Top Segment Gift Amount Trends (Annual) Analysis

Top Segment Gift Amount Trends (Annual)

How to use the Top Segment Gift Amount Trends (Annual) analysis

This analysis tracks the annual giving patterns of your highest-value donors-your top segment-over the past 15 fiscal years. It draws from your Gifts, Constituents, and Thresholds data to identify, for each year, which donors qualified as Top  based on their yearly giving meeting or exceeding a minimum threshold you set in your segment definitions. For each relevant fiscal year, the analysis calculates and displays several key metrics: number of unique top donors, total dollars contributed by this segment, as well as average and median individual gift size from those donors, excluding deceased constituents.

You can use this analysis to understand not just the raw totals quickly, but crucially, how your top donor pool and their giving behaviors are evolving year over year. By focusing only on the years when each donor actually qualified as Top, you get an accurate view of true leadership-level support, rather than a diluted picture that includes lapsed or downgraded donors. Metrics like the average and median gift amount help you identify whether trends are being driven by a few very large gifts or broader increases within the segment. 

You should schedule this analysis for regular review as part of your Constituent Intelligence routines, especially before campaign planning, board meetings, or major donor strategy sessions. Fundraising directors, major gifts officers, and prospect managers will find it most useful for spotting shifts in top donor loyalty, flagging years with unusual spikes or dips, and identifying opportunities for targeted retention or upgrade efforts. Apply the insights by segmenting stewardship strategies for the most loyal top donors, designing outreach to recapture donors who have dropped out of the segment, and tailoring recognition programs based on actual giving patterns.

To evaluate the impact of using this analysis, track measures such as year-over-year retention rates within your top segment, growth in total dollars from top donors, and the number of new donors entering the top tier. Ultimately, you should expect more strategic resource allocation, improved retention of your most valuable supporters, and stronger, data-informed relationships with your leadership donors.