CRM Adoption Statistics (2026): Who Uses CRM Software, Why Nonprofits Switch, and What It Means for Volunteer Programs

Customer relationship management (CRM) software is now the operating system for most organizations that track people, gifts, and relationships. This report, part of our statistics hub, pulls together the most credible 2026 figures on CRM adoption, market concentration, and nonprofit tech-stack behavior, and explains what they mean for churches, museums, libraries, and other groups that rely on volunteers. Every number below links to its original publisher.

Key takeaways

How big is the nonprofit CRM market?

Estimates vary widely because research firms define the segment differently. One market-research firm put the global nonprofit CRM market at $4.25 billion in 2024, growing toward $7.35 billion by 2031. Another firm, Wiseguy Reports, estimated $2.64 billion for 2025, and a third, Dataintelo, put 2025 at $1.84 billion. The spread is a definition problem, not a sign that one number is correct. Use these as direction, not as a precise baseline.

Deployment is moving to the cloud. One analysis estimates that cloud-based platforms held 79.8% of the global nonprofit CRM platform market in 2025, and it attributes that largely to nonprofits lacking in-house database administrators. Dataintelo reports a lower 72.5% cloud share, so again the exact figure depends on the firm.

Enterprise adoption: the most reliable baseline

The best official benchmark comes from Eurostat's annual enterprise survey. In 2025, CRM applications were used by 28.51% of EU enterprises, roughly one in four. Eurostat also reports that more than half of EU enterprises (53.47%) used at least one of ERP, CRM, or business intelligence software. These are businesses with 10 or more employees, so they are not a direct proxy for small nonprofits.

Size makes a large difference. Eurostat reports that small enterprises came in at 24.69%, while large enterprises reached 65.43%. Eurostat's own summary highlights that size gap across several e-business tools in its 2026 release on enterprise size.

Market concentration: who leads and how the share is shifting

Market-share data is compiled by IDC, and secondary reporters relay it. According to figures attributed to IDC's April 2026 tracker, Salesforce held 20.0% of worldwide CRM applications revenue in 2025, its 13th consecutive year at number one. Its share has eroded for several years even as the market grows. The series below comes from a secondary summary of IDC data, and a separate analysis reports a different 2023 value, which we note under the chart.

Gartner's market sizing points the other way: its CRM software revenue estimate for 2024 was roughly $128 billion, up 13.4%, as relayed in a compiled statistics roundup. A growing market with a shrinking leader share means the rising tide is lifting mid-size and niche vendors, including nonprofit-specific platforms. Consider that a reason to shop carefully rather than assume the biggest brand fits a volunteer program.

Nonprofit CRM use and the donor-side picture

Vendor surveys give the most direct nonprofit view, but they come with self-selection bias. Bloomerang's Mission Retainable Report found that 94% of fundraisers already use CRMs, while 42% of organizations were very open to adopting new technologies. Usage is high among fundraisers, but the same data do not show how many small volunteer-led groups have any CRM at all. That is a gap we could not close with a verified figure.

On the donor side, Neon One's analysis of recurring giving found that recurring givers retained at 78–79%, compared with 31–35% for sporadic donors. The same analysis notes that only 11.7% of donors gave every year in a five-year study, yet that group generated 45% of revenue. That is the business case for keeping contact history in one place. For more on the donor base, see our individual giving statistics report.

Tech-stack sprawl and the urge to switch

Most nonprofits do not run one tool. Omatic's 2025 survey found that 90% of respondents used three or more third-party systems beyond their main CRM, and that 79% used five or more, up from 62% the year before. The same survey reported that nearly half were considering changing their CRM within 12 months, up from 10% the year before. Omatic's 2026 edition, drawing on more than 800 responses, frames the core problem as integration: a single lapsed-donor campaign may pull from a fundraising platform, a CRM, and an email tool.

Share of Omatic survey respondents running multiple systems beyond their main CRM. Source:

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