2024 Fundraising Benchmarks: Bright Spots, Challenges, and Winning Strategies

As we reflect on 2024 and gear up for the rest of 2025, there’s a lot for nonprofits to feel optimistic about — despite a complex and shifting fundraising landscape. Industry and MWD internal client benchmarking reveal promising trends, evolving donor behavior, and strategic opportunities that can help guide fundraising teams toward sustainable growth.

The Bright Spots in 2024

While the number of donors giving to nonprofit organizations continues to decline, there’s encouraging news: donor value remains on the rise, particularly among mid-level and major donors. These key supporters are not only sticking around — they’re stepping up. This is likely due to enhanced promotions of Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs), stock gifts, and Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) across the sector.

Other high points from industry benchmarks include:

• Overall revenue in 2024 was roughly even with 2023, good news after years of post-pandemic revenue declines.
• New donor retention is holding steady around 20%, a notable achievement given today’s challenges.
• Average gift amounts are climbing, reflecting a deeper individual commitment.
• A politically charged climate helped boost industry dollars.

Navigating the Challenges

That said, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Nonprofits continue to grapple with:

• Economic uncertainty — a higher cost of living is affecting donor behavior, especially those giving less than $100 annually.
• Declining numbers of new donors — and new donor retention.
• Slipping sustainer conversion rates — although revenue from sustainers has been rising!
• Increasing fundraising costs — straining already tight budgets.
• A growing shift to hyper-local giving —diverting support from traditional nonprofit institutions.
• Complex donor behavior — such as responding to crises or leaving assets to DAFs instead of giving directly to charity.

MWD’s Client Benchmarking Highlights

MWD ran benchmarking that included a portion of our clients with complete multi-channel data:

• MWD clients outperformed industry benchmarks, experiencing a +3% revenue increase year-over-year.
• MWD benchmarking reports 61% overall donor retention (combining new, first year, lapsed, and multi-year donors), and an impressive 85% retention among recurring and annual donors.
• MWD clients garner a higher average gift than industry benchmarks.
• DAF and IRA revenue have soared, with increases of more than 200% in 2024.

Strategic Recommendations for 2025

To maintain momentum and mitigate risk, we believe that nonprofits should focus on:

• Investing in high-potential new donors, it’s not about quantity anymore but the quality of new donors who will upgrade and retain.
• Filling the mid-level pipeline, which continues to be a reliable revenue driver.
• Expanding Planned Giving efforts and reinforcing stewardship to maximize lifetime value.
• Upgrading loyal sustainers’ monthly gifts to grow revenue.
• Continuing to leverage DAFs, QCDs, and stock gifts with intentional, well-crafted offers and promotions.
• Testing new payment methods to reduce barriers to online giving.
• Expanding into new channels to grow the reach of your cornerstone campaigns.
• Prioritizing personalized marketing and higher-value touchpoints to deepen donor commitment.

A Final Word

There’s no doubt the nonprofit world faces complex challenges. However, a smart fundraising strategy with a focus on stewardship can yield powerful results. MWD clients are proof that with the right investments and a forward-thinking mindset, nonprofits can thrive — even in uncertain times.

Let’s keep leaning into what works, adapting boldly, and remembering that every donor relationship is a step toward a more sustainable and impactful future.