Upgrade/Downgrade Patterns All Donors Analysis

Upgrade/Downgrade Patterns All Donors

How to use the Upgrade/Downgrade Patterns All Donors -Review Later analysis

This analysis tracks year-over-year giving patterns for all donors, specifically focusing on whether each donor has upgraded, downgraded, or maintained their annual giving between fiscal years. It uses your historical giving data, grouping each donor's gifts by fiscal year (adjusted for a July-June fiscal year), and then segments donors into "Top" or "Middle" tiers based on annual giving thresholds you define in your Thresholds table. The analysis then compares each donor's giving tier from one year to the next, labeling their transition as an upgrade (moving from Middle to Top), downgrade (from Top to Middle), or maintained (staying in the same tier).

You will see, for each fiscal year pair and giving tier, the number of donors who upgraded, downgraded, or maintained their tier, along with average and median gift totals for each group. The percentage calculation helps you quickly assess the proportion of each transition type within a tier, making it easy to spot trends such as retention among top donors or opportunities for middle-tier donors to move up. These metrics are central to Constituent Intelligence, allowing you to measure the effectiveness of your stewardship and upgrade strategies over time.

Use this analysis to identify patterns in donor mobility and inform targeted engagement efforts. For example, if you see a high rate of downgrades among top-tier donors, it may prompt a review of your stewardship practices. Conversely, a healthy rate of upgrades from middle to top tier signals effective engagement or campaign strategies that could be replicated. Fundraising directors, annual giving managers, and anyone responsible for donor retention and growth should review this regularly to inform both mass and personalized outreach efforts. Scheduling note: This analysis is recommended to be reviewed periodically as part of your Constituent Intelligence routines.

To apply these insights, you can prioritize personal outreach to donors who have recently downgraded, as they may be at risk of further attrition, and celebrate or further engage those who have upgraded as potential major gift prospects. Success can be measured by tracking increases in upgrade rates, decreases in downgrades, and overall improvement in donor retention within each giving tier across review cycles. Consistently leveraging this analysis will help you fine-tune your donor journey strategies and ultimately drive stronger fundraising outcomes.

Analytics Reference: QX22

Focus: 1.6: Cohort Analysis by Year and Month

Type: Summary+Detail | Lifecycle: Growth/Upgrade | Time: Retrospective | Audience: Operational

Segments: Top, Middle, Bottom | Scope: Segment

COLLECTIONS: Annual Fund Health Check

SEE SUMMARY: QX17 Segment Graduation Rates

ALSO TRY: QX17 Segment Graduation Rates; QX136 Annual Segment Transition Stats- Basic; QX137 Annual Segment Transition Analysis-By Ti