The 2025 Virtuous Benchmark Report offers valuable giving data from 570+ nonprofits; the report includes organizations from sectors such as Human Services, Education, Faith, and Healthcare. To provide the most relevant insights, this data has been analyzed both in aggregate and broken down by the revenue bands of the nonprofits included.
All of the organizations in the report are Virtuous customers. Because Virtuous clients generally perform better than their peers across key benchmark metrics, the data in the report may skew slightly higher compared to similar studies that use different data sets.
In addition to the benchmark data, the report provides actionable next steps for each KPI, helping you turn these insights into measurable improvements. While understanding current performance is essential, the real value lies in how you use this information to make data-driven decisions that improve your organization’s results.
→ Download your copy of the 2025 Benchmark Report HERE.
→ Or for a snapshot, here’s a quick overview of our Benchmark Report this year.
The 7 Metrics that Matter with Benchmarks
This benchmark study focuses on seven key KPIs critical in determining the health of a nonprofit’s fundraising efforts:
1) Gross Donor Retention
2) Average and Median Gift Amount
3) Donor Expansion
4) Recurring Giving
5) Portfolio Balance
6) New Donor Acquisition
7) Donor Lifetime Value
Taken together, these KPIs can help predict the sustainability and potential risks in your fundraising revenue. While improving any single KPI can boost your fundraising results, making improvements across multiple KPIs can have a compounding effect, leading to accelerated growth.
Key Findings in the Virtuous Benchmark Report
The report’s findings emphasize the importance of measuring key fundraising metrics and implementing targeted strategies to improve them. Nonprofits that focus on data-driven decision-making, retention, and donor engagement are better positioned for growth and resiliency.
Key findings include:
1. Donor Retention Increased Slightly
Retention continues to be a key pressure point. While there was a small uptick, the overall trend reflects a need for stronger post-gift engagement and second-gift strategies.
2. Average Gift Held Steady, but Online Average Giving Grew
Average gift amounts didn’t show significant change, but online average gift increased by 4.3%, signaling that digital donors are growing more confident and generous—when presented with compelling, well-structured experiences.
3. Net Donation Retention (Donor Expansion) Was Flat
Giving per retained donor did not show significant growth. Organizations should consider deeper mid-level cultivation and dynamic ask strategies to unlock giving potential among loyal supporters.
4. Giving Shifted Toward Mid-Level Donors
The data showed a modest but meaningful shift in portfolio balance, with more revenue coming from donors in the $1,000–$10,000 range. This tier remains one of the biggest opportunities for scalable growth.
5. Donor Lifetime Value Increased, Even with Fewer Donors
Donor Lifetime Value (LTV) rose, driven by stronger giving behavior from fewer individuals. This reinforces the importance of retention, upgrade strategies, and creating deeper multi-channel relationships with donors.
What to Expect from the Virtuous Benchmark Report
Ultimately, the 2025 Virtuous Benchmark Report offers a roadmap for nonprofit leaders looking to enhance their fundraising performance. By aligning your strategies with these benchmarks and taking action on the insights provided, your organization can build a more sustainable and impactful future.
Download your own copy of the 2025 Benchmark Report HERE.
You can also check out our post: “What to Expect From Virtuous’ 2025 Nonprofit Fundraising Benchmarks.”
