Why Donors Leave (And How to Keep Them) · Class 7 of 7
Where your money comes from
Find what share of last year's dollars came from your top 10 donors, and judge one campaign by what it brought in after costs, including whether its new donors gave again.
A few people carry most years. This class shows how to measure how much of your year rests on your biggest donors, and how to judge a campaign by what lasts, not only by what it raised.
Key takeaways
- A few people carry most years. Giving USA found individual people gave about two-thirds of all US giving in 2024.
- Measure how concentrated you are. The simple version is your top 10 donors' share of last year's dollars.
- Judge a campaign by what lasts. A campaign's first-year net is half the story. The other half is whether its new donors give again.
Your homework
About 20 minutes.
- Sort last year's donors by total given and add up the top 10.
- Divide by last year's total. That's your top-10 share.
- Write the name of the donor you'd miss most, and when you last spoke with them.
- Pick one campaign from last year. Write what it cost, what it raised, how many first-time donors it brought, and how many of those have given again.
The free file check doesn't do top-donor share or campaigns. This is the homework the free call is for.
Get the Class 7 worksheet
A printable page with the steps, a table to fill in and a worked example. Tell us where to send it.
Sources
- Giving USA 2025
- Fundraising Effectiveness Project, Q4 2025 and Q1 2026 reports
- M+R Benchmarks 2026