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Welcome to the 2026 Donor Journey Survey

Thank you for participating in our research study, Automation and the Donor Journey 2026.

This survey seeks to understand how nonprofits use automated messaging in donor communications.

The goal isn’t to rank organizations or push tools. It’s to better understand what’s actually happening across the donor journey, including where human connection outperforms automated efficiency.

SurveyMonkey estimates this survey will take about three minutes to complete. Only fully completed surveys are included in the analysis.

Your answers will remain anonymous.

The results will be shared publicly so nonprofits can see how their experience compares and learn from what others are navigating.

Thanks so much!

- Tim Yeadon
Principal & Donor Journey Strategist

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1.Which best describes your organization’s primary focus?
2.What is your organization’s annual operating budget?
3.When someone first gives you their email or registers for an event, what happens next?
4.Do you track which topics, programs, or content potential donors engage with (e.g., email clicks, website visits, event attendance)?
5.Which best describes how you segment donor communications today?
6.After someone makes their first donation, which best describes what typically happens next?
7.How do you typically communicate the impact of a donation to existing donors?
8.When someone unsubscribes from email, how is that handled?
9.Has your organization documented its donor journey in any way?
10.Which donor groups tend to engage most consistently over time with your organization’s email or donor communications? (Select up to 2)
11.Beyond basic email or SMS campaigns, do you use marketing automation features?
12.To what extent do concerns about donor communications feeling impersonal influence your organization’s use of automation or AI?
13.Which best describes your organization’s donor data setup?
14.What is your biggest challenge with donor communications today?
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