2023 Trends for Nonprofit Professionals

Nonprofit organizations play a vital role in society by providing services and support to those in need. The past few years have been particularly challenging for nonprofits, as they have had to navigate the impact of the pandemic and economic uncertainty.  

However, despite these challenges, nonprofits have continued to serve their communities and have demonstrated their resilience and adaptability. Our 2023 Nonprofit Trend Report provides insight into the current state of the nonprofit sector, highlighting trends in fundraising, donor behavior and technology adoption. 

In this blog post, we will delve into some of our key findings and discuss what they mean for the future of nonprofit organizations. 

Nonprofits face hiring and retention challenges  

The nonprofit sector is the third largest private employer in the United States¹, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t facing the same hiring challenges that many other sectors are.  

According to recent data, 86% of nonprofits report difficulty in retaining their employees², and the annual turnover rate has increased by 10% compared to 2020 figures³.  

That said, 55% of fundraisers say they took their current job because of their belief in the mission⁴, so igniting your team’s passion and providing them with the tools to champion the cause can help keep your team engaged and onboard. 

Diversified communication helps reach new audiences 

Demographic shifts are also influencing how nonprofits communicate with their prospects and donors.  

Email marketing still results in one-third of online fundraising revenue⁵, and organizations are six times more likely to get a click-through from an email than from Twitter⁶. In fact, while social media is great for building cause awareness, the organic reach is low compared to other forms of fundraising.  

Nonprofits are impacted by economic uncertainty 

The continued economic and geo-political volatility creates fundraising uncertainty, and inflation, layoffs, and talk of a recession in 2023 could affect donors more this coming year⁷. Because of this, flexibility in donation amounts and methods remains a key priority.  

However, many next-gen donors are driven by contributing to causes (like DEI initiatives) and they may be more likely to increase their donation from the year before and make other sacrifices to donate. Older donors, on the other hand, are more likely to be pessimistic about the economy and cancel a recurring donation⁸.  

Get creative with events 

In-person events are back, but virtual options shouldn’t be neglected. Virtual events provide various benefits, such as overcoming geographical limitations, increasing reach through ease of access and limiting costs on travel or other expenditures⁹.  

Additionally, pandemic trends like Gaming for Good and Streaming for Good continue to be ways to reach a broader audience and engage new donors10.  

Stay up to date with nonprofit trends  

In times of uncertainty, nonprofits must be aware of trends and how they affect their ability to execute on their mission. With the right tools, this becomes a no-brainer. 

Nexis® for Development Professionals helps you stay abreast of what’s happening across the fundraising landscape. With industry and company information, wealth indicators and more, you can track trends that impact fundraising and continuously update your donor database with relevant details.  

Learn more about these and other trends in our 2023 Nonprofit Trend Report here.  

1 Risk and Compliance
2 Nonprofit HR
3 Ibid. 
4 Chronicle of Philanthropy
5 Ibid.
6 Charity Digital
7 Chronicle of Philanthropy
8 Charity Digital
9 Ibid.