Cost to raise $100
Fundraising efficiency: how much a charity spends to bring in each $100 of donations, and what range is reasonable.
Published July 7, 2026 · CharityIndex editorial team
By the numbers — from the CharityIndex dataset
$8
Median cost to raise $100
Among 39,017 filings that report fundraising expenses against real donation revenue, the median charity spends $8 to raise $100 (CharityIndex analysis of IRS Form 990 data).
Divide fundraising expenses (Form 990 Part IX, column D) by total contributions (Part VIII) and multiply by 100: that's how many dollars it costs the organization to raise $100.
Benchmarks
- Under $10 — excellent; typical for established brands with recurring donors.
- $10–$25 — healthy for most public charities.
- $25–$50 — expensive; common for newer organizations or donor acquisition pushes.
- Over $50 — most of your marginal dollar funds the fundraising itself.
Caveat: organizations funded mainly by program fees or government grants may report little fundraising expense at all — the metric only means something when donations are a real share of revenue, which is how CharityIndex applies it in grading.