Fundraising Strategy

No surprise here… you can’t grow without funding!

The #1 challenge for most nonprofits is donor acquisition and retention. Finding new donors, keeping them, AND the ones you already have.

Here are the million dollar questions (no pun intended):

Is there potential to reach your mission goals
with your current donors?

If not… how can we get you there?

ONLY

1 in 5

first time donors
will give again.

Fundraising Effectiveness Project

ONLY

43%

of this year’s donors
will give again next year.

Fundraising Effectiveness Project

61%

of all charitable contributions
come from individuals.

Giving USA

These stats aren’t doing our sector any favors.

**But what if I told you there was a way to grow beyond the “average” sector stats?**

The Questions We’ll Answer Together

To discover your pain points and devise a plan to move you forward.

Who kept
giving?
Who has lapsed?
What are our
org’s trends?

What messages
and campaigns
resonated with
which segments?

Does your income
portfolio look like
current giving trends?

Individual/Foundation
Corporate/Government

Who is already in
your orbit that has
the capacity to
invest more in your
good work?

Do you have the
staff, resources,
practices and
procedures in
place to achieve
your goals?

Are we running
appropriate
KPIs to track
donor data?

It’s important to know who the donors are that are already connected to you and how they fit in the plan.

Mass
Donors

Mass donors are more than likely your biggest group of donors. They give sporadically throughout the year, usually in response to organizational communication, an event, or an invitation from a friend. These gifts can start as little as $5 and go up to $250 (depending on your organization’s tiers).

Sustaining
Donors

These are the donors you can count on at regular intervals, usually monthly, to make a donation. These donors help “sustain” your mission because you know those funds are going to be there. These donations are generally set up for auto debit, so the donor doesn’t even have to think about it.

Major
Donors

The latest statistics say that up to 90% of charity revenue across the country comes from this group. In 2025, less people gave, but giving over all increased. However, major donors have begun to give to fewer charities. They’re finding their favorites. What does this mean for you? It means we need to go deeper, not wider.

These folks give more than mass donors, but haven’t reached the major donor threshold. They are generally highly engaged through event attendance or volunteerism. These donors have the potential to give more, either through campaigns or legacy giving. Many have a network that they are willing to introduce.