Fundraising Benchmarks for Nonprofits (U.S.)

Fundraising Benchmarks for Nonprofits (U.S.)

Fundraising Benchmarks for Nonprofits (U.S.)
Below is a summary of key fundraising performance benchmarks in Acquisition, Retention, Upgrade, and Financial categories. These industry averages can help nonprofits gauge their fundraising health. Metrics are presented in tables and lists for clarity, with historical context and sources cited for reference.
Acquisition Benchmarks
Acquisition metrics measure the effectiveness and cost of acquiring new donors. Nonprofits often spend significant resources to attract first-time supporters, so tracking acquisition cost and response rates is critical. Industry studies show new donor conversion rates tend to be low, and first gifts can be expensive to secure, underscoring the importance of strong follow-up and retention efforts.
First-Time Donor Acquisition Cost: Approximately $1.25–$1.50 per dollar raised for acquiring a new donor (industry average). In other words, nonprofits may spend more than the first gift’s value to acquire a donor ([ASK AN EXPERT] What's A Good New Donor Acquisition Rate?) (Donor acquisition: What every nonprofit should know | Givebutter). (By contrast, follow-up solicitations to existing donors cost much less, about $0.20 per $1 raised (FAQ: Evaluating Fundraising Costs | Association of Fundraising Professionals).)
New Donor Conversion Rate: Typically only 1–3% of prospects reached through marketing convert into first-time donors. This means out of 100 people targeted, only 1–3 might make a donation on average (varies by channel and appeal strength). Low conversion rates are normal, so acquisition often requires reaching large audiences (Typical Response Rates for Direct Marketing Efforts) (The 2023 M&R Benchmark Report is here - we got analysis (and some very hot takes) ready to go on the decline of Facebook fundraising in 2022.).
Appeal Response Rates by Channel: Fundraising appeal response rates vary widely by communication channel:
Direct Mail: ~5–15% response for house lists (mailings to prior donors or warm contacts). Direct mail remains one of the highest-response channels for nonprofits (5 Tips on How to Write a Fundraising Email | Five Maples). (Prospect mailings to cold lists see lower response, often ~1% (Typical Response Rates for Direct Marketing Efforts).)
Email: ~0.5–2.5% response per fundraising email sent. In recent years, the average donation response rate for fundraising emails is well below 1% (around 0.1–0.3% in many cases) (5 Tips on How to Write a Fundraising Email | Five Maples) (The 2023 M&R Benchmark Report is here - we got analysis (and some very hot takes) ready to go on the decline of Facebook fundraising in 2022.). Example: A 2021 study found a 0.29% average email donation rate to previous donors (5 Tips on How to Write a Fundraising Email | Five Maples).
Social Media: ~0.1–0.8% conversion from social media outreach. Organic social posts typically yield under 1% of viewers taking action (often closer to one-tenth of a percent) (Typical Response Rates for Direct Marketing Efforts). Paid ads on social also see low direct giving conversion (for instance, Facebook fundraisers average about 4 donations per campaign) (The 2023 M&R Benchmark Report is here - we got analysis (and some very hot takes) ready to go on the decline of Facebook fundraising in 2022.).
Takeaway: Donor acquisition is costly and response rates are low, especially for new audiences. On average, nonprofits spend ~$1.25 per $1 raised to acquire new donors ([ASK AN EXPERT] What's A Good New Donor Acquisition Rate?). Direct mail appeals to known supporters perform relatively well (~5–15% response) (5 Tips on How to Write a Fundraising Email | Five Maples), whereas email and social media appeals see under 1% response in most cases (5 Tips on How to Write a Fundraising Email | Five Maples) (Typical Response Rates for Direct Marketing Efforts). This highlights the need to pursue large reach and to steward acquired donors so their lifetime value justifies the upfront cost.
