Q1 2026 Digital Fundraising Report

A six-quarter Google Ads benchmark across Brand, Non-Brand, and PMAX — revealing what actually separates nonprofit programs that hold their gains from ones that don't.

Q4 spikes. Q1 tells the truth.

Stripped of the holiday tailwind, Q1 is the clearest read of the year on which fundraising programs have built something durable — and which were riding a seasonal high that didn’t survive January. This issue draws on six consecutive quarters of Google Ads data, Q4 2024 through Q1 2026, across 15 nonprofit organizations, tracking Rolling RoAS by Campaign Type across Brand, PMAX, and Non-Brand.

Three insights from this issue:

The execution gap is widening. The strongest programs are pulling ahead because they’re managed more consistently year-round — not because they spend more.
PMAX needs signal continuity. Programs that cut too deeply after Q4 risk forcing the algorithm to rebuild from scratch.
CPD completes the picture. RoAS shows efficiency. Cost per donation shows whether donor growth is actually healthy.

Download the full Q1 2026 issue for the complete benchmark data, campaign-by-campaign breakdowns, and what to watch heading into Q2.

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Delve Deeper into Digital Fundraising is written for nonprofit leaders navigating a changing donor landscape.

Written by Delve Deeper team members in the thick of the work, the newsletter explores practical solutions for challenges like disconnected data, weak segmentation, lack of personalization, and inefficient media.