Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:
Jessica Bosanko, M+R Strategic Services
(646) 624-5053 or jbosanko(at)mrss.com

Holly Ross, Nonprofit Technology Network
(415) 397-9000 or holly(at)nten.org

New Study Shows Nonprofits Raised 19% More Money Online in 2007

2008 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study of Leading Nonprofit Organizations Shows Email Open & Response Rates Down While Email Lists & Online Fundraising Continue to Grow

New York, NY (April 24, 2008) — A new study released this week measuring internet fundraising and activism of nonprofits highlights the continued importance of the Internet to mission-focused groups. The 2008 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study, co-authored by M+R Strategic Services and Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN), updates industry benchmarks from a 2006 study, which was a first of its kind to look at the overall effectiveness of nonprofits using the Internet. The 2008 study adds new depth to earlier findings with additional data on the importance of major donors and 'super activists.'

"We are now several years into this revolution in online communications," says Sarah DiJulio, executive vice president at M+R Strategic Services and a study co-author. "But too many nonprofit organizations are still clamoring for meaningful data – data about their email program, how their program compares to others, and data that tells us how the industry is changing. This study helps nonprofits identify key success metrics to evaluate their programs."

"Many nonprofits have seen the response rates of their online fundraising and advocacy efforts change over time," says NTEN's Executive Director Holly Ross, also a study co-author. "With the 2008 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study they can finally compare the changes they are experiencing against other nonprofits and more clearly evaluate their programs."

The 2008 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study analyzes data from 2006 and 2007 and, in combination with the original 2006 study, provides meaningful data on the 3-year landscape of nonprofit email, fundraising and advocacy. The data came from 21 major national nonprofits working on environmental, legal/civil rights, health and international aid issues.

Some key findings of the 2008 study include:

The total amount raised online increased by 19 percent from 2006 to 2007.
The average nonprofit study partner sent an average of just over 4 emails per subscriber per month in both 2006 and 2007.
Email open rates, click-through rates and response rates have fallen from 2006 to 2007. Open rates have fallen from 21.3 percent to 17.6 percent, and click-through rates have dropped from 4.9 percent to 3.8 percent.
The annual churn rate, or the rate at which an email list 'goes bad' in a year, dropped two percentage points (from 21 percent to 19 percent) between 2006 and 2007, a positive trend.
The average advocacy email response rate in 2007 was 7.5%. The average fundraising email response rate was 0.13%.
While $1,000+ gifts made up just 1 percent of overall online donations in 2007, these gifts made up 20 percent of the amount raised online.
A significant portion (almost 60 percent) of the participants' subscribers did not take any online advocacy actions over the course of 2007.
'Super activists,' the subscribers taking 6 or more online actions in a year, made up just 5 percent of the total email list size but accounted for 42 percent of the organizations' total actions.

The 2008 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

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