2013 Fundraising Effectiveness Survey Report

While net fundraising revenue increased $34 million in 2012 on a year-over-year basis, every $100 gained was offset by $96 in losses through gift or donor attrition, a new report from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project finds. Based on a survey of nearly three thousand U.S. nonprofit organizations conducted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Urban Institute, the 2013 Fundraising Effectiveness Survey Report (28 pages, PDF) found that an increase of $769 million in new gifts was offset by losses of $735 million through reduced gifts and lapsed donors. Similarly, a gain of 866,000 new and previously lapsed donors was offset by the loss of 909,000 lapsed donors, for a net decline of 44,000 donors. The survey also found that organizations that raised at least $500,000 saw an average net gain of 16.6 percent in revenues, while organizations that raised between $100,000 and $500,000 had an average net loss of 5.1 percent and those raising less than $100,000 lost 13.5 percent on average.