Nonprofit SWOT analysis: The ultimate guide to advance your mission

A SWOT analysis is a critical element of any nonprofit organization. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and if you want to move your mission forward, you must carefully consider each of these aspects.

The goal of a SWOT analysis is to maximize your nonprofit organization’s impact by grounding decisions in the facts and data behind your cause. To make the most of it, there are several questions you must ask and answer. From there, you can create a clear, actionable plan to guide your organization forward.

However, a SWOT analysis is only as useful as the data behind it. With tools like GoFundMe Pro, nonprofits have a complete view of their marketing and fundraising performance, making it easier to turn data into action.

What is a nonprofit SWOT analysis?

A nonprofit SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool that examines your organization’s internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats, to maximize your overall impact. It’ll help you gain clarity on where you currently stand and enable you to better plan for the future.

The difference between internal and external factors

A SWOT analysis for nonprofits captures a full view of your organization’s health and performance.

Strengths and weaknesses, which are internal factors, are the factors you can control. These are things within your nonprofit that you do well or could improve on. For example, one of your strengths could be sustaining a robust volunteer base. However, you might lack the social media skills necessary to achieve your goals.

Opportunities and threats, which are external factors, are outside your control. For example, an opportunity could be partnering with a local business, whereas a threat could be periods of economic uncertainty.

Why a SWOT analysis works well for nonprofits

When done well, a SWOT analysis can mean the difference between guesswork and clear priorities for your nonprofit. It helps you decide on key aspects of your strategy, such as:

• Fundraising: How will you motivate supporters to say yes and contribute to your mission?
• Messaging: How will you communicate your mission and goals to your community?
• Programs: What programs will you implement to help those who need them?
• Capacity: How much of an impact can you make with the tools and resources currently available to you?

By defining these four areas, your nonprofit can plan with confidence, rally support, and create lasting change.

Before you start: Gather clean, clear data

Before you dive into your analysis, you’ll need to gather internal and external data. However, this isn’t a solo endeavor, nor one done from memory. If possible, have your whole team review the records you’ve kept so far.

You need concrete facts and numbers to accurately assess your position. Make sure you have the following information:

• Campaign results: What are the numbers behind your weakest and most successful campaigns?
• Donor patterns: Have you observed distinct giving patterns at different times of the year?
• Retention: How many supporters have donated more than once?
• Email performance: Are your emails and other communications receiving adequate engagement?
• Volunteer participation rates: How many people are volunteering, and how many are repeat volunteers?

GoFundMe Pro’s fundraising reporting tools help nonprofits track this data, making it even easier to build a SWOT analysis.

Nonprofit SWOT analysis worksheet

As we outlined above, a traditional nonprofit SWOT analysis is divided into four quadrants: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The internal factors—strengths and weaknesses—will typically appear in a single row at the top, whereas the external factors—opportunities and threats—will appear in the row underneath.

Strengths

We recommend starting with the positives. To identify your nonprofit’s strengths, answer the following questions in detail:

• What does your organization do well?
• What sets you apart from other organizations serving your cause?
• What positive feedback have you received from supporters and beneficiaries?
• How has your organization grown since its inception?
• What programs or initiatives have been most successful or impactful?
• What internal processes or systems work well and boost efficiency?

Weaknesses

When identifying areas for improvement, consider the following questions:

• Which areas of your organization haven’t received enough attention or resources?
• Where did your programs or initiatives fall short last year?
• Which parts of your strategy didn’t deliver the expected results or return on investment?
• Are there gaps in staff skills, capacity, or expertise that limit impact?

Opportunities

To assess your potential opportunities, ask yourself these questions:

• Where could you innovate or expand your fundraising efforts?
• Are there emerging trends or needs in your community that your organization can address?
• Could advocacy or policy efforts create new openings for impact?
• Is your nonprofit dedicated to fostering innovation and growth?
• What partnerships could increase your organization’s value and reach?

Threats

Assess and plan for potential threats and external factors with the following questions:

• What internal or external factors put your organization at risk?
• What political, economic, or environmental challenges could affect your programs?
• Do you face any staffing challenges in your daily operations?
• Could changes in funding, donor behavior, or grants affect your financial stability?
• What reputational risks could affect supporter trust or public perception?
• Could technological changes or cybersecurity threats disrupt your work?

Nonprofit SWOT analysis examples

Here are three examples to give you a clearer picture of how it works.

