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Digital fundraising has become essential for nonprofit success, with monthly giving now representing 28% of all online donations. The shift from one-time to recurring donations signals a fundamental change in donor behavior and preferences.
Donors expect seamless mobile experiences, personalized engagement, and complete transparency about their impact. Nonprofits that adapt to these evolving expectations can build stronger donor relationships and secure sustainable funding.
In this guide, we’ll explore five powerful trends shaping online giving in 2025 and offer practical strategies for enhancing your digital fundraising and strengthening donor connections.
Mobile giving is changing how nonprofits raise money, as more donors use their phones and tablets to give. Online fundraising statistics show that 51% of visitors to nonprofit websites are using mobile devices, emphasizing the need for a mobile-friendly site.
According to Nonprofit Source, text-to-donate campaigns are a valuable fundraising method, with online donors contributing an average of $107 per donation. This surpasses the average crowdfunding donation of $66 but falls slightly below the $121 average for one-time online gifts and significantly below the recurring donations average of $288 per year.
In fact, many donors also find nonprofits through their phones, highlighting the importance of mobile optimization for charitable giving.
Actionable insights:
Optimize donation pages for mobile with clear text and minimal scrolling for a seamless experience
Add large, bold call-to-action buttons that make donating fast and easy
Simplify donation forms by keeping fields to a minimum, speeding up the process
Ensure fast loading times to keep donors engaged and reduce the risk of drop-offs
Zeffy's 100% free mobile-optimized donation forms ensure a seamless giving experience, boosting donor conversion rates to 50% above the industry average. With simple features, they outperform the typical 15% rate, even on mobile, where others drop to 9%.
2. Growth of recurring giving programs
Monthly giving programs now generate 42% more revenue than one-time donations, with an average annual contribution of $326 per donor. This predictable income stream helps nonprofits plan long-term projects and maintain consistent program funding throughout the year.
Actionable insights:
Make recurring donation options easy to find on your page with clear choices for monthly, quarterly, or yearly donations
Offer preset donation amounts alongside custom options to cater to different donor preferences
Automate thank-you messages and updates to make recurring donors feel valued and appreciated
Share stories and updates with recurring donors to show how their support is making a real difference
AI is transforming nonprofit fundraising by enabling hyper-personalized donor engagement. It offers tools that go beyond traditional methods, analyzing donor behavior and tailoring outreach to match individual interests. These advancements boost loyalty, strengthen relationships, and increase online revenue.
AI can predict when donors will likely give again, helping nonprofits create targeted campaigns. It identifies high-impact areas on websites like donation pages, and sends timely, personalized impact reports that show donors how their contributions align with their values.
Automation further streamlines communication, generating thank-you messages and invitations that resonate with each donor.
Actionable insights:
Use AI to categorize donors by their behaviour and preferences for more targeted communication
Personalize donation pages and emails based on a donor's giving history, and preferences to make them feel valued
Incorporate AI-driven chatbots to answer donor questions instantly and improve engagement
Social media is changing nonprofit fundraising by allowing nonprofits to run targeted campaigns and build real-time connections with supporters. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter make donating easy, with 21% of all donations coming directly through these sites.
Influencers offer nonprofits a unique way to reach new supporters by blending authenticity with broad reach. Their ability to share personal stories or showcase behind-the-scenes makes campaigns more relatable and engaging.
For instance, a fitness influencer might share their experience participating in a charity run, while an environmental advocate could highlight the reforestation efforts they support.
Influencers act as trusted voices, helping nonprofits build a stronger connection with audiences who value authenticity. Choosing influencers aligned with your mission ensures campaigns feel genuine and leave a lasting impact.
Actionable insights:
Work with influencers who who genuinely resonate with your for better engagement
Co-create campaigns where influencers showcase their involvement by hosting live streams or sharing heartfelt testimonials about your mission’s impact
Align your nonprofit’s vision with influencers’ messaging by sharing clear campaign goals and emphasizing shared values
6. Focus on fundraising platforms that offer transparency
Donors value knowing exactly how their money is used, and platforms that eliminate or reduce fees build trust by ensuring contributions directly support nonprofit missions.
Nonprofit transparency helps to strengthen relationships with their supporters, showing them that their gifts create a real impact. Highlighting this clarity in your messaging encourages donors to feel confident in giving and builds long-term loyalty.
Actionable insights:
Communicate clearly on your donation page how contributions are used
Share real-life examples or success stories of how their donations directly fund programs or create measurable results
Explore 100% free platforms like Zeffy, which operate without any platform or transaction fees, allowing all resources to go directly toward supporting your mission
3 emerging technologies in online fundraising
1. AI chatbots and automated donor communication
AI chatbots provide instant responses to common donor questions and guide them through the donation process, and they are available 24/7. These automated assistants help nonprofits maintain consistent donor support while reducing the workload on their teams.
2. Virtual and augmented reality experiences for engagement
Virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) bring online donors closer to the mission.
For instance, charity: water uses VR to take supporters on virtual tours of clean water projects, letting them see the impact firsthand.
AR offers interactive experiences, such as scanning a flyer to see videos of project milestones or hearing stories directly from those impacted. These technologies deepen donor connections by engaging them in the cause.
3. Blockchain technology for donation transparency
Blockchain is transforming donation transparency by securely tracking every transaction.
BitGive Foundation, for example, uses blockchain to show donors exactly how their funds are spent- from donation to impact. Nonprofits using blockchain give donors confidence as the donors know their contributions go directly to specific projects.
