Mixpanel
Wondering which button on your donation form nobody clicks, or why half your donors abandon checkout on the payment page? Mixpanel tracks every interaction—every click, scroll, and form field—so you can see exactly where donors get stuck, which campaigns drive the most engagement, and which features in your portal go completely unused. No more guessing what's broken; just fix what the data reveals.
What It Does
Staring at a 65% donation form abandonment rate but have no idea which step causes people to bail? Mixpanel goes beyond basic website analytics—it tracks specific user actions as "events" (clicked "Donate," selected amount, entered email, abandoned at payment) to show you the exact moment people leave. You'll see precisely where your funnel breaks, which donor segments convert best, and how behavior changes over time.
Unlike Google Analytics (which focuses on traffic sources and sessions), Mixpanel is built for understanding behavior inside digital products—donor portals, mobile apps, volunteer platforms, online fundraising campaigns. The AI layer surfaces insights automatically ("email signup conversions dropped 30% this week") and helps predict who's likely to become a monthly donor based on their engagement patterns.
Best For
Organization Size
- Small to mid-sized nonprofits with digital products (donor portals, apps, online platforms)
- Organizations with at least 500+ monthly active users on their digital platform
- Teams with technical resources for initial event tracking setup
Best Use Cases
- Optimizing online donation forms and checkout funnels
- Tracking donor portal engagement and feature usage
- Analyzing mobile app user behavior and retention
- Understanding which email campaigns drive the most portal activity
- Identifying at-risk donors through engagement drop-offs
Ideal For
- Development Directors optimizing fundraising campaigns
- Product/Digital Managers improving user experience
- Marketing teams measuring campaign effectiveness
- Data-driven nonprofits making decisions based on user behavior
Key Features for Nonprofits
Event-Based Tracking
Track specific user actions (clicked "Donate Now", selected gift amount, entered payment info, completed donation) to understand exactly what donors do on your platform—no guesswork about where they drop off.
Conversion Funnel Analysis
Visualize multi-step processes (donation flow, volunteer signup, event registration) to identify where people abandon and by how much—turning 50% conversion into 70% by fixing the right bottleneck.
Retention & Cohort Analysis
Monitor how many donors return to your portal, how often they engage, and when they stop—spotting the difference between one-time supporters and long-term advocates in one chart.
Session Replay
Watch real user sessions to see exactly what donors experienced—where they hesitated, which buttons they couldn't find, and what caused frustration. Like looking over their shoulder without being there.
AI-Powered Insights
Automatically surface trends, detect anomalies (sudden drop in signups), and get recommendations—so you don't have to manually analyze every chart looking for problems.
User Segmentation
Group users by behavior (donated once vs. monthly donors, engaged portal users vs. inactive accounts) to understand different supporter journeys and personalize outreach accordingly.
How This Tool Uses AI
Mixpanel's AI features focus on pattern recognition and predictive analytics—helping you spot trends, detect problems, and understand what actions matter most.
What's Actually AI-Powered
Automated Insights & Anomaly Detection
Type of AI:
Machine learning algorithms trained on billions of data points to identify statistically significant changes and emerging patterns.
What it does:
Automatically scans your event data to surface unusual spikes or drops (e.g., "Email signups decreased 35% this week compared to previous 4 weeks"), highlights trending behaviors, and suggests which metrics to investigate.
Practical impact:
Instead of manually checking 20 different charts every Monday, you get alerts like "Donation completions dropped 40% on Friday—investigate payment processor issues." Saves hours of manual exploration.
Predictive Analytics
Type of AI:
Predictive models using historical behavior patterns to forecast future actions.
What it does:
Analyzes user engagement patterns to predict likelihood of future behaviors—which donors are likely to become monthly givers, which volunteers will return, which users are at risk of disengaging.
Practical impact:
Target re-engagement campaigns to donors showing early warning signs of lapsing (decreasing logins, abandoned donation attempts) before they completely disengage.
What's NOT AI (But Still Useful)
- Event Tracking:Manual setup where you define what to track—not AI-driven.
