2009 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study of Leading Nonprofit Organizations Shows that More People are Giving But the Average Gift Size Has Decreased

Washington, D.C., May 14, 2009 — The 2009 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study released May 14th found that among 32 leading nonprofit organizations, online fundraising grew by 26% in 2008 over 2007, but that the average gift size has decreased by 21%.

Co-authored by M+R Strategic Services and the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN), the eNonprofit Benchmarks Study measures the effectiveness of nonprofit internet fundraising and activism programs and highlights the critical importance of the Internet to mission-focused organizations.

"The good news is, online fundraising still growing. It's weathering the storm better than other fundraising channels," says Marc Ruben, Vice President at M+R Strategic Services and a study co-author. "The bad news is, the pace of growth has slowed. More people are giving online, but they're giving less."

Some key findings of the 2009 study include:

* Online fundraising was up by 26%.
* Email fundraising and advocacy response rates held steady this year, compared to declines in previous years.
* The average online gift size was $71, down $15 from the previous year. This decline was most pronounced in the fourth quarter of 2008.
* Email lists continue to grow, though more slowly every year: growth was at 17 percent in 2008, down from 19 percent in 2007 and 21 percent in 2006.

The 2009 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study analyzes data from 2008 and evaluates the changing landscape of nonprofit email programs, fundraising and advocacy. The data came from 32 major nonprofits working on environmental, legal/civil rights, health and international aid issues.

The study is the first of its kind to define industry-wide metrics for emails sent to sub-segments of a nonprofit organization's email list, as determined by past online actions or donations, geographical location, or interest in a particular issue. The study also breaks out data by sector, including for the first time an analysis of local and state-based groups' online performance.

The 2009 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study is available online at www.e-benchmarksstudy.com.

About M+R Strategic Services:
M+R is dedicated to helping our clients advance their missions in order to bring about positive change. We do this by helping organizations and campaigns we believe in develop smart and effective strategies, hone their messages, mobilize their members, build grassroots support, raise money and communicate effectively with the media, the public and decision-makers, both online and offline. www.mrss.com

About The Nonprofit Technology Network:
NTEN aspires to a world where all nonprofit organizations skillfully and confidently use technology to meet community needs and fulfill their missions. We connect our members to each other, provide professional development opportunities, educate our constituency on issues of technology use in nonprofits, and spearhead ground-breaking research, advocacy and education on technology issues affecting our entire community. www.nten.org