--- title: RKD's 2025 Humanitarian Mid-Year Benchmark image: https://info.rkdgroup.com/hubfs/HUM%20-%20Featured%20Image%20300x175.png --- Theme + Migration = $1489 (Pay for the Theme Only). [Learn More.](https://www.lpd-themes.com/migration) [![logo-rkd](https://info.rkdgroup.com/hubfs/Assets/logo-rkd.svg "logo-rkd")](https://rkdgroup.com/) [![logo-rkd](https://info.rkdgroup.com/hubfs/Assets/logo-rkd.svg "logo-rkd")](https://rkdgroup.com/) [![logo-rkd](https://info.rkdgroup.com/hubfs/Assets/logo-rkd.svg "logo-rkd")](https://rkdgroup.com/) [![logo-rkd](https://info.rkdgroup.com/hubfs/Assets/logo-rkd.svg "logo-rkd")](https://rkdgroup.com/) # 2025 Humanitarian Action Mid-Year Benchmark Table of Contents #### [Introduction](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Introduction) - [A note from RKD's Marketing Science Team](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Note) - [Top takeaways](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Takeaways) - [RKD's recommendations](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Recommendations) - [About the report](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#About-report) #### [Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#KPIs) - [Revenue](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#revenue) - [Revenue: Including $10,000+ gifts](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Revenue-gifts) - [Active donors](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Active-donors) - [Revenue per active donor](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Revenue-per-active-donor) - [Average gift](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Average-gift) - [Gift frequency](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Gift-frequency) #### [Acquisition and reactivation](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Reactivation) #### [Monthly giving](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Monthly-giving) #### [See how other sectors performed](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Other-sectors-performed) #### [About RKD Group](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#About-RKD)   # Introduction Through the first half of 2025, many large nonprofit organizations experienced a mix of both challenges and wins in their fundraising: - While new donor acquisition has become more expensive and unpredictable, donor retention has become more critical. - We’ve seen strong results from optimized digital platforms, like donation pages, online experiences and mobile giving. - Monthly giving continues to grow online revenue. - Donor data and AI tools are empowering nonprofits to tailor outreach and personalize stewardship. - Multichannel strategy has proven to be a powerful driver for donor acquisition and retention. For this benchmark report, we analyzed 10 large nonprofits in the relief and development and social services spaces. This resource gives us a pulse check on how these organizations are performing. By sharing big-picture bright spots and challenges, we can see trends that one organization cannot access on its own. RKD’s mid-year benchmark report offers a data-driven snapshot of fundraising performance from national and global humanitarian organizations. This first-of-its-kind resource represents approximately 2.4 million donors and provides valuable insights into donor behavior, revenue trends and opportunities for growth. The data offers strategic guidance to help plan effectively while sustaining the vital mission of meeting critical needs at home and abroad. *—Amanda Wasson, Executive Vice President, RKD Group* ## A Note from RKD's Marketing Science Team   --- ## Here is a look at our top 3 takeaways:   1 Year-to-date revenue has minimally decreased Looking at giving under $10,000, year to date (YTD) revenue is flat at -0.4% from 2024 to 2025. The growth trend is slowing down after two years of larger revenue growth. 2 Fewer donors are giving more When comparing the first six months of 2024 to those of 2025, the number of active donors contracted by 3.2% while revenue per active donor increased 2.9%. 3 Transformational giving remains steady Major gifts (those $10,000 or more) comprised 34% of total revenue, and mid-level giving represented 14% of total revenue—a consistent rate since the COVID-19 pandemic. --- Funding shortages are increasing the need for donations, and donors understand. However, inflation and increased recession sentiments are driving more donors to give less, so we need to look to strong mid-, major and monthly donor relations to grow our impact. Strategically, our recommendations to optimize revenue for the remainder of 2025 are:    ***1.   Prioritize stewardship* ** Stewardship is essential at every level of giving. Focus on retention, especially of multi-year donors, who made up 41% of active donors and contributed 62% of revenue under $10,000 in 2024.  