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There’s one big thing you should know about the 2018 M+R Benchmarks Study: it’s available to explore online and download free at www.mrbenchmarks.com right now!

And just about everything else you need to know about online fundraising, advocacy, and marketing? It’s all right there in black and white (and pink and yellow—this year’s study is actually quite lovely if we do say so ourselves).

But we know how it is, one data point leads inevitably to the next, each answer begets more questions, so here are a few more big facts:

     + The study includes data from 154 nonprofit participants across nine sectors, covering key metrics for email, website traffic, social media, digital advertising, and more.

     + Overall online revenue increased by 23% in 2017; email-driven revenue kept pace, with 24% growth.

     + Monthly revenue growth was particularly impressive: a 40% increase over 2016. 

     + The average retention rate for online donors was 38%.

     + Digital ad spending increased by 24%, and this year, for the first time, we were able to report benchmark metrics for return-on-ad-spend, including display, social media, and search ads.

     + Desktop users accounted for half of all nonprofit website traffic—and over two-thirds of all donations. But mobile usage is growing fast as a proportion of overall traffic.

     + Each post a nonprofit made on Facebook only reached 7% of its fans in 2017 (and we have a LOT more to say about social media engagement).

Each of these tasty tidbits is just one tiny morsel of the magnificent data smorgasbord that is the 2018 Benchmarks Study. Check out the whole feast now for free >>