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Sources

Where our figures come from

Figures last verified October 2026.

  • Gartner 2026 CMO Spend Survey

    Gartner

    Marketing budgets at 7.8% of company revenue. Used for the for-profit side of the funding gap and the gap calculator.

  • The CMO Survey, 35th edition, 2026

    Sponsored by Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, Deloitte, and the American Marketing Association

    Marketing at 9.0% of company revenues. Used for the upper end of the for-profit range.

  • 2024 Nonprofit Advertising Benchmark Study

    Whole Whale with CauseIQ

    Analysis of IRS Form 990 data from 7,000+ U.S. nonprofits. Among nonprofits dedicating funds to advertising, median ad expenses were $12,950, representing 0.66% of total expenses; 62% of nonprofits had any advertising expense. Used for the nonprofit side of the funding gap, the gap calculator and By the numbers.

    The study analyzes publicly available Form 990 data from 2022–2023.

  • Fundraising Effectiveness Project, Q1 2026 report

    AFP Foundation for Philanthropy and GivingTuesday, published July 2026

    Fundraising dollars up 4.3%, total donors down 0.8% and donor retention at 18.0%, flat, for Q1 2026 versus Q1 2025. Used for By the numbers and the funding gap.

  • Google Ad Grants

    Google for Nonprofits

    Eligible nonprofits can receive up to $10,000 per month in in-kind Google Search advertising. Used for the Google Ad Grant figures in the gap calculator and on the site.

How to read the comparison

The for-profit figures measure total marketing as a share of revenue; the nonprofit figure measures advertising only, as a share of total expenses, so the comparison is directional, not like-for-like.

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