Fundraisers responsible for generating 23% of nonprofits’ income in Ireland

Fundraisers make up just 3.5% of total staff but are responsible for generating 23% of total income according to Charities Institute Ireland’s (CII) first-ever Benchmark Fundraising & Data Survey.

According to CII, the survey is the largest of its kind ever undertaken in Ireland, with participation from 176 organisations representing €1.93 billion in total income, €444m in fundraised income, and over 31,000 employees. The report provides a picture of the state of fundraising across the country and highlights both the opportunities and challenges the sector faces.

Key findings

Fundraising is driving impact
Fundraisers make up just 3.5% of total staff but are responsible for generating 23% of total income. In some sectors, particularly environmental and animal welfare, up to 82% of income is fundraised, underlining how critical fundraising is to sustainability and growth.

Skills and systems gaps are holding organisations back
While most respondents recognise the importance of data, 60% reported having only one or no staff dedicated to CRM or reporting. Many fundraisers are working without the digital tools, training, or support needed to analyse data, scale activity or innovate confidently.

AI and digital potential is high but underused
There’s strong interest in emerging technologies like AI, but adoption remains low, limited by time, training and concerns about ethics and data protection.

The sector is ambitious but needs support
Fundraisers are optimistic about growth, but making that sustainable will require investment in skills, infrastructure, and long-term capacity. We are calling on government, boards, and funders to recognise this need and support the sector accordingly, especially in line with Ireland’s Digital First strategy.

Speaking in her foreword to the report, CII CEO Áine Myler says the report marks “a critical step in closing the long-standing data gap that’s hindered smart, sector-wide fundraising strategy.”

 She continues:

“Good data isn’t a luxury — it’s essential. It shows what’s working, what’s not, and enables smarter resource allocation, stronger investment cases, and greater impact. We undertook this survey to inspire Boards to build data strategy, fundraising teams to plan, corporate partners to engage and funders to invest in ways that could make the sector even more impactful. The survey findings clearly demonstrate the need for access for the Charity sector to the same digital supports as the Business and Public sectors, in keeping with the Government’s Digital First strategy for our country.”

The report was commissioned by CII and conducted by NFP Synergy and HX Consultancy in early 2025. It marks the beginning of a multi-year research effort to build a strong evidence base for the sector and help charities benchmark performance and share learning.

Read the full report here.

Picture by Lukas on Pexels