If you're in nonprofit fundraising, the M+R Benchmarks report is basically required reading.

Every year, M+R drops one of the most comprehensive, data-driven reports on nonprofit digital marketing and fundraising trends. We're talking real numbers from real organizations: hundreds of nonprofits, billions in online giving tracked.

It’s not just a "nice to know" study. It’s the industry’s reality check.

And after digging into the 2025 report (my third year doing it), here’s my honest take:

Shockingly little has changed.

Nonprofits are still obsessing over traffic and clicks—but bleeding donors where it matters most: the donation page.

The opportunity in 2025 isn’t "do more." It's convert better.

Let's get into it.

The Digital Fundraising Baseline: Website and Donation Page Performance

First up: hard numbers straight from the 2025 M+R Benchmarks.

Donation Page Conversion Rates:

• Desktop CVR: 11%
• Mobile CVR: 8%

Translation: more than 87% of potential donors who land on your donation page leave without giving.

Even worse? Mobile traffic is higher than desktop, but mobile CVR is significantly lower.

(Thumbs are no match for slow, clunky donation forms.)

Average Online Gift Sizes:

• One-time gift: $126
• Monthly gift: $24

Sector Highlights:

• Hunger/Poverty nonprofits: $177 one-time, $46 monthly

• Wildlife/Animal Welfare: $61 one-time, $18 monthly

Quick math: It takes just 5.25 months for a $24/month donor to outpace a $126 one-time gift.

Long-term value lives in monthly giving.

Key Takeaways for Nonprofits (If You Actually Want to Grow)

Here’s where things get real.

1. Mobile is the main event now.
Mobile drives the most traffic—but mobile users are still bailing more often. Donation experiences must be frictionless on a smartphone, or you're dead in the water.

2. Monthly donors = your stability plan.
One-time gifts are great, but real growth happens when you invest in recurring relationships.

3. Speed = Revenue.
Every second of friction in your donation flow leaks money and trust. Slow forms, too many fields, confusing prompts? Donors leave.

4. Conversion > Awareness.
Traffic isn’t the bottleneck. The moment of giving is. The "Conversion Rate Gap" (CVR Gap) is the real villain here.

5. Focus on experience, not just exposure.
Your ads, emails, and social posts are doing their job if donors land on your site. But the real question is: does your donation page do its job?

What Nonprofits Should Do Next

The good news? This isn't hopeless. It's fixable.

If you're serious about future-proofing your fundraising, here’s where to start:

• Prioritize mobile-first design. Your biggest audience is already there.
• Pre-select monthly giving on your donation forms. It's easy. It matters.
• A/B test your donation experience. Headlines, gift prompts, recurring nudges — test what actually moves donors.
• Audit your form speed and friction. (Would you donate on your own mobile form? Be honest.)
• Stop chasing traffic for traffic's sake. Optimize for conversion first.

You don't need more tools, more posts, or more gimmicks.

You need a donor experience that respects the moment of giving: fast, simple, human.

The Bottom Line

The future is bright—for the nonprofits willing to think differently.

Donors are still willing. They're still generous. They're still showing up.

But they expect better.

If you meet them with an experience that’s fast, frictionless, and built on trust, you’ll not only close the CVR Gap—you’ll build a donor base that stays with you.

Fix the page. Fix the problem. Let's make 2025 the year nonprofits stop leaking donors and start building real momentum.

Ready to Close Your CVR Gap?

If your donation page is converting below the 8–11% benchmarks — or if your mobile experience feels even a little clunky — you're losing donors you’ve already earned.

Good news: you don't have to guess at what to fix.

👉 Explore the iDonate Demo Lab to see what a high-converting, mobile-first donor experience looks like in real life.
No pressure. Just real examples, real insights — and a real path to closing your CVR Gap for good.