Middle Donor Retention by Frequency Analysis

Middle Donor Retention by Frequency

How to use the Middle Donor Retention by Frequency analysis

This analysis enables you to understand how effectively your organization retains middle-tier donors year over year, segmented by the frequency of their giving within each fiscal year. It uses data from your gifts table, classifying donors with annual giving totals within your defined "middle donor" range (sourced from your Thresholds table) and grouping them by giving frequency, ranging from one gift per year (Annual), to two or three (Semi-Annual), up to ten or more (Monthly+). For each fiscal year, it tracks whether these middle donors gave again at the same level in the following year, and notes if their giving frequency changed.

You will find not only the number of donors in each frequency segment who were retained, but also the percentage retained, their average giving in the base year, and the amount retained donors gave in the following year. The analysis highlights "frequency changers," indicating how many donors adjusted their giving cadence, which is crucial for identifying shifts in donor behavior. By comparing retention and changes across years and frequencies, you can locate which engagement strategies are most effective for sustaining or increasing donor involvement.

You can use this analysis to prioritize outreach and stewardship for segments where retention is strong or needs improvement, and to tailor messaging for donors whose giving patterns suggest they are ready to increase their commitment. For example, if you see that Quarterly givers have high retention but Semi-Annual givers often lapse or downgrade, you might introduce targeted cultivation efforts or personalized touchpoints to encourage more frequent giving. If available, reviewing columns such as first and last gift dates or average gift size will help you craft more customized outreach, such as referencing a donor's giving anniversary or typical gift amount.

This analysis is recommended to be reviewed periodically as part of your Constituent Intelligence routines, ideally by your development director, annual giving manager, and donor stewardship teams. Use these insights to set retention benchmarks, design targeted campaigns, and experiment with tailored stewardship for each frequency segment. Track your progress by measuring year-over-year changes in retention rates, the proportion of donors upgrading frequency, and growth in average giving among middle donors. Success is reflected in higher retention percentages, more donors increasing their frequency of support, and steady or growing average gift sizes within this critical segment.