- Basic Analytics:Funnel charts, retention curves, and segmentation are traditional analytics, not AI.
- Session Replay:Recording and playing back user sessions—video playback, not machine learning.
AI Transparency & Limitations
Data Requirements:
AI insights work best with at least 6 months of event data and 500+ monthly active users. With less data, you'll get basic analytics but not robust predictive features.
Human Oversight Required:
AI can detect that "conversion dropped 30%" but can't explain why (payment processor down? confusing button label?). You still need human investigation to find root causes.
Known Limitations:
Predictions are probabilistic, not certain—"likely to donate" doesn't guarantee donation. AI recommendations should inform decisions, not make them automatically.
Data Privacy
- Your donor data is NOT used to train AI models for other organizations
- SOC 2 Type II certified with data encrypted in transit and at rest
- GDPR compliant with full data export and deletion capabilities
Real-World Nonprofit Use Case
A regional environmental nonprofit with an online donation platform was seeing a 68% abandonment rate on their checkout flow. They knew donors were leaving but didn't know where or why.
After implementing Mixpanel's event tracking, they discovered that 45% of donors abandoned at the "Select Payment Method" step—not because of payment issues, but because the "Credit Card" button was below the fold on mobile devices and donors didn't realize they could scroll down.
Session replay showed dozens of users tapping repeatedly on the grayed-out "Continue" button (which required selecting payment first), then giving up. By moving the payment options higher on the page and making them more visible, abandonment dropped from 68% to 41% in two weeks—a 40% improvement translating to an estimated $47,000 in additional annual donations.
The insight took 15 minutes of data analysis. The fix took 2 hours of design changes. The ROI was immediate and measurable.
Pricing
Standard Pricing
Free Plan
Perfect for testing and small nonprofits
$0/month
- Up to 1 million monthly events
- 5 saved reports per seat
- 10,000 monthly session replays
- No credit card required
Growth Plan
Event-based pricing for growing organizations
Starts at $0/month
- 1 million monthly events free, then $0.28 per 1,000 events
- Unlimited reports and saved analyses
- 20,000 free monthly session replays
- Cohorts, funnels, retention analysis
Volume discounts available for high-traffic platforms
Enterprise Plan
Custom pricing for large-scale analytics
Contact Sales
- Up to 1 trillion monthly events
- Advanced security and data governance
- Premium support and training
- Custom contract terms
Note: Pricing information is subject to change. Please verify current pricing directly with Mixpanel.
Nonprofit Discount Program
Mixpanel announced a nonprofit program in 2018 offering significant discounts for qualified organizations.
Reported Discount (2018 Announcement):
- Up to 10,000 free monthly tracked users (MTUs)
- 80% discount for additional tracked users beyond the free 10,000
Important Note:
Mixpanel has since transitioned from monthly tracked user (MTU) pricing to event-based pricing. The current status of the nonprofit program is unclear from Mixpanel's website.
Action Required: Contact Mixpanel sales directly to inquire about current nonprofit discount availability, eligibility requirements, and application process.
How to Apply:
Based on the original 2018 announcement, nonprofits could apply through a dedicated nonprofit page. However, this may have changed.
Visit Mixpanel's website and contact their sales team to ask about nonprofit pricing options and verification requirements.
Learning Curve
Intermediate Learning Curve
Technical setup required; analysis becomes accessible once events are configured
Time to First Value
- Initial setup: 5-15 hours (requires developer to implement event tracking)
- First insights: 24-48 hours after events start collecting data
- Basic proficiency: 1-2 days of training for non-technical users
- Advanced mastery: 1-2 weeks for funnels, cohorts, retention analysis
Technical Requirements
- Developer required for initial event tracking implementation
- Understanding of JavaScript for web tracking or SDK for mobile apps
- Basic data analysis skills for interpreting reports (non-technical staff can learn)
- No coding required for using dashboard and creating reports
Support & Learning Resources
- Mixpanel Academy: Free video tutorials and courses
- Comprehensive documentation for technical implementation
- Active community forum and support channels
- Email support on free tier; enhanced support on paid plans
Pro Tip:
Start small. Don't try to track 50 different events on day one. Track 5-10 critical actions (donation completed, volunteer signed up, email opened) to get immediate value. Add more events as your team gains confidence with the platform.
