Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead Benchmarks for Nonprofit

Introduction

Across all countries, the Nonprofit industry ran well below the global Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead (CPL) benchmark for most of the year—quiet and inexpensive through early 2025—before a dramatic late‑summer spike reset the cost landscape. CPLs hovered in the low single digits from November through June, surged in July, peaked in August, then partially normalized by September and October. Compared with the global market, Nonprofit CPLs were cheaper and initially more stable, but far more volatile once the spike hit.

This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for Nonprofit in all countries compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Nonprofit CPL started at $2.54 in November 2024 and ended at $18.68 in October 2025—a 634% increase across the period. The average CPL was $10.25, but the median was just $4.28, highlighting how one outsized month skewed the mean. Costs ranged from a $2.02 low in December to a $50.17 high in August—about a 25× spread.

The category’s first eight months (Nov–Jun) were remarkably steady, averaging $3.37 with small month‑to‑month moves (~$0.63 on average). Momentum built gradually—$2.68 in February, $3.11 in March, $3.66 in April, $4.91 in May, $5.92 in June—then broke pattern: July jumped to $20.28 (+243% vs. June), August crested at $50.17 (+147% vs. July), September retraced to $6.83 (−86% vs. August), and October rebounded to $18.68 (+173% vs. September). Overall monthly volatility averaged 9.44 points; the calm pre‑spike period contrasts sharply with the late‑summer whiplash.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonally, Nonprofit CPLs were soft through winter and spring, with December registering the annual low ($2.02). Costs drifted higher into late Q2, then shifted abruptly: a late‑Q3 surge (July–August) set the annual high, followed by a September reset and a higher‑than‑spring October level. The rhythm aligns loosely with broader auction dynamics—global costs typically lighten in Q1 and tighten into late Q3/Q4—though the Nonprofit category amplified that late‑summer pressure far beyond typical levels before easing.

Country vs. Global

Against the global benchmark, Nonprofit CPLs averaged $10.25 versus $40.94 worldwide—roughly 75% below market across the year. The category trailed the global level in 11 of 12 months; the lone exception was August, when Nonprofit hit $50.17 versus the global $44.82 (+12% above market). The widest gap occurred in December, when Nonprofit’s $2.02 CPL was about 95% below the global $39.63. In July, the category’s $20.28 still sat 52% under the global $42.37; in October, $18.68 was 59% below the global $45.08.

Global CPLs followed a steadier arc—low in March ($33.35), high in September ($48.29)—with average month‑to‑month movement around 3.22 points and a modest rise from November to October (~+9%). By contrast, the Nonprofit trajectory was calm through June, then far more volatile from July onward, creating a wider dispersion than the market baseline.

Closing

Understanding Facebook Ads Cost Per Lead benchmarks for the Nonprofit industry across all countries shows a year defined by low early‑year costs, a sharp late‑summer surge, and partial normalization into fall—consistently below the global benchmark except for August’s standout. While CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance add context to country‑specific ad costs, this view isolates CPL to benchmark Nonprofit industry ad performance against global patterns.