The percentage of donors from one period who give again in the next, a core measure of fundraising health.
Donor retention rate measures the share of donors who continue giving from one period to the next. If 100 people gave last year and 45 of them gave again this year, the retention rate is 45 percent. It is one of the most important indicators of a fundraising program's long-term health.
Retention is especially fragile among first-time donors. Research from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, a collaboration involving the Association of Fundraising Professionals, has consistently found that only around one in five new donors give a second gift, underscoring how decisive the first year is.
Improving retention compounds over time, since retained donors cost less to keep than new ones cost to acquire and tend to give more as the relationship matures. Strong stewardship and easy recurring giving are among the most effective levers for raising it.
See it in Kindly
The ongoing practice of thanking, updating, and engaging donors so they feel valued and continue to give.
A donor who gave previously but has not made a gift within a defined recent period, often the past 12 to 24 months.
Donations set up to repeat automatically on a schedule, such as monthly or annually.
The total revenue a nonprofit can expect from a donor across the full length of their giving relationship.
Manage donors, volunteers, members, and events together in one nonprofit platform, for one predictable subscription with no cut taken from donations.
