The 2021 Open Data Project [español, français] seeks to gain a better understanding of how nonprofits, NGOs, and charities worldwide use technology for digital marketing and fundraising. At the core of the project is the 2021 Global NGO Technology Survey and the data below is based on the survey responses of 592 online fundraisers. It’s worth noting that in the survey the questions about online fundraising are only presented to those that have working knowledge in online fundraising.

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1) 94% of nonprofits accept online donations through their website. 6% only do so through a third-party website.

2) Of those that accept donations through their website, these are the types of payment methods accepted:

91%: Credit card payments
53%: PayPal
44%: Direct debit payments, such as e-checks and bank transfers
7%: Google Pay
6%: Apple Pay
3%: Amazon Pay
3%: Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum
3%: Mobile Money, such as Vodafone M-Pesa and Airtel Money

3) 50% have online donation forms that provide the option for donors to cover donation processing fees.

4) 77% of nonprofits have a recurring/monthly giving program. When asked about their fundraising experience with recurring/monthly giving programs, survey participants responded:

35%: Our organization has raised the amount of money we expected.
22%: Our organization has raised slightly more money than we expected.
21%: Our organization has raised slightly less money than we expected.
14%: Our organization has raised significantly less money than we expected.
8%: Our organization has raised significantly more money than we expected.

5) 16% use pop-ups on donation page(s) to encourage one-time donors to upgrade to becoming a recurring/monthly donor.

6) 46% of nonprofits offer tribute giving, such as memorials and birthdays. When asked about their fundraising experience with tribute giving, survey participants responded:

50%: Our organization has raised the amount of money we expected.
20%: Our organization has raised slightly more money than we expected.
15%: Our organization has raised slightly less money than we expected.
8%: Our organization has raised significantly less money than we expected.
7%: Our organization has raised significantly more money than we expected.

7) 38% of nonprofits actively implement a year-round retention strategy for online donors.

8) 67% of nonprofits use a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to track donations and manage communications with supporters and donors. Of those, 54% use an all-in-one CRM and online fundraising software while 46% use a CRM software that is separate from their online fundraising software.

9) 15% use a CRM software that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) for donor prospecting, such as predicting what time of year a donor is most likely to give as well as how much they are likely to give.

10) 78% of nonprofits use email automation in their online fundraising. Of those:

70% send automatic donation receipts via email.
32% send automatic year-end tax receipts via email.
32% send an automatic “Welcome” series to new online donors via email.
23% following up on expired credit cards for recurring/monthly donors via email.

11) How the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their nonprofit’s overall online fundraising:

34%: Our organization has raised slightly more money during the COVID-19 pandemic.
22%: Our organization has raised slightly less money during theCOVID-19 pandemic.
16%: Our organization has raised significantly less money during the COVID-19 pandemic.
14%: Our organization has raised significantly more money during the COVID-19 pandemic.
14%: The COVID-19 pandemic has had no impact on our fundraising.

Why the Open Data Project?

Most research about digital marketing and fundraising in the nonprofit sector is based on data from wealthy nations and thus often not applicable to charitable organizations worldwide. The Open Data Project [español, français] was created to address that lack of diversity in data.

Open Data Project Sponsors

	Eventgroove is a one-stop platform for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events that offers event management, online fundraising, ticketing, and online storefronts for print and digital merchandise.
	Funraise combines every fundraising tool that nonprofits need for success—in one easy-to-use platform. Get started with free fundraising tools. Upgrade as you grow.