First-Time Middle Segment Donor Month Rankings (Last Fiscal Year) Analysis

First-Time Middle Segment Donor Month Rankings (LFY)

How to use the First-Time Middle Segment Donor Month Rankings (LFY) analysis

This analysis identifies and ranks first-time donors who joined your organization in the last full fiscal year (LFY) and whose total giving for the year places them in the middle donor segment, based on your organization's custom giving thresholds. Drawing from historical gift data, it determines the month in which each donor made their very first gift and aggregates this information to show you, month by month, how many new middle-segment donors you acquired, the total and average value of their first gifts, and related statistics such as median and mode of first gift amount.

By focusing on the middle segment-not the very largest or smallest donors-you gain targeted insight into a crucial group that often has strong future value and upgrade potential. The analysis uses the sum of each donor's giving during the most recent completed fiscal year to assign their segment, then groups and summarizes these new donors by the month of their first gift. Metrics provided include the number of new middle-segment donors acquired each month, the total and average size of their initial gifts, and trends in giving patterns. These figures matter because they indicate when your acquisition efforts are most effective and help you detect seasonal or campaign-driven spikes in quality donor acquisition.

You should use this analysis to time stewardship efforts, inform campaign planning, and tailor your outreach. For example, knowing which months yield the most or highest-value first-time middle-segment donors allows you to prioritize engagement during those periods or to investigate the tactics that were in play during high-performing months. Development directors, annual giving managers, and constituent engagement teams should review this analysis together, especially when planning cultivation or upgrade initiatives. Pairing this data with individual donor profile data,  such as donor scoring based on giving amount trends and/or frequency of giving from your Constituent Intelligence platform empowers you to craft more personalized outreach, as you'll know when and how a donor first engaged at a meaningful level and be able to see at a glance the recent trajectory of their giving history.

To measure the success of applying this analysis, monitor increases in middle-segment donor retention and upgrades over time, as well as overall growth in new donor value during key acquisition periods. This analysis is recommended to be reviewed periodically as part of your Constituent Intelligence routines, ensuring you consistently identify trends and adapt your strategies for maximum fundraising effectiveness.