Integration & Compatibility
Connects With
CRM & Donor Management
- Salesforce (including Nonprofit Cloud)
- HubSpot
- Segment (customer data platform)
- Intercom
Marketing & Communication
- Mailchimp
- Braze
- Iterable
- Customer.io
Data Warehouses
- Google BigQuery
- Amazon Redshift
- Snowflake
Payment & Fundraising
- Stripe
- PayPal
- Zapier (connect to 3,000+ apps)
Platform Availability
- Web-based: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge (no desktop app required)
- Mobile tracking: iOS and Android SDKs for tracking mobile app usage
- JavaScript SDK: Track events on any website
- Server-side tracking: Python, Node.js, Java, PHP, Ruby libraries
Data Portability
- CSV export: Export report data and user profiles
- Raw data export: Export full event data to your own data warehouse
- API access: Programmatic access to all data (Growth plan and above)
- Vendor lock-in consideration: Event schema and custom reports are Mixpanel-specific; migration to another platform requires re-implementation
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Generous free tier: 1M monthly events is enough for many small to mid-sized nonprofits
- Event-based tracking provides granular insights: See exactly what donors do, not just page views
- Easier to learn than Amplitude: More beginner-friendly interface and simpler setup
- Session replay is incredibly valuable: Watch real user behavior to spot friction points
- Real-time data: See results immediately, not hours later
- Strong mobile and web analytics: Track across platforms seamlessly
- Nonprofit discount program: 10K free MTUs + 80% off (2018 program; verify current availability)
Cons
- Event-based pricing can get expensive at scale: High-traffic platforms may see costs jump quickly
- Requires technical implementation: Developer needed to set up event tracking (5-15 hours)
- Learning curve for event tracking concepts: Understanding what to track and how takes time
- Not as beginner-friendly as Google Analytics: Basic website traffic tracking is simpler with GA
- Nonprofit discount details unclear: Website doesn't clearly show current nonprofit program (requires sales contact)
- Limited to digital analytics: Only tracks online behavior, not comprehensive like CRM platforms
- May be overkill for simple needs: If you just send monthly newsletters, simpler tools work fine
Alternatives to Consider
If Mixpanel doesn't feel like the right fit, consider these alternatives:
Amplitude
Similar product analytics with more generous free tier
More generous free tier (up to 50,000 monthly tracked users vs. Mixpanel's 1M events), stronger emphasis on data governance and predictive analytics. Best if you need advanced features and have someone to manage it.
Why choose Mixpanel instead: Easier to learn, more intuitive interface, faster setup.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Free website analytics from Google
Completely free with unlimited traffic, excellent for understanding where visitors come from and basic website performance. Easier to set up than Mixpanel but less granular for tracking specific user actions.
Why choose Mixpanel instead: Better for tracking user behavior inside digital products (portals, apps), more powerful funnel and retention analysis.
Heap
Automatic event capture analytics
Automatically captures all user interactions without manual event setup—no developer required for basic tracking. Best if you want to avoid technical implementation but still get behavioral insights.
Why choose Mixpanel instead: More control over exactly what to track, lower cost at scale, more mature platform.
Microsoft Clarity
Free heatmaps and session replay
Completely free with unlimited sessions, heatmaps, and session replay. Best if you want session replay functionality without paying for full product analytics.
Why choose Mixpanel instead: More comprehensive analytics (funnels, retention, cohorts), event tracking, predictive features.
Getting Started
Your first 48 hours with Mixpanel:
1Sign Up and Plan Your Events (15 minutes)
Create a free Mixpanel account (no credit card required). Before implementing, identify 5-10 critical user actions you want to track.
Examples of key events to track:
- • Clicked "Donate Now" button
- • Selected donation amount
- • Completed donation checkout
- • Signed up for volunteer opportunities
- • Downloaded resource/report
- • Watched impact video
2Implement Event Tracking (5-15 hours)
Work with your developer to add Mixpanel's JavaScript SDK to your website or mobile app SDK to your app. Define and implement the events you identified in step 1.