As economic conditions improve and younger donor preferences evolve, strategies must shift. Storytelling, segmentation and identity-driven giving are needed to meet donor expectations.    ***2.   Continue growing monthly donors and ask for extra gifts  *** RKD’s humanitarian action clients are making great progress growing their monthly donors, who now account for about 18% of giving under $10,000. As revenue from this group continues to rise, it’s crucial to keep investing in and nurturing monthly giving programs.  Additionally, extra gifts from monthly donors represent 42% of all revenue from this valuable cohort. When used at a relevant time, an incremental ask strategy can prove to be greatly beneficial.    ***3.   Focus on major-giving portfolios  * ** As we approach the holiday season, consider how you’re building a pipeline from direct response to major giving. Major gifts comprise 34% of all revenue—the lowest of all our verticals. Investing in major giving is a must to develop this segment.    --- ## About the report What we measured  The 2025 Humanitarian Action Mid-Year Benchmark Report contains full-file data from 10 RKD U.S. and global humanitarian organizations, representing data from January 1, 2020, to June 30, 2025. This data includes metrics such as total revenue, active donors, average gift and gift frequency. Contributions of $10,000 or more were filtered out to provide insights into both overall revenue and direct-response revenue.    ## Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) - [Revenue](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#revenue) - [Revenue including $10,000+ gifts](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Revenue-gifts) - [Active donors](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Active-donors) - [Revenue per active donor](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Revenue-per-active-donor) - [Average gift](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Average-gift) - [Gift frequency](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-humanitarian-mid-year-benchmark#Average-gift) ### Revenue down 0.4% From FY24 to FY25, revenue excluding gifts $10,000 or more decreased 0.4% year to date. This decline is minimal and encourages us to bolster our year-end fundraising efforts.  ### Revenue including $10,000+ gifts up 5.2% Year to date, revenue including major gifts ($10,000+) grew 5.2% from 2024 to 2025. For 2025 thus far, major gifts represent 34% of revenue, mid-level gifts ($1,000 - $9,999) 14% and general gifts 52%.  ### Active donors down 3.2% FY24 to FY25 YTD, the number of active donors decreased 3.2%. Active donor files have slightly contracted. This data affirms ongoing acquisition challenges.  ### Revenue per active donor up 2.9% For gifts under $10,000, the revenue per donor grew 2.9% from 2024 to 2025 YTD. It’s great to see this metric grow year after year.  ### Average gift up 1.2% The average gift grew 1.2%, or $0.85, from FY24 to FY25 YTD. It’s encouraging to see a new high after a few years of fluctuation.  ### Gift frequency up 1.7% Comparing the first half of 2024 to that of 2025, gift frequency has increased 1.7%. This change of 0.04 is minimal yet encouraging to see year after year.    ## Acquisition and reactivation ### New and reactivated donors down 23.5% New and reactivated donors decreased 13.0% from 2024 to 2025 YTD. As new donor acquisition declines, now’s a good time to focus on the value of reactivated donors and improvements for new donor acquisition.    ## Monthly Giving ### Recurring revenue up 12.4% From FY24 to FY25 YTD, revenue from monthly sustainers increased 23.5%. The number of recurring donors and the amount of recurring revenue year to date has increased every year from 2020 to 2025, affirming the great potential of monthly giving programs.    ### See how other sectors performed Access Report [Animal Care](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-animal-care-mid-year-benchmark) Access Report [Food Bank](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-food-bank-mid-year-benchmark) Access Report [Missions](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-missions-mid-year-benchmark) Access Report [Health & Hospitals](https://info.rkdgroup.com/rkd-2025-health-hospitals-mid-year-benchmark) ### About RKD Group RKD Group is the growth architect for nonprofits. We design fundraising and marketing programs that accelerate donor engagement and net revenue for your organization. We simplify complexity and scale your impact through bold strategy, creative orchestration and audience-led insights.  What does that mean exactly? Simply put: We help your fundraising thrive.  [Reach out to us](https://rkdgroup.com/lets-chat/) and discover expertly crafted, optimized fundraising.  ## © RKD Group. All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy](https://rkdgroup.com/privacy-policy/)