Skip to main content

Run the Donor Engagement Report

Goal: See not just how much was raised, but who's giving and how engaged they are — top donors, retention, lapsed, new — so the next move is informed by the full donor picture.

What the report covers​

The donor engagement report surfaces:

  • Active donors in the period
  • New donors acquired
  • Returning donors (gave previously, gave in the period)
  • Lapsed donors (gave previously, did not give in the period)
  • Average gift size by segment
  • Retention rate (returning donors divided by all donors who gave previously)
  • Engagement breakdowns — by donor type, giving level, capacity rating, crossover status

Common reporting jobs​

  • Retention rate analysis — are we keeping the donors we earn?
  • New-donor acquisition trend — are we growing the base?
  • Major-gift pipeline — capacity-rated High and Major donors who haven't given recently
  • Top donors recognition — for honor rolls, thank-you events, board updates
  • Lapsed donor outreach — donors who gave previously, didn't this period

Running the report​

From the Reports section, choose Donor Engagement Report. Set the period and any filters, run.

Defaults:

  • Period — current calendar year vs. prior calendar year
  • Filter — all active donors

Adjust as needed.

Reading retention​

Healthy retention rates for affiliates with established donor bases:

  • First-year retention (kept donors who first gave last year) — typically 25–35% industry-wide; aim higher
  • Multi-year retention (kept donors who gave 2+ years ago) — typically 60–70%; well-stewarded programs reach 80%+

If your first-year retention is below 20%, the issue is acquisition quality (acquiring people who never had the intent to be repeat donors) or onboarding (no welcome / first-touch sequence). Both are addressable.

Lapsed donor outreach​

Donors who gave 12–36 months ago and haven't given in the period are your highest-leverage outreach pool. They're warmer than cold prospects, less expensive than acquiring new donors. Strategy:

  • Pull the lapsed list filtered by capacity rating (Medium or higher first)
  • Personalize an outreach — "we missed you" rather than generic appeal
  • Focus on the donors who gave most recently among the lapsed (12 months ago is warmer than 36 months)
  • Track which respond and update the engagement record

Crossover donors​

A "crossover" donor is one who both donates and volunteers. Filter for crossovers; they:

  • Give more on average than donors who don't volunteer
  • Stay engaged longer
  • Are more likely to recruit others

Treat them as a distinct segment in your stewardship — a "you give your time and money both" message lands differently than a generic appeal.

Top donor lists​

Filter by giving level or sort by lifetime giving to produce:

  • Top 10 donors — for board recognition, event reserved seating
  • Top 25 donors — for honor roll publication (respecting acknowledgment preferences)
  • Top 100 donors — for annual giving society, special communications

Cross-reference with the Capacity Rating: top donors with Medium or High capacity may have room to step up; top donors who are already Major capacity have given near their ceiling.

Watching capacity ratings against giving​

A useful pivot — donors by capacity vs. donors by giving:

  • High capacity / low giving — major opportunity for cultivation
  • Major capacity / high giving — already maximized; focus on stewardship
  • Low capacity / high giving — possibly miscalibrated capacity; check whether they have hidden capacity you haven't surfaced
  • Low capacity / low giving — keep on standard appeal track, don't overinvest

Update capacity ratings during cultivation conversations to keep this data fresh.

Exporting​

Export to CSV for outreach lists. Common exports:

  • Lapsed donors with name, email, last gift, last gift amount — for re-engagement
  • Top 100 with acknowledgment preference — for the next annual report
  • Capacity-rated High/Major prospects who haven't given in 6+ months — for major-gift officer call list

Limitations​

  • Engagement is calculated from donations — sponsorships, pledge payments, and in-kind donations all roll up
  • Volunteer hours are factored into is_volunteer / is_crossover but not into giving totals
  • Anonymous donors appear in counts but not in name-based lists by default