Takeaways from M+R's Benchmarks Study 2026

I’m Holly, ECDA’s training coordinator. Over the past seven years, I’ve been working around the world with digital organizers in vastly different contexts: north to south, small to big, new to institutional and I can tell you that while numbers do vary a little by context, trends are almost always consistent across borders.

Each year, the M+R Benchmarks Study explores 180+ nonprofit digital programs to identify key trends in fundraising, email, social media, web traffic, and more. Although the data is US-based, it remains highly relevant for progressives in Europe tracking different issues and organizational areas. These trends help us identify what is working across the field, spot new developments, and understand what ‘normal’ numbers look like.

I’ve been blessed to spend more than a few hours reading and even more hours thinking about M+R’s Benchmarks Study and wanted to share some insights with you, in case you don’t have time, or simply don’t want to read a 150-page report (if you do, then email me immediately to have a virtual coffee and argue about it!).

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Fundraising

Recurring giving is growing

“Over time, more and more donors have embraced monthly giving. Many nonprofits received a third or more of revenue from recurring donors, with the importance of monthly giving scaling across organizational size and focus.”

While one-off donations are essential for meeting urgent moments, a recurring program is the next level up. It builds deeper connections and provides the budget runway we need to plan for the long-term. 

End-of-year giving

“Nonprofits received 37% of all 2025 online revenue in December.”

When it comes to key fundraising moments, the end of the year is the most effective time to fundraise, especially with organizational asks (rather than campaign specific). After summer, start planning with our End of Year fundraising guide.

The big success story

“Public media saw the biggest increase in donations with an average online revenue increase of 37%. Email revenue alone increased by 130%!”

This was one of the most exciting trends I saw which is giving me hope for the future of independent media. As traditional media fragments, independent journalism has adapted, and supporters are stepping up to fund the work they trust. But you do have to ask...

Email 

A cautionary tale on email

“In 2025, list sizes grew by 5%, but unsubscribes hit 12%.” – This first insight is not pretty, but now pair it with this information “of an average of 50 emails per subscriber, 31 were fundraising appeals and 2 were advocacy calls to action.”

While 50 emails a year is a healthy pace, 31 fundraising requests is too high of a percentage when there are only 2 advocacy actions. By offering diverse ways to contribute such as time, voice, and money, we offer our supporters meaningful ways to get involved, beyond donating. Email programs should have a more equal split across all three pillars, alongside report backs and newsletters every once in a while and for committed supporters.

Social media & influencers

Working with influencers is no longer a niche approach reserved for institutional NGOs or election cycles. It is now a must for reaching our audiences on social media. 

“58% of organizations worked with influencers in 2025. Among those running paid influencer campaigns, 61% used them for fundraising, 74% for advocacy, and 83% for narrative and persuasion work.” 

This shift is reflective of the broader trend toward algorithmic feeds where personal voices carry significantly more weight than follower count of organizational or party profiles.

TikTok, TikTok

“TikTok saw the fastest growth (34%), while X was the only platform to decline (-3%).” 

This growth reflects nonprofit accounts specifically, not the channels themselves. This is a strong signal for progressives to invest in TikTok, which offers genuine growth into new audiences.

Advertising 

Unless you are a political party in the European Union and therefore restricted from running ads via new TPPA laws, advertising remains a vital component for supporter growth and campaign goals.

Nonprofits spent a lot on ads, more than previous years. 

“Nonprofit digital ad spend increased by 18% in 2025, with nonprofits reinvesting $0.10 in digital ads for every dollar of online revenue.” 

Advertising goals

“Most spent (58%) went toward direct fundraising, though smaller organizations notably spent nearly as much on brand awareness.” 

Interestingly, 71% of lead generation (collecting new supporters’ contact information) spend stayed on social media, while advocacy and brand work used a much more diverse media mix. 

CPM & CPL

“The average cost per lead was $2.81. The average CPMs (Cost per mille/cost per 1,000 views) were $16.38 for social media compared to just $3.64 for display ads.” 

META outperforms all others

For ads, Meta remains the best platform for advertising return on investment (ROI): TikTok and Snapchat have struggled for both fundraising and lead gen ROI.

Website performance 

Desktop Vs. Mobile – you need your landing pages designed for both. 

“More nonprofit website traffic came from users on mobile devices than desktop users. Mobile users represented 52% of all visits, with 48% of traffic from users on desktop devices.

However, Desktop users are more likely to donate (57%) and more likely to donate much more. We should keep this in mind when designing the layouts of our landing pages. 

So, how does your digital program compare to these benchmarks?

At ECDA, our mission is to equip progressives with the tools and strategies to grow online communities and mobilize for social change across Europe. Whether through expert training or access to cutting-edge tech, we’re here to help you increase your impact. If you’re ready to audit your digital program, let’s grab 15 minutes to talk sometime - Email me at holly.dawson@centerfordigitalaction.eu