About Grow Progress
We are a team of political and nonprofit strategists and research experts. We know the challenges of modern comms campaigns firsthand and are passionate about building research tools that make it easy and affordable for our partners to better understand and inspire their audiences.
"We went from having no tested messaging to... being able to go to our advocates and say, we know that talking in jargon isn't what works. We know that talking in real-world terms and real-world impacts is what works."
Laurie O.
Conservation Law Foundation
Laurie O.
Conservation Law Foundation
"The results are pretty stunning...I've shared the results of our test with partners, including elected officials, who are hungry for help... in this moment of intense polarization."
"We went from having no tested messaging to... being able to go to our advocates and say, we know that talking in jargon isn't what works. We know that talking in real-world terms and real-world impacts is what works."
"The results are pretty stunning...I've shared the results of our test with partners, including elected officials, who are hungry for help on how to effectively communicate about refugee issues in this moment of intense polarization."
Sarah Sheffer
Refugees International
Sarah Sheffer
Refugees International
New Nonprofit Benchmark Report:
Which Campaigns Actually Motivated Donors To Give?
The fundraising landscape is more competitive than ever. Federal support has shrunk, and donors are forced to choose which organizations to support, and which donation letters to ignore. So how do nonprofits compete in this new reality?
Grow Progress set out to answer one of the most essential questions: which organizations are running the most persuasive donation campaigns?
We tested 33 ads from 14 major nonprofits to identify what separates the appeals that move donors from the ones that don't.
What's in the Benchmark Report:
- The full leaderboard: All 33 ads ranked across favorability, trust, and donation intent.
- The emotional lever that drives donations: Why urgency and hope pull different outcomes, and when to use each.
- The truth about lapsed donors: (they're actually harder to convince than new donors.)
- What brand recognition actually buys you: Two top-recognized names started equal. Only one moved people.
- The one strategy that doesn't work: (It might already be in your next creative brief.)
- The methodology behind the score: What we tested, and how to read the results.
The fundraising landscape is more competitive than ever. Federal support has shrunk, and donors are forced to choose which organizations to support, and which donation letters to ignore. So how do nonprofits compete in this new reality?
Grow Progress set out to answer one of the most essential questions: which organizations are running the most persuasive donation campaigns?
We tested 33 ads from 14 major nonprofits to identify what separates the appeals that move donors from the ones that don't.
Which Campaigns Actually Motivated Donors To Give?
Nonprofit Benchmarks Report
FAQ
What's in the Benchmark Report:
- The full leaderboard: All 33 ads ranked across favorability, trust, and donation intent.
- The emotional lever that drives donations: Why urgency and hope pull different outcomes, and when to use each.
- The truth about lapsed donors: (they're actually harder to convince than new donors.)
- What brand recognition actually buys you: Two top-recognized names started equal. Only one moved people.
- The one strategy that doesn't work: (It might already be in your next creative brief.)
- The methodology behind the score: What we tested, and how to read the results.
Can I understand the findings in the benchmark report without a research team?
Yes. The report is written for busy nonprofit fundraising and marketing teams, not just researchers.
Is the persuasion intelligence data in this report only useful to big organizations with big budgets?
No. Pre-testing and persuasion intelligence is a critical part of the fundraising process, whether you're a massive nonprofit testing a national TV campaign or a five-person org preparing its annual appeal letter.
Why is this report relevant?
We're providing this free benchmark report to help organizations see what's working in the field so they can implement persuasion intelligence best practices into their daily work. We work closely with nonprofits of all size to help improve their impact, craft messages that persuade, and gain actionable insights into what motivates their donors.
Can I understand the findings in the benchmark report without a research team?
Yes. The report is written for busy nonprofit fundraising and marketing teams, not just researchers.
Is the persuasion intelligence data in this report only useful to big organizations with big budgets?
No. Pre-testing and persuasion intelligence is a critical part of the fundraising process, whether you're a massive nonprofit testing a national TV campaign or a five-person org preparing its annual appeal letter.
Why is this report relevant?
We're providing this free benchmark report to help organizations see what's working in the field so they can implement persuasion intelligence best practices into their daily work. We work closely with nonprofits of all size to help improve their impact, craft messages that persuade, and gain actionable insights into what motivates their donors.
FAQ