Why Digital Maturity Matters More Than Ever in Fundraising
In the nonprofit world, results matter. They fuel your mission, fund your programs, and build the trust of donors and stakeholders. And as the 2025 Blackbaud Status of Fundraising report makes clear: digital maturity is one of the strongest predictors of fundraising success.
Whether you’re a lean team or a well-resourced shop, organizations with higher digital maturity are significantly more likely to grow revenue, retain donors, and adopt emerging tools like AI with confidence.
At Doing Good Digital, we’ve seen this firsthand. As a Blackbaud partner, we work with nonprofits every day to help them build the infrastructure, tools, and strategies that fuel digital maturity—and the results that come with it.
What Is Digital Maturity?
Digital maturity isn’t just about how many tools you use—it’s about how well they’re integrated across your entire operation: fundraising, service delivery, donor experience, and internal processes.
The average org self-scored a 5.5 out of 10. Those above that average? They’re the ones seeing results. According to Blackbaud:
- They’re more likely to report revenue growth
- They’re better at maximizing tech investments
- They’re more confident in AI readiness and data health
Digital maturity isn’t about size. It’s about mindset and structure. And it’s becoming the great differentiator in fundraising.
Why It’s Time to Take Digital Maturity Seriously
Blackbaud’s data makes it clear: under-investing in digital infrastructure is directly tied to declining performance.
Organizations that rated themselves as “digitally limited” were:
- More likely to miss fundraising targets
- More likely to see year-over-year revenue decline
- Less likely to report getting full value from their technology investments
Even AI adoption—something that 82% of organizations now claim—isn’t translating to results if the digital foundation isn’t strong enough to support it. Digital maturity doesn’t guarantee success—but it dramatically increases your odds.
How to Build Digital Maturity (and Get Better Results)
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. These are the four core steps we recommend to clients who want to see measurable impact from their digital strategy—built from years of experience and backed by the data in this new report.
1. Start with a Strategic Digital Audit
Before you invest in new tools or campaigns, take stock. A digital audit helps you understand:
- Which platforms are powering your fundraising (and which ones are holding you back)
- How well your systems are integrated
- Whether your data is clean, structured, and usable
- Where friction exists in your donor experience or campaign workflows
Doing Good Digital offers full digital audits that uncover these blind spots—especially within platforms like Blackbaud Luminate Online and Engaging Networks. We help teams uncover opportunities they didn’t know they were missing.
2. Invest in your Tech Platforms
If you want enterprise-level results, you need enterprise-level tools — scalable, flexible, and built for nonprofit fundraising. Look for a platform that gives you the infrastructure to build strategic campaigns, gather meaningful data, and grow. When you are ready to have this conversation, reach out to us, and we can help guide you.
3. Adopt a Test-and-Learn Culture
One of the biggest markers of digital maturity isn’t your tech—it’s your mindset. The most successful organizations are curious, experimental, and data-driven.
A few ways to do that:
- A/B test your donation pages or email subject lines
- Segment new donors and test different welcome journeys
- Experiment with AI tools to draft campaign copy (but track what performs!)
Even small experiments can lead to big insights—and big wins.
4. Leverage the Right Partners
Digital maturity doesn’t mean doing everything yourself. In fact, digitally mature organizations often partner with experts to fill in gaps and scale more quickly.
At Doing Good Digital, we become an extension of your team—whether it’s strategic planning, implementation, or optimization. Our clients don’t just use tools like Luminate Online or Engaging Networks—they leverage them to run smarter, more effective fundraising programs.
You don’t have to do it alone. And you shouldn’t.
You Don’t Need to Be Perfect—You Need to Be Proactive
If your team is feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or underperforming, you’re not alone. But you don’t have to stay there. Digital maturity isn’t about being ahead of the curve. It’s about building the curve that works for you. And in today’s environment, maturity means momentum.
