Few Nonprofits Do Enough to Make Sure Website Visitors Become Donors, Study Finds

Title: “Expanding Your Nonprofit’s Universe: 2018 Digital Outlook Report”

Organizations: Care2, NTEN, HJC, and the Resource Alliance

Summary: Only 37 percent of nonprofit organizations track whether visitors to their websites also donate to their charity, indicating an urgent need to focus on how websites are helping fundraising, according to a new report.

The survey also found that many groups still struggle with getting their emails delivered to their supporters. Thirty-five percent of groups said email delivery issues have caused problems for them; 45 percent of organizations said they remove inactive email-list subscribers from their databases.

Seventy-one percent of the more than 500 organizations surveyed are in the United States or Canada. The groups spanned many missions, with the largest portion, at 35 percent, being local social-service charities.

The report offers advice and case studies for improving email deliverability, making mobile sites easier for donors to use, and converting more website visitors into supporters.

Among the study’s findings:

• Just over half of the organizations surveyed have employees specifically dedicated to setting digital strategy.
• 52% said they have a mobile-optimized version of their website. 
• 40% have both mobile donation forms and forms that “autofill” a user’s information.
• More charities will be pivoting to video in 2018: Nearly 74 percent said they’ll invest more in producing and distributing online video. Two out of three charities surveyed also said they intend to focus more on converting website visitors into donors.
• Among the types of online communication that will receive fewer resources this year, according to the study: Snapchat (39 percent of groups will cut back), memes (35 percent will do so), and podcasts (27 percent).

The report was produced by Care2, a social network aimed at spurring advocacy; NTEN, an association of technology professionals that work with nonprofits; HJC, an international fundraising consulting company; and the Resource Alliance, a nonprofit that fosters collaboration among charities around the world.