Retention Benchmarks
Retention metrics indicate what percentage of donors continue to give over time. High retention means more donors stick around (improving lifetime value), while low retention means a “leaky bucket” where many donors must be replaced each year. Industry averages point to challenging retention, especially for first-time donors, making donor stewardship and communication vital.
Overall Donor Retention Rate: ~45% annually (industry average). Only about 4 or 5 out of 10 donors give again the next year (Focus on Donor Retention This Year with These Strategies) (Dataro 2.0). In other words, nonprofits tend to lose over half of their donors year-to-year. (Over the past decade, overall retention has hovered in the 40–45% range (Focus on Donor Retention This Year with These Strategies), with a declining trend in recent years.)
First-Time Donor Retention: ~20% (industry average for new donors). First-time donors have the lowest retention – roughly 1 in 5 will give a second time, while ~80% do not return ([ASK AN EXPERT] What's A Good New Donor Acquisition Rate?). Example: The Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) found new donor retention averaged ~19% in a recent year ([ASK AN EXPERT] What's A Good New Donor Acquisition Rate?). This emphasizes how critical the “second gift” is: without prompt stewardship, the vast majority of new donors lapse.
Monthly Donor Retention: ~80–90% annual retention. Donors enrolled in monthly giving programs retain at significantly higher rates – often around four out of five are still giving a year later (How To Design + Grow A Successful Monthly Giving Campaign). Sustained monthly gifts have built-in continuity, so these donors are extremely valuable. (Many nonprofits see >80% 12-month retention for recurring donors (How To Design + Grow A Successful Monthly Giving Campaign).)
Lapsed Donor Reactivation Rate: ~4–7% (annual reactivation of lapsed donors). Once a donor has lapsed (not given for over a year), the chance of reactivating them in a given year is quite low. Industry surveys show only around 5% of lapsed donors are typically re-engaged each year (Dataro 2.0). (The FEP reports recent reactivation rates as low as ~4% (Dataro 2.0).) This underscores the difficulty of “winning back” donors after they’ve stopped giving.
Historical Trend: Donor retention has been declining or stagnating. A decade ago overall retention was closer to 50%, but in recent years it fell to the mid-40s (Focus on Donor Retention This Year with These Strategies). First-time donor retention remains persistently low (~20% or less), creating a constant uphill battle to replace lost donors ([ASK AN EXPERT] What's A Good New Donor Acquisition Rate?). However, investing in retention pays off – long-term donors contribute more over time at far lower acquisition cost. Monthly giving programs, in particular, have become a bright spot with ~80%+ retention, helping to stabilize donor revenue (How To Design + Grow A Successful Monthly Giving Campaign).
Upgrade Benchmarks
Upgrade metrics track how many donors increase their giving, and how many move up into higher donor tiers (e.g. mid-level donors becoming major donors). Encouraging donors to upgrade their gift size annually is a key strategy to boost revenue. The industry benchmarks below shed light on typical upgrade rates.
Donors Who Increase Giving Annually: ~15–20% of donors increase their gift amount year-over-year on average. In a typical year, only about one-fifth (or less) of your donors will upgrade their donation size, while the rest give the same or less. For instance, one study found 37% of surveyed donors increased their giving in a particular year (Most Donors of $10,000 or More Don't Plan to Increase Giving), but generally ~1 in 6 donors upgrading is a reasonable benchmark.
Average Increase in Gift Size: When donors do upgrade, the bump is often around +15–25% more than their previous gift. For example, a donor who gave $100 last year might give $115–$125 this year after an upgrade. Nonprofit benchmarking studies commonly see gift upgrades in this range, though it varies by segment (higher-tier donors may upgrade by smaller percentages).
