Compare Your Donation to The Average
Are you curious about how your fundraising compares to others? We used Zeffy to examine millions of donations from nonprofits across the U.S. to find out what the averages are.
A quick note about the data:
These numbers show average donation amounts from thousands of nonprofits. But keep in mind, every organization is different. Things like your size, how long you’ve been around, where you're located, and who your donors are can all affect your results. Use these benchmarks as a helpful reference, not a final grade!
Why These Benchmarks Matter
For many nonprofits, fundraising happens in a vacuum. You're focused on your campaigns, your donors, your challenges—and it’s hard to know what’s “normal.”
These benchmarks offer a snapshot of what’s typical for similar orgs. They can be a useful piece of information when you need to:
- Support a budget or board conversation
- Forecast a campaign or event
- Set internal expectations
- Think critically about donation patterns or ticket pricing
The numbers won’t tell you what to do. But (we hope!) they help you ask better questions. So let’s dive in…
Donations by Cause
- Religion: $244
- Health: $198
- Political: $186
- Humanitarian: $182
- Social Service: $161
- Community Service: $150
- Veterans: $150
- Environment: $145
- Culture: $135
- Education: $130
- Sports & Leisure: $127
- Animal Welfare: $123
- Student Groups: $95
What’s happening here?
Religious organizations usually receive bigger donations. That might be because of recurring gifts or strong, long-time support from their communities.
Health, humanitarian, and political causes also get higher average donations, especially when people feel a personal or emotional connection to the cause, or there’s a sense of urgency.
Meanwhile, student and cultural groups often attract younger or wider audiences, who tend to give smaller amounts.
Donations by State
- District of Columbia: $222
- Montana: $213
- Hawaii: $209
- Oklahoma: $191
- Alaska: $189
- New York: $185
- California: $178
- Vermont: $169
- Ohio: $132
- Rhode Island: $117
- Idaho: $98
Most states fall between $140–$170 per donation.
What’s happening here?
Urban and high-cost areas like D.C., New York, and California tend to see higher average donations. That’s often because of big-ticket events or donors who can give more.
States with lower averages, like Idaho and Rhode Island, may have more grassroots or community-driven campaigns. That usually means more people giving, but in smaller amounts.
Beyond the Benchmarks
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to fundraising, but knowing what’s typical can help you plan smarter and build more confidence around your numbers.
Whether you're prepping for your next board meeting, launching a campaign, or just curious how you stack up, we hope these benchmarks give you a solid starting point.
Want to see how you stack up? Use Zeffy’s free benchmarking tool to compare your donation and ticketing data by cause and state.
Disclaimer
The benchmark data presented reflects aggregated industry averages and is intended for general informational purposes only. Individual organization performance may vary due to numerous factors, including but not limited to mission focus, donor demographics, fundraising strategies, and external market conditions. Deviations from these benchmarks should not be interpreted as indicative of Zeffy’s platform performance or efficacy.
Why These Benchmarks Matter
For many nonprofits, fundraising happens in a vacuum. You're focused on your campaigns, your donors, your challenges—and it’s hard to know what’s “normal.”
These benchmarks offer a snapshot of what’s typical for similar orgs. They can be a useful piece of information when you need to:
- Support a budget or board conversation
- Forecast a campaign or event
- Set internal expectations
- Think critically about donation patterns or ticket pricing
The numbers won’t tell you what to do. But (we hope!) they help you ask better questions. So let’s dive in…
Donations by Cause
- Religion: $244
- Health: $198
- Political: $186
- Humanitarian: $182
- Social Service: $161
- Community Service: $150
- Veterans: $150
- Environment: $145
- Culture: $135
- Education: $130
- Sports & Leisure: $127
- Animal Welfare: $123
- Student Groups: $95
What’s happening here?
Religious organizations usually receive bigger donations. That might be because of recurring gifts or strong, long-time support from their communities.
Health, humanitarian, and political causes also get higher average donations, especially when people feel a personal or emotional connection to the cause, or there’s a sense of urgency.
Meanwhile, student and cultural groups often attract younger or wider audiences, who tend to give smaller amounts.
Donations by State
See all average donations by state
- District of Columbia: $222
- Montana: $213
- Hawaii: $209
- Oklahoma: $191
- Alaska: $189
- New York: $185
- California: $178
- Vermont: $169
- Ohio: $132
- Rhode Island: $117
- Idaho: $98
Most states fall between $140–$170 per donation.
What’s happening here?
Urban and high-cost areas like D.C., New York, and California tend to see higher average donations. That’s often because of big-ticket events or donors who can give more.
States with lower averages, like Idaho and Rhode Island, may have more grassroots or community-driven campaigns. That usually means more people giving, but in smaller amounts.
Beyond the Benchmarks
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to fundraising, but knowing what’s typical can help you plan smarter and build more confidence around your numbers.
Whether you're prepping for your next board meeting, launching a campaign, or just curious how you stack up, we hope these benchmarks give you a solid starting point.
Want to see how you stack up? Use Zeffy’s free benchmarking tool to compare your donation and ticketing data by cause and state.
Disclaimer
The benchmark data presented reflects aggregated industry averages and is intended for general informational purposes only. Individual organization performance may vary due to numerous factors, including but not limited to mission focus, donor demographics, fundraising strategies, and external market conditions. Deviations from these benchmarks should not be interpreted as indicative of Zeffy’s platform performance or efficacy.
Snapshot (as of May 2025):
- Measurement period: January 2022 – May 2025
- 50,000+ nonprofits included
- Based on anonymized data from Zeffy platform activity
- Includes donation transactions
Snapshot (as of May 2025):
- Measurement period: January 2022 – May 2025
- 50,000+ nonprofits included
- Based on anonymized data from Zeffy platform activity
- Includes donation transactions
© 2025 Zeffy, inc. All rights reserved.
Cookie settings
We use cookies
We use cookies to improve your experience on our platform. By clicking “Accept all cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage and assist in our marketing efforts.