Pro Tip:
Start with just your donation flow. Track every step from "Clicked Donate" to "Payment Completed." Once you see the value from that data, expand to other areas. Don't try to track everything at once.
3Create Your First Funnel (30 minutes)
Once events are collecting data (24-48 hours), create a funnel report showing your donation flow. See exactly where donors drop off.
Watch the real-time dashboard to see events being tracked. This validates your implementation is working correctly.
4Analyze and Optimize (Ongoing)
Use session replay to watch real user sessions. Identify friction points in your donation flow. Test changes and measure impact with before/after funnel comparisons.
Schedule weekly 30-minute reviews of your key funnels and retention reports to spot trends early.
Need Help with Implementation?
Setting up event tracking and analytics can feel overwhelming, especially when you're already stretched thin managing your mission. If you'd like expert guidance implementing Mixpanel—from defining events to interpreting data—we're here to help.
One Hundred Nights offers implementation support, from quick setup assistance to full-service onboarding, event planning, and ongoing analytics consulting.
Contact Us to Learn MoreFrequently Asked Questions
Is Mixpanel free for nonprofits?
Mixpanel offers a free tier with up to 1 million monthly events (no credit card required). For nonprofits, Mixpanel announced a nonprofit program in 2018 offering 10,000 free monthly tracked users plus an 80% discount for additional users. However, pricing has since transitioned to event-based billing. Contact Mixpanel sales to inquire about current nonprofit discount availability and application process.
What's the difference between Mixpanel and Google Analytics for nonprofits?
Google Analytics tracks website traffic sources (where visitors come from), while Mixpanel tracks user behavior through events (what visitors do). Google Analytics is session-based and free; Mixpanel is event-based with granular tracking but requires technical setup. Use Google Analytics for understanding traffic sources and basic website analytics. Use Mixpanel for understanding donor portal behavior, donation funnel optimization, and app engagement. Many nonprofits use both.
Do I need a developer to set up Mixpanel?
Yes, initial Mixpanel implementation requires technical skills to instrument event tracking on your website or app. A developer needs to add Mixpanel's JavaScript SDK and define which user actions to track as events. This typically takes 5-15 hours depending on complexity. Once events are set up, non-technical staff can create reports, build funnels, and analyze data through the dashboard.
How does Mixpanel's AI work?
Mixpanel uses AI to surface automated insights, identify trends, and suggest optimizations based on user behavior patterns. The AI analyzes event data to detect anomalies (sudden drops in engagement), predict outcomes, and recommend actions. It's not generative AI—it's pattern recognition and predictive analytics that help you understand what's working and what needs attention without manual data exploration.
Does Mixpanel integrate with Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud?
Yes, Mixpanel offers integration with Salesforce CRM, including Nonprofit Cloud. The integration syncs user behavioral data from Mixpanel to Salesforce, allowing you to enrich donor profiles with digital engagement insights. Setup requires API keys and field mapping, typically taking 1-3 hours. You can also use middleware like Segment or Zapier for Salesforce integration.
Is Mixpanel better than Amplitude for small nonprofits?
It depends. Mixpanel is generally easier to learn and more beginner-friendly with simpler interfaces. Amplitude offers a more generous free tier (up to 50,000 MTUs vs. Mixpanel's 1M events) and emphasizes data governance. For small nonprofits, Mixpanel's ease of use may be more important than Amplitude's advanced features. Try both free tiers to see which interface resonates with your team.
What's the learning curve for Mixpanel?
Mixpanel has an intermediate learning curve. Technical setup (event tracking implementation) requires developer skills and takes 5-15 hours. Non-technical users can learn to view reports and create basic analyses in 1-2 days through Mixpanel Academy (free tutorials). Proficiency with advanced features (cohorts, funnels, retention analysis) takes 1-2 weeks of regular use. Steeper than Google Analytics, but more intuitive than SQL-based analytics tools.