Mid-Level to Major Donor Upgrade Rate: Only about 5–8% of mid-level donors are typically “upgraded” to major gift status over time (industry estimate). In other words, it’s relatively rare for a mid-level donor (e.g. giving $1K–$5K annually) to make the leap to a true major donor ($5K+ or $10K+). Research shows most mid-level donors will continue giving at mid-level and “likely will not become major donors” (Are You Overlooking Your Mid-Level Donors?). Nonprofits often find perhaps 1 in 20 mid-level donors eventually upgrades to a major gift level. This underscores the importance of identifying and specially cultivating those upgrade-ready donors.
Tip: To improve upgrade rates, nonprofits use strategies like personalized ask amounts, recognizing loyalty, and demonstrating impact of larger gifts. According to fundraising experts, proactively cultivating mid-level donors (through enhanced stewardship and touchpoints) is vital, since this segment can be a pipeline for future major gifts – even if only a small percent make that jump (Are You Overlooking Your Mid-Level Donors?). Monitoring the percentage of donors who increase their giving, and by how much, can help gauge the effectiveness of upgrade campaigns.
Financial Benchmarks
Financial fundraising metrics focus on donation size and efficiency. This includes average gift size by donor type, distribution of revenue across donor segments, and the return on investment (ROI) of fundraising efforts. These benchmarks help nonprofits understand where their dollars are coming from and at what cost.
Average Gift Size (Overall): The average donation across all types of gifts in the U.S. was about $813 in 2021 (Blackbaud Institute 2021 Charitable Giving Report Reveals Record Year for Generosity with 9% Growth in Giving - Blackbaud). Note: This figure is skewed by large gifts – median gift sizes are lower. For example, the average online one-time gift in 2022 was around $121 (M+R Benchmarks 2023 Finds Online Giving Stalled, Despite Growth in Monthly Giving) (online donors tend to give smaller amounts than the very largest offline gifts). It’s useful to break down average gift by segment: small donors vs. major donors, or online vs. mail.


By Segment: Small-dollar donors (e.g. under $100) often give $20–$50 per gift, mid-level donors (few hundred to a few thousand dollars) might average a few hundred dollars, and major donors (thousands+) can have very high average gifts which pull the overall mean up. Example: In Facebook fundraisers, the average gift is about $34 (The 2023 M&R Benchmark Report is here - we got analysis (and some very hot takes) ready to go on the decline of Facebook fundraising in 2022.). In contrast, a major donor’s average gift could be in the thousands.
By Channel: Donors giving via desktop website have an average gift around $137, whereas mobile donors average about $83 (2025 Online Fundraising Statistics for Nonprofits | Nonprofit Tech for Good) (mobile gifts tend to be smaller). Monthly donors often give smaller installments (average about $24 per month (2025 Online Fundraising Statistics for Nonprofits | Nonprofit Tech for Good)), but their cumulative yearly giving (~$288) exceeds many one-time gifts.
Revenue Distribution by Donor Segment: A small fraction of donors typically contributes the majority of donation revenue. It’s common to see an 80/20 rule, where ~80% of funds come from ~20% of donors (Donor churn – how is it affecting your fundraising goals?). In fact, recent data shows donors giving $5,000+ account for about 76% of all dollars donated, despite being under 3% of total donors () (). By contrast, the many small-gift donors (under $100) make up a large share of donor count but only around 2–5% of total revenue (). The table below illustrates a typical distribution of annual fundraising dollars by donor tier:


Donor Tier (Annual Giving)
% of Donors
% of Total $$
Micro (< $100)
~50–70%
~2–5% ()
Small ($100–$500)
~20–40%
~5–15% ()
Mid-Level ($500–$5,000)
~5–10%
~15–25% ()
Major ($5,000–$50,000)
~2%
~25% ()
Supersize ($50,000+)
<1%
~51% ()

Source: Fundraising Effectiveness Project, Q4 2023. Major and Supersize donors (gifts >$5K) combined for 76.4% of dollars while representing ~2.6% of donors () (). This shows how heavily fundraising revenue can depend on a few high-capacity donors.