The rise of donor expectations in 2025
In 2025, donors expect more than just a thank-you text message. They want to see how their donations create real change, like funding education or providing clean water.
With new technology, donors also expect easy donation processes, instant updates, and stories that resonate. To keep donors engaged and excited, nonprofits must deliver clear impact reports, simple platforms, and personalized communication.
Demand for transparency and impact reporting
Donors today want to see exactly how their money is making a difference. Nonprofits are stepping up by providing clear impact reports. For example, charity: water shares photos, updates, and GPS coordinates so donors can track their contributions in real-time. This transparency builds trust, making donors feel confident their gifts are truly making an impact.
Simplified and quick donation processes
A fast and easy donation process is a must because donors expect to give with as few clicks as possible. Nonprofits are responding by streamlining donation pages, adding features like one-click donations, and allowing donors to save payment info.
Engaging and interactive donation experiences
Interactive experiences are making donations more memorable. Nonprofits are adding live donation meters, thank-you videos, and updates on how gifts are used.
Show real-time updates on how donations help as it makes donors feel more connected and encourages repeat giving. By meeting these expectations, nonprofits can strengthen relationships and raise more support.
7 best practices for nonprofits adapting to 2025 trends
1. Prioritizing a mobile-first donation strategy
With mobile giving on the rise, optimizing your donation forms is no longer optional. Keep them simple, with just the essential fields and clear buttons to guide donors.
Offering fast payment options like Apple Pay or Google Pay helps donors complete their gifts quickly. Ensure that your forms work on multiple devices. Making donations easy on the mobile device boosts engagement and increases contributions.
2. Enhancing donor retention through personalization
Personalization builds strong bonds with donors, making them feel truly appreciated. Nonprofits can customize their messages to match each donor's giving history and interests.
Addressing donors by name, acknowledging their past contributions, and sharing relevant impact stories keeps them engaged. Personalized thank-you messages build loyalty, encouraging repeat donations and long-term connections.
Data helps nonprofits better understand their donors and communicate more effectively. Nonprofits can analyze fundraising numbers to see which campaigns work, identify which ones don’t, and adjust their strategy for better results.
Segment donors by their giving habits, location, or interests to send hyper-specific messages that connect with each group. This focused approach boosts engagement and increases donations.
4. Using automated emails to keep donors engaged
Automated email sequences are a powerful way to stay connected with donors after they give. Send a thank-you email immediately, as it shows appreciation and reinforces their decision to support your cause.
Follow-up emails with updates or impact stories build trust and loyalty, encouraging donors to give again. Tailor the emails based on how much or how often they donate. This personalized approach shows donors how their support makes a difference, turning them into long-term partners.
5. Tracking website traffic to boost engagement and donations
Tracking website traffic helps nonprofits understand how visitors use their site. By analyzing where people spend the most time, you can see which pages grab attention or which need improvement.
Data like page views, time on page, and bounce rates show what works and what doesn’t. Use these insights to tweak your content, making sure it guides visitors toward donation pages. When your site matches visitor interests, it streamlines the donation process and leads to increased contributions.
Matching gift programs can double each donation, making supporters feel their impact is bigger. However, many donors may not know their employer offers matching gifts, so promoting these opportunities is essential.
Mention matching gifts on donation forms and in thank-you emails to remind donors to check if their company participates. This simple step allows extra funds, raises total donations, and builds a stronger sense of community.
Testing donation page layouts helps find the design that drives more donations. Simple changes like button placement, form length, and page speed can make a big difference. A/B testing lets you compare designs to see which one gets more donations.
Additionally, small tweaks like shortening forms or speeding up load times can further increase donations. A smooth, easy-to-navigate page makes giving faster and easier, increasing support for your mission.
Final thoughts on online giving trends for nonprofits
Staying ahead of online giving trends helps nonprofit organizations connect with today’s digital-first donors.
Mobile-friendly donation pages, personalized messages, and clear impact reports help keep donors engaged and encourage them to give again. Using tools like AI and zero-fee platforms increases contributions and builds donor trust by ensuring their gifts directly support the cause.
Zeffy’s 100% free fundraising platform offers nonprofits a way to collect donations without fees, allowing every dollar to go toward making a difference.
Monthly giving gives nonprofits steady income. To increase revenue, offer donors flexible options, allowing them to choose monthly, quarterly, or yearly payments. Make the signup process simple and quick. Keep monthly donors engaged by sharing updates and showing them how their donations make a lasting impact.
Tracking website traffic helps nonprofits understand how visitors behave. Analyzing popular pages shows which content grabs attention. This allows nonprofits to guide users to donation pages. With this insight, they can improve layouts and calls to action, increasing online donations.
Matching gift programs offer nonprofits a unique opportunity to double donations while leveraging corporate social responsibility. These programs attract more donations by allowing supporters to maximize their impact.
Promoting matching gifts on donation pages and in follow-up emails raises awareness. This also allows nonprofits to tap into extra funds through corporate contributions.
Small nonprofits can stand out by sharing their unique story and showing real impact. Donors connect with clear results, so share success stories through photos or videos. Partnering with local businesses and influencers can help spread the word.
Offering payment options like cryptocurrency or digital wallets appeals to tech-savvy donors. Being transparent about how donations are used builds trust and helps nonprofits compete with large nonprofits.
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Webinar- Online Fundraising: How to Raise the Most on Your Website, Social Media, and More
Watch a free webinar all about online fundraising through your nonprofit website, social media, and email strategy. Learn tangible tips and hacks to reach more donors and raise more for your cause.
