Today’s mission-driven founders here in Europe must act like tech CEOs. Leveraging innovative tools such as artificial intelligence (AI), mobile donor systems, and virtual technology, is crucial to streamlining the fundraising process and fostering strong donor relationships.

Forty-seven percent of fundraisers already identify AI as a key opportunity for the nonprofit sector in 2025.

With plenty of smart tech on the market, a new era of nonprofit fundraising is on the horizon. Here are five stand-out solutions, in no particular order, that aim to take your nonprofit to the next level in 2026.

1. AI-powered donor journeys

Are your fundraising emails hitting a dead end? Targeting prospective donors has never been so difficult in an oversaturated consumer market.

If you’re constantly blasting each lead with the same generic copy, it can become almost impossible to secure conversions.

AI is quickly changing the game when it comes to building powerful donor funnels. Innovative machine learning helps you understand precisely what makes each supporter tick.

With the ability to collect data on the events donors attend, the content they click on, and their general donation history, AI undoubtedly makes your fundraising team smarter.

A whopping 60% of fundraising teams agree or strongly agree that AI will greatly benefit nonprofits in the future, with most using the technology to segment prospective donors, personalise interactions, and build loyalty.

The same study found that AI-powered segmentation has grown from 4% in 2023 to 6% in 2024, with 43% of nonprofits now planning to adopt it in the future.

2. Frictionless donation platforms

Digital fundraising is on the rise. Prospective donors are much less likely to fill in a mail-out fundraising form and send it off to be claimed. Those who are persuaded to donate want to do it quickly, or the nonprofit runs the risk of losing leads.

Frictionless donation is the key to gaining ongoing support and recurring financial aid.

Supporters want to subscribe to your cause like they subscribe to Netflix. They should be able to set up direct debits in one click and give to the cause in seconds via mobile devices.

In 2025, 90% of nonprofits have now switched to digital fundraising, with many of them investing in mobile donation, subscription apps, and one-click payment options like Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Take JustGiving, for example. This is a platform that is designed for fundraisers to create mobile fundraising pages, share updates, and make direct donations to causes they care about.

In 2022, 10 million people donated to a nonprofit organisation via JustGiving, the UK-based group says. As more of these types of donor platforms pop up, consider investing in something similar for your own nonprofit if you want to generate a maximum number of donations.

3. Virtual event solutions

Advancements in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are continuing to transform the nonprofit sector. In an era of inclusive engagement, the ability to hold events through a virtual lens is crucial for global nonprofits.

Imagine transporting prospective donors from across the globe to the real-life school you’re hoping to rebuild or the village you’re working with to achieve clean water status. This is the power of a virtual reality headset.

No money spent on hiring an event space, no miles travelled by the donor, just an instant connection between your supporters and the cause.

A survey from Eventbrite also revealed that “65% of event attendees reported feeling more comfortable attending virtual events compared to in-person gatherings.”

This suggests that the birth of hybrid and virtual event solutions could be a game-changer for nonprofits that are aiming to attract more supporters to their cause. If an event is digitalised, it instantly becomes more inclusive, inviting donors from all over the world to attend live, and at a fraction of the cost of an in-person alternative.

4. Donor/contributor CRM software

In today’s fundraising landscape, donor data lies at the foundation for personalised engagement, automated outreach, and long-term loyalty.

As fundraising becomes increasingly data-driven, nonprofits must go beyond the classic Rolodex and invest in CRM tools that offer real-time insights, automated segmentation, and engagement tracking. One great tool to explore is Mightycause.

Teams that want a scalable edge should consider investing in an all-in-one platform that can be accessed from one user-friendly dashboard.

With the ability to track, segment, and store customer data, your team can easily spot donation trends, personalise interactions, and build ongoing loyalty.

5. Chatbots and virtual assistants

For European nonprofits that are targeting a global audience, offering a 24/7 line of communication is crucial.

Some of the best tools on the market are chatbots and virtual assistants. Whether you implement an on-site pop-up with instant chat access for online browsers or add a virtual assistant to your social pages to answer your DMs, offering prospective donors 24/7 access to you instantly helps your organisation build a stronger relationship.

AI-powered chatbots are experts at handling common questions, approaching users with a friendly tone, and mimicking human interaction. A great tool for creating custom AI chatbots is Zapier.

Better still, with the ability to answer FAQs and guide donors through each step of the donation process, chatbots and virtual assistants save the organisation time and money on hiring multiple fundraising officers.

A digitalised future

The nonprofit scene is rapidly evolving—here in Europe and abroad. As mission-driven founders start thinking like modern-day CEOs, the sky is the limit for smart technology and innovative tools.

However, the integration into the AI scene is still ruffling feathers in 2025. With just 4% of nonprofits currently feeling “very confident” in their organisation’s AI capabilities, it’s clear that there is still a long way to go.

While a lack of confidence could slow the adoption of smart tools, the nonprofit sector is poised for great success with AI, with a digitalised future on the horizon.