NEW DELHI (India CSR): A landmark report from Digital for Nonprofits (D4NP) reveals that despite India’s surging digital economy, the country’s nonprofits lag behind significantly, scoring an average digital maturity of just 5 out of 10. Critically, 83% of Indian nonprofits fail to utilize freely available technology grants, notably Google Ad Grants, leaving millions of rupees in ad credits & potential impact untapped.
The “State of Nonprofits Digitization Report 2025” surveyed and analyzed nonprofits in India across 12 sectors, including women, children, policy & advocacy, education, health, arts, sports, and disaster relief among others. The report outlines the transformative potential of digital tools, emphasizing that organizations achieving advanced digital maturity realize up to 20% higher revenue growth and 30% efficiency gains* compared to less digitally adept peers.
Abhinav Chetan, Founder of Digital for Nonprofits, emphasizes the urgency of the findings: “Digital transformation has become the gateway to exponential impact for nonprofits. We’re seeing organizations that embrace digital tools not just grow, but truly transform how they serve their communities. What’s most encouraging is that this transformation is within reach for every nonprofit. Our research demonstrates that with the right roadmap and support, any organization can harness digital tools to scale their mission and create lasting change.”
Key findings include:
- Only 17% of nonprofits currently utilize free digital advertising grants, effectively forfeiting approximately ₹1 crore in ad credits per nonprofit annually.
- A mere 13% provide multilingual digital resources, significantly limiting outreach in a multilingual nation where digital growth increasingly depends on regional-language accessibility.
- Sector-wise digital maturity varies widely, with policy advocacy nonprofits leading with a median score of 5.8, and sports nonprofits trailing at just 4.3.
- Nonprofit partners with Digital for Nonprofits average a maturity score of 6.8, outperforming the median by 36%, clearly demonstrating the value of structured digital interventions.
- Over 80% of nonprofits were found to be struggling with digital readiness, indicating systemic challenges in digital adoption.
Reflecting on a personal anecdote, Abhinav adds: “A disaster focused nonprofit doing stellar work was initially slow on adopting digital tools. However, within a year of leveraging Google ad grants, analytics and generative AI, their traffic tripled & readership quadrupled. Stories like this reaffirm why digital transformation isn’t optional anymore.”
The report also identifies regional disparities, with nonprofits in urban centers outperforming their rural counterparts, underscoring the need for tailored digital interventions in underserved regions.
Moreover, lack of awareness, technical expertise, and misconceptions about costs among nonprofits act as significant barriers to digital adoption. Addressing these gaps through accessible education and enablement emerges as a critical recommendation from the report.
Actionable next steps for nonprofit leaders:
1. Benchmark Digital Maturity: Access the State of Nonprofit Digitization Report at the Digital for Nonprofits website.
2. Claim Available Grants: Actively pursue technology grants, including Google Ad Grants.
3. Prioritize Analytics: Utilize analytics to measure and maximize campaign ROI.
4. Enhance Accessibility: Immediately prioritize mobile optimization and multilingual platforms to engage India’s diverse population.
5. Invest in Capacity Building: Regularly train teams to understand and utilize digital & generative AI tools effectively, creating a resilient digital-first culture.
(India CSR)
