Nonprofit organizations often operate with limited resources, making it critical to track marketing performance efficiently. Benchmarking marketing metrics helps identify what’s working, where to improve, and how your efforts stack up against others in the sector. Here’s how to benchmark nonprofit marketing metrics effectively and some helpful resources to get you started.
1. Define Your Goals First
Before diving into data, clearly define what success looks like. Are you aiming to increase donor retention, raise event attendance, or grow your email list? Your goals will shape which metrics matter most, whether it’s email open rates, social media engagement, or donation conversions.
2. Choose the Right Metrics
Common nonprofit marketing metrics include:
- Email open and click-through rates
- Website traffic and bounce rates
- Social media reach, engagement and follower growth
- Donation conversion rates
- Volunteer sign-up rates
Don’t track everything—focus on metrics tied to your specific goals.
3. Use Industry Benchmarks
Compare your performance to reliable industry benchmarks. Resources like M+R Benchmarks, NTEN, or the Blackbaud Institute offer nonprofit-specific data across channels. For example, the average nonprofit email open rate might be 25%, while a 1% donation conversion rate may be considered solid depending on your campaign.
4. Segment Your Data
Break down your metrics by audience type, campaign, or platform. Understanding how specific donor segments or campaigns perform can uncover more actionable insights than aggregate data alone.
5. Track Over Time
Benchmarking isn’t just external—look inward too. Track your own performance over months and years to identify trends, seasonal shifts, and the impact of strategy changes. Improvement over your past performance is as meaningful as beating industry averages.
6. Leverage Tools for Reporting
Use tools like Google Analytics, Mailchimp email reports, and social media insights dashboards to collect and visualize your data. Create consistent reporting templates so you’re comparing apples to apples each quarter.
7. Learn and Adjust
Benchmarking is only valuable if it leads to action. Use insights to refine messaging, reallocate budget, or test new tactics. Celebrate wins—and dig into underperformance to discover opportunities.
By focusing on meaningful metrics, using relevant comparisons, and committing to continuous improvement, nonprofits can maximize their marketing impact—even on a tight budget. Here are some benchmarking resources sites to help you get started.
| Source | Website | Focus Areas |
| M+R Benchmarks | mrbenchmarks.com | Email, digital ads, fundraising, web & social media metrics |
| Blackbaud Institute Index | institute.blackbaud.com | Fundraising performance, donor trends – See also https://www.blackbaud.ca/industry-insights/resources/the-status-of-canadian-fundraising-2024-benchmark-report |
| Wordstream | https://www.wordstream.com/ppc-benchmarks | Search advertising benchmarks |
| MailChimp | https://mailchimp.com/resources/email-marketing-benchmarks/ | |
| TechSoup | https://blog.techsoup.org/posts/nonprofit-website-benchmarks-2022-2023 | Digital marketing |
| Constant Contact | https://knowledgebase.constantcontact.com/email-digital-marketing/articles/KnowledgeBase/5409-average-industry-rates?lang=en_US | |
| Campaign Monitor | https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/guides/email-marketing-benchmarks/ | |
| Hubspot | https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics | Technology, digital marketing |
| NTEN | nten.org | Technology use, digital strategy, IT benchmarks |
| Meltwater | https://www.meltwater.com/en/state-of-social-media | Social media and digital marketing reports |
| Social Status | https://www.socialstatus.io/insights/social-media-benchmarks/ | Social Media Benchmarks |
| Rivaling | https://www.rivaliq.com/blog/social-media-industry-benchmark-report/#title-nonprofits | Social Media Benchmarks by industry |
| Advanced Web Ranking | https://www.advancedwebranking.com/free-seo-tools/google-organic-ctr | Industry guide on recent organic search |
| Neon One USA Reports | neonone.com/resources | Donor retention, engagement, fundraising metrics, including US charity email |
| Fundraising Effectiveness Project (AFP/FEP) | afpglobal.org/fep | Retention rates, gift frequency, fundraising growth |
| Charity Benchmark | charitybenchmark.co.uk | Financials, donor income, sector comparisons (UK focus) |
| Canada Helps | https://www.canadahelps.org/en/the-giving-report/ | CanadaHelps and analysis of the latest tax filer data. |
| Nonprofit Tech for Good | https://www.nptechforgood.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Nonprofit-Tech-for-Good-Report-Final2-2023.pdf | How Nonprofits use technology for marketing and fundraising |
| ComScore | https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Presentations-and-Whitepapers/2025/Canada-2025-Digital-Year-in-Review | Digital Media Canada |
| Wholewhale | https://www.wholewhale.com/tips/2024-nonprofit-advertising-benchmark-study/ | Nonprofit paid advertising report USA |