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In a year marked by economic uncertainty, federal funding loss, and growing pressure on fundraising teams, one finding stands out: events are still delivering.
According to new data from Bonterra in its 2026 Fundraising Outlook Report, developed in partnership with OneCause, of the 97% of nonprofits polled that reported holding an event during 2025, 77% met or exceeded their event fundraising goals, with nonprofits who hosted exclusively in-person or a mix of in-person, virtual, and/or hybrid events delivering the strongest returns.
Nonprofits that did not host events saw significantly weaker results: 46% fell short of fundraising targets. The data underscores a clear pattern: events continue to anchor fundraising success by driving both revenue and donor engagement.
The data is from 1,273 nonprofit professionals,
“This year’s findings reveal a sector adapting quickly to shifting donor expectations and funding realities,” Scott Brighton, CEO at Bonterra, said via a statement. “Fundraisers are meeting these challenges with creativity, data-informed decision making, and a renewed focus on relationships. They’re leaning into the channels and technologies that deepen connection — like events, community engagement, and AI — to build more stable and sustainable paths forward.”
Funding loss is driving nonprofits back to their most reliable revenue sources. While nonprofits continue to adapt, financial strain remains a defining theme with 60% of respondents report being challenged by a sudden or significant loss of external funding, including government grants and contract changes. Concern is widespread: 90% expect these challenges to persist into 2026.
To fill these gaps, nonprofits are turning toward the most proven, dependable revenue streams:
- Fundraising events (24%)
- Corporate sponsorships (23%)
- Major gifts and planned giving (22%)
- Online giving campaigns (18%)
Given events’ consistently strong performance and donor-engagement value, their role as a revenue stabilizer is expected to grow even further in the coming year.
Donor Challenges Reshaping Priorities
Nonprofits entered 2025 facing heightened donor expectations, rapid shifts in attention, and increased competition for engagement. The top challenges include donor engagement, donor fatigue, and recurring giving. These pressures are driving a renewed focus on donor loyalty, deeper stewardship, and relationship-building.
These pressures are shaping priorities for the year ahead:
- 97% list donor acquisition as a top priority;
- 96% will prioritize donor retention; and,
- 95% aim to increase revenue from existing campaigns.
Events, with their built-in connection and immediacy, remain a powerful solution to donor fatigue and a catalyst for deeper, more sustained donor relationships.
Event Ambassador Fundraising: A High-Potential Channel
As fundraising teams operate under the strain of limited capacity, supporters are becoming an increasingly important extension of nonprofit reach.
- 6 in 10 nonprofits have asked supporters to fundraise around events;
- Only 11% say those efforts are very effective; and,
- An overwhelming 96% say it is important to leverage supporters more effectively.
This gap between enthusiasm and effectiveness points to the need for more structured, scalable supporter engagement models to transform these efforts into consistent, predictable growth engines. As the report notes, event ambassador fundraising gives supporters clear roles, tools, and influence tracking, creating a more reliable and repeatable way to drive attendance, giving, and outreach.
You can download the full report here.
