Monthly Fundraising Baseline Analysis

Monthly Fundraising Baseline

How to use the Monthly Fundraising Baseline analysis

This analysis establishes your organization's typical monthly fundraising performance by calculating the average revenue and donor count for each calendar month across the past three fiscal years. By focusing on the most recent three-year period and excluding deceased constituents, it provides an up-to-date and seasonally sensitive baseline that reflects real donor behavior. The data is drawn directly from your gift and constituent records, identifying every donor's fiscal year engagement and then categorizing their status as New, Retained, or Recaptured for each year. This segmentation allows you to see not only overall monthly trends but also how different donor cohorts contribute to your fundraising outcomes throughout the year.

Key metrics produced include the average total giving per month, the average number of unique donors per month, and the average giving amounts segmented by donor status: Retained, New, and Recaptured. Understanding these patterns is vital: for example, a spike in giving from New donors in December might indicate successful acquisition campaigns, whereas consistent giving from Retained donors in May could reflect the strength of your stewardship efforts. By comparing current performance against these baselines, you can quickly identify when a month is underperforming or exceeding expectations, and which donor group is driving those changes.

You should use this analysis to inform campaign planning, budgeting, and donor communications strategy. Development directors and annual giving managers will find it particularly useful for setting realistic monthly targets, timing appeals to coincide with seasonal giving peaks, and assessing the impact of new initiatives. For example, if you notice a dip in Retained donor giving during the summer months, you might schedule targeted stewardship touchpoints in late spring. Additionally, these insights can help you craft more personalized outreach by focusing on the donor status segments that are most responsive in each period.

This analysis is recommended to be reviewed periodically as part of your Constituent Intelligence routines. Review it before launching major campaigns, during quarterly fundraising reviews, and when forecasting revenue to ensure accuracy. Success should be measured by improved accuracy in monthly revenue projections, increased retention or reactivation of lapsed donors, and the ability to proactively address unexpected dips in giving. By embedding these insights into your workflow, you ll strengthen donor relationships and maximize fundraising effectiveness throughout the year.