Example #1: Small nonprofit establishing predictable revenue

Let’s say you’re a small nonprofit starting out, and you want to build a steady stream of cash flow to sustain your day-to-day operations. Some insights from your SWOT analysis may look like this:

• Strengths:
  • First organization in our area to serve this cause, effectively raising awareness and attracting curiosity within the community
  • Successfully converted 100 supporters to make a donation in the first six months of fundraising
  • Launched our first Giving Tuesday campaign this year, attracting 10 recurring donors
• Weaknesses:
  • Lack of external communication, including no social media presence
  • Slow expansion of our volunteer base, averaging five new volunteers per quarter
  • Low event turnout, resulting in a 10% loss of revenue for each event we hosted during giving season
• Opportunities:
  • Budget to contract a social media agency for marketing support in Q1 and Q2
  • Spring restaurant night with our local partner, Mike’s Tavern
• Threats:
  • External costs and unpredictable cash flow
  • Low levels of legislative attention and support

If this SWOT analysis resonates with you, consider these next steps:

• Develop an earned media plan to raise awareness of your organization and its cause.
• Prioritize the events and strategies that deliver the best results, and optimize your approach to increase attendance while managing costs effectively.
• Develop low-cost education programs for the community and local legislation.

Example #2: Midsize nonprofit increasing levels of donor engagement

If you’re a midsize nonprofit, you may be interested in retaining your current donors and getting them more involved with your cause. With retention and stewardship as the goal, your SWOT may look like this:

• Strengths:
  • Large social media following on Instagram and TikTok
  • Attracted more than 200 first-time donors during our latest end-of-year campaign
• Weaknesses:
  • Low volunteer turnout despite healthy sign-up rates
  • Stagnant number of recurring donors
  • Lack of incentive for donor retention—no established rewards or personalized nurture strategy
• Opportunities:
  • Fall event partnership with Peace for Pets animal shelter for exposure to their like-minded donor base
  • New and innovative engagement programs, including seasonal volunteer mixers
• Threats:
  • Significant storms are forecasted for our area this spring, potentially disrupting power service and impacting our ability to keep the shelter operational

Your organization may then decide to take the following next steps:

• Partner with a local business to host an event that engages the community and spreads awareness to new cohorts.
• Further expand your social media presence by hiring a contractor to write and manage content for Instagram and TikTok, and expand your presence onto Facebook.
• Identify and engage those most passionate about your mission by surveying the community.

Turning insights into an action plan

Once you’ve asked your SWOT analysis questions and garnered valuable insights, it’s time to convert those into an effective strategy. Your ultimate goal is fundraising execution, whether that’s reaching new supporters or converting one-time donors into recurring ones.

Choose your priorities

Maximize impact by choosing one or two priority areas in each quadrant and building your action plan from there. This way, you’re not spreading your organization too thin, and you can effectively reach your goals.

Write a 30-day action plan

Once you’ve chosen your priorities, create a 30-day action plan. These should be simple, measurable actions to help you assess your progress.

Think about what you can do immediately to address these issues and act on them. Some suggestions include:

• Create a content calendar to post at least once a week on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and other social media channels.
• Reach out to the organizers of local festivals to get a table for your nonprofit at their next event.
• Launch a seasonal campaign, such as Giving Tuesday, or a campaign celebrating a particular cause awareness day or month.
• Invest in email marketing for campaign updates, newsletters, and donor asks.

Create actionable fundraising channels

The final step is to tie your efforts to trackable fundraising opportunities. Develop a powerful donation page, empower supporters to create fundraisers on your behalf, and maximize impact by leveraging employer matching gift programs.

FAQs

How is a nonprofit SWOT analysis different from a business SWOT?

Nonprofit and business SWOTs are quite similar. However, the main difference is that a business SWOT focuses on maximizing profits, whereas a nonprofit SWOT focuses on maximizing mission-based impact.

How often should my nonprofit update its SWOT analysis?

To maximize the efficiency of your nonprofit SWOT analysis, your organization should revisit and update it at least once a year. This will help you assess how you’ve performed against your goals and determine whether you need to pivot your strategy.

Can a SWOT analysis improve my nonprofit’s fundraising?

Yes, a SWOT analysis can help nonprofits improve fundraising by leveraging their strengths and taking advantage of opportunities to reach new donors and encourage one-time supporters to become recurring donors. For more fundraising inspiration, explore our case studies.