New Delhi: A landmark report from Digital for Nonprofits (D4NP) reveals that despite India’s surging digital economy, the country’s nonprofits lag significantly, scoring an average digital maturity of just 5 out of 10. Critically, 83 per cent of Indian nonprofits fail to utilise freely available technology grants, notably Google Ad Grants, leaving millions of rupees in ad credits and potential impact untapped.
The “State of Nonprofits Digitisation Report 2025” surveyed and analysed nonprofits in India across 12 sectors, including women, children, policy and advocacy, education, health, arts, sports, and disaster relief, among others. The report outlines the transformative potential of digital tools, emphasising that organisations achieving advanced digital maturity realise up to 20 per cent higher revenue growth and 30 per cent efficiency gains compared to less digitally adept peers.
Abhinav Chetan, Founder of Digital for Nonprofits, emphasises the urgency of the findings: “Digital transformation has become the gateway to exponential impact for nonprofits. We’re seeing organisations 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 organisation can harness digital tools to scale their mission and create lasting change.”
Key findings include:
- Only 17 per cent of nonprofits currently utilise free digital advertising grants, effectively forfeiting approximately One Crore in rupees ad credits per nonprofit annually.
- A mere 13 per cent 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 per cent, clearly demonstrating the value of structured digital interventions.
- Over 80 per cent 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 and readership quadrupled. Stories like this reaffirm why digital transformation isn’t optional anymore.”
The Report also identifies regional disparities, with nonprofits in urban centres 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:
- Benchmark Digital Maturity: Access the State of Nonprofit Digitisation Report at the Digital for Nonprofits website.
- Claim Available Grants: Actively pursue technology grants, including Google Ad Grants.
- Prioritise Analytics: Utilise analytics to measure and maximise campaign ROI.
- Enhance Accessibility: Immediately prioritise mobile optimisation and multilingual platforms to engage India’s diverse population.
- Invest in Capacity Building: Regularly train teams to understand and utilise digital and generative AI tools effectively, creating a resilient digital-first culture.
Digital for Nonprofits will host a dedicated webinar post the launch of the report, offering actionable insights, practical toolkits, and direct support to accelerate the sector’s digital maturity.