Middle and Bottom Donors Proximity to Upgrade Analysis

Middle and Bottom Donors Proximity to Upgrade

How to use the Middle and Bottom Donors Proximity to Upgrade analysis

This analysis helps you identify donors currently in the middle and bottom giving tiers who are closest to moving up to the next segment, based on their giving in the last full fiscal year. It draws on your gift transactions, donor records, and defined giving thresholds to calculate each donor's total giving last year, classify them into segments, and determine how much more they would need to give to reach the higher tier. By focusing on these donors, you can strategically target those with the greatest potential for an upgrade, helping you prioritize engagement and maximize fundraising growth.

You'll see, for each donor, their current segment (middle or bottom), last fiscal year's total giving, and a calculated Proximity to Upgrade ($)figure. This number indicates precisely how much additional giving is required for the donor to qualify for the next tier—either from the bottom to the middle or from the middle to the top. Supporting information includes the donor's name, the date and amount of their most recent gift, and their constituent ID. This additional detail enables you to personalize outreach, referencing recent gifts and tailoring communications to each donor's giving pattern.

The Proximity to Upgrade metric is central: it flags donors who are just below your key thresholds, so you can design tailored appeals—such as targeted asks, challenge matches, or upgrade campaigns —to help them reach the next level. Reviewing the most recent gift information lets you time your outreach more effectively, for example, by following up soon after a significant gift or on a giving anniversary. You can use this analysis to develop upgrade strategies, inform stewardship plans, and brief frontline fundraisers for more effective conversations.

You should schedule periodic reviews of this analysis as part of your Constituent Intelligence routines. Fundraising directors, major gifts officers, and annual fund managers will benefit from using these insights to identify upgrade-ready donors and coordinate personalized outreach. Consider setting up regular upgrade campaigns focused on donors within $100-$500 of the next tier, and track individual results. To measure success, monitor increases in the number of donors moving up a tier, overall revenue growth from these donors, and improvements in donor retention among those targeted for upgrades. This approach transforms data into actionable Constituent Intelligence, enabling more intentional donor engagement and improved fundraising results.