Return on Investment (ROI) & Cost to Raise $1: A key efficiency metric is Cost to Raise a Dollar (CTRD) – how much a nonprofit spends per $1 of gift revenue. For established fundraising programs, the cost to raise $1 is about $0.20 on average (i.e. $0.20 spent per $1 raised, a 5:1 ROI) (FAQ: Evaluating Fundraising Costs | Association of Fundraising Professionals) (Donor acquisition: What every nonprofit should know | Givebutter). This means a mature development operation might net 80¢ on the dollar after fundraising expenses. However, CTRD varies by method: acquiring new donors has a very high cost (often >$1.00 per $1 raised initially ([ASK AN EXPERT] What's A Good New Donor Acquisition Rate?)), while renewals from prior donors are much more efficient (~$0.20 or less per $1).
By Activity: Major gift fundraising and grants typically have the best ROI (very low cost per $ raised), whereas special events and online ads often have higher costs. For example, direct mail acquisition can cost $1.00–$1.25 per $1 raised ([ASK AN EXPERT] What's A Good New Donor Acquisition Rate?), and digital ad campaigns on social media may have an ROI below 1 (e.g. an average of $0.50 raised per $1 spent on Meta ads has been reported (2025 Online Fundraising Statistics for Nonprofits | Nonprofit Tech for Good)). On the other hand, a well-run capital campaign or donor renewal mailing might cost only a few cents on the dollar.
Overall ROI: The average ROI for fundraising across the nonprofit sector is roughly 4:1 to 5:1 (i.e. raising $4–$5 for every $1 spent). High-performing programs can exceed this, while newer or acquisition-heavy programs may see lower net returns (FAQ: Evaluating Fundraising Costs | Association of Fundraising Professionals) (FAQ: Evaluating Fundraising Costs | Association of Fundraising Professionals). It’s important to evaluate ROI in context – upfront investments can lead to long-term gains (for instance, spending more than $1 to acquire a donor can be worthwhile if that donor gives year after year).
Visualization – Donor Size vs. Dollars: The chart below (from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project) illustrates how a tiny group of top donors provides the majority of funds. Major donors (green segments on right) contributed over three-quarters of total dollars, whereas the vast base of small donors (left) contributed a modest share () (). This highlights the importance of both maintaining major donor relationships and growing the pipeline of mid-level donors who could be future major givers.
(image) Source: Fundraising Effectiveness Project – “Dollars by Donor Size” (2023 Q4). Major ($5K-$50K) and Supersize ($50K+) donors made up 76.4% of all giving (), despite being only ~2.6% of donors. In contrast, micro donors (<$100) were 50%+ of donor count but only 1.9% of dollars ().
Conclusion
These benchmarks provide a reference range for nonprofit fundraising performance. In summary: acquisition is expensive (cost often $1+ to raise $1 for new donors) with low initial response rates, retention is challenging (around 45% overall, only ~20% for new donors), but improving retention – especially via monthly giving – can dramatically boost long-term ROI. A small cadre of generous donors usually dominates revenue (major donors ~75% of dollars), yet broad-base support is still critical for stability and growth. Monitoring these metrics over time and against sector benchmarks (from sources like the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, Blackbaud Institute, M+R Benchmarks, AFP reports, etc.) can help organizations identify strengths and weaknesses in their fundraising strategy (Focus on Donor Retention This Year with These Strategies) (Blackbaud Institute 2021 Charitable Giving Report Reveals Record Year for Generosity with 9% Growth in Giving - Blackbaud). Nonprofits can integrate these benchmarks into a dashboard to track their performance and set goals (e.g. improving donor retention by a few percentage points or lowering the cost to raise $1) – even small improvements can yield significant revenue gains over time.
Sources: Key benchmark data were drawn from the AFP Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) reports, Bloomerang’s fundraising research, the Blackbaud Institute Charitable Giving Report, the M+R Benchmarks Study, and other industry analyses. All cited statistics are linked to their original sources for further reading.