Report Shows Link Between Social Impact Organizations’ Tech Use, Fundraising Revenue Growth

The Blackbaud Institute, a research lab at Blackbaud, a provider of software for powering social impact, released a new report, The Status of Fundraising in the AI Era. Drawing from a national survey of nonprofit professionals, the findings show that social impact organizations with the most technology integration across fundraising, service delivery, supporter/student experience, and internal processes are more likely to report revenue growth.

While 72% of respondents reported that they either met or exceeded their fundraising target over the past 12 months, nonprofit organizations surveyed in the study reported that they continue to face growing expectations to achieve more with fewer resources. The 2025 Status of Fundraising Report takes a comprehensive look at technology adoption, the evolving role of AI, and how leading organizations are using both to optimize fundraising and organizational performance.

“We’re at a pivotal moment where intentional technology use can create transformative change across the sector,” said Carrie Cobb, chief data and AI officer, Blackbaud. “We see a lot of potential for organizations to drive real outcomes by investing in AI, building internal expertise, and establishing ethical frameworks that guide its use. This report shows that those organizations that do so are likely to see impressive benefits.”

Key Findings from the Report:

• Digital maturity is linked to revenue growth: Organizations with higher levels of technology integration are more likely to report revenue growth and less likely to report revenue decline compared to those with more limited tech use.
• The nonprofit sector is embracing AI: 82% of nonprofits are using AI tools—primarily free, generative platforms for content creation. To a lesser but still notable degree, organizations are leveraging AI for prospecting, wealth screening, and A/B testing. Attitudes around the use of AI in fundraising vary based on organization size and digital maturity, but the majority believe that AI will be pervasive in the sector and bring greater efficiency to their organizations.
• There is a clear need for organizational AI policies: Despite the increasing use of AI, sector-wide AI guidance and policies have room for improvement. Only 14% of nonprofits have an AI policy in place.
• Training and integration are critical enablers: 60% of fundraisers say better training would improve technology use, while 56% call for improved system integration to streamline collaboration and increase effectiveness.
• Resourcing remains a key driver of outcomes: Among organizations that grew revenue, 44% credited adequate resourcing as a primary factor—second only to exceptional gifts. In contrast, 51% of those who saw declines cited insufficient resources as the top reason.

Access the "The Status of Fundraising in the AI Era" report here.

Source: Blackbaud

The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of NonProfit PRO.