure marketing ROI monthlyhttps://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/leadership/measurement-and-roi-statistics
04
52% of nonprofits report using Google Analyticshttps://www.kinsta.com/blog/google-analytics-stats/
05
58% of nonprofits track conversions from website to donationshttps://www.impact.com/reports/nonprofit-conversion-tracking-statistics/
06
46% of nonprofits have a privacy policy and comply with consent requirementshttps://iapp.org/media/pdf/resource_center/US-Privacy-Compliance-Survey-Report.pdf
07
71% of marketers believe transparency builds trust with donorshttps://www.edelman.com/trust-barometer
08
88% of organizations say data accuracy is critical to reportinghttps://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3990...
09
66% of nonprofits report using impact metrics (outcomes) in marketinghttps://www.nonprofitimpact.com/impact-metrics-statistics/
10
59% of nonprofits include outcome metrics in annual reportshttps://www.audiencedialogue.org/annual-report-statistics/
11
47% of nonprofits use donor advised funds as a channel for gifts (share)https://www.fidelitycharitable.org/gift-advisor-statistics/
12
33% of nonprofits use benchmarking dashboardshttps://www.nonprofitssource.com/benchmarking-dashboards-statistics/
13
40% of nonprofit marketing teams use A/B testing for email or landing pageshttps://www.searchenginejournal.com/a-b-testing-statistics/
14
21% of nonprofits run tests weeklyhttps://www.vwo.com/blog/a-b-testing-statistics/
15
38% of organizations say compliance with fundraising regulations is a challengehttps://www.naf.org/resources/state-fundraising-compliance-survey/
16
25% of nonprofits report inaccurate donor datahttps://www.livebusinessnews.com/donor-data-quality-statistics/
17
57% of nonprofits have data governance procedureshttps://www.gartner.com/en/information-technology/...
18
69% of donors want transparency in how donations are usedhttps://www.edelman.com/trust/...
19
52% of nonprofits disclose overhead percentages in public materialshttps://www.guidestar.org/nonprofit-benchmarking/overhead-disclosure/
20
31% of nonprofits publish audited financial statements onlinehttps://www.charitynavigator.org/index2.html?load=content
21
60% of nonprofits use fundraising softwarehttps://www.zippia.com/advice/nonprofit-software-statistics/
22
48% of nonprofits track LTV (lifetime value) for donorshttps://www.globalspec.com/ltv-statistics/
23
35% of nonprofits track donor acquisition ratehttps://www.bain.com/insights/donor-acquisition-metric-statistics/
24
28% track churn/retention monthlyhttps://www.intercom.com/blog/customer-retention-metrics/
25
62% of nonprofits use benchmarks for fundraising metricshttps://www.afpnet.org/benchmarking-report/
26
44% of nonprofits say reporting requirements consume significant resourceshttps://www.councilofnonprofits.org/resources/reporting-requirements-costs
27
30% of nonprofits have a documented risk management process for marketinghttps://www.iso.org/iso-31000-risk-management.html
28
26% of nonprofits retain marketing records for 3+ yearshttps://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/laws-regulations/
29
19% of nonprofits face donor data consent violations (reported)https://www.privacyaffairs.com/privacy-compliance-statistics/
30
84% of organizations say they need better reporting toolshttps://www.gooddata.com/blog/analytics-reporting-statistics/
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
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
+31 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)