2013 Fundraising Effectiveness Survey Report

Abstract

The 2013 Fundraising Effectivenes Project Report summarizes data from 2,840 survey respondents covering year-to-year fundraising results for 2011-2012. The report shows that: Gains of $769 million in gifts from new, upgraded current, and previously lapsed donors were offset by losses of$735 million through reduced gifts and lapsed donors. This means that, while there was a positive $34 million net growth-in-giving, every$100 gained in 2012 was offset by $96 in losses through gift attrition. That is, 96 percent of gains in giving were offset by losses in giving.Gains of$866,000 in new and previously lapsed donors were offset by losses of 909,000 in lapsed donors. This means that there was a negative (44,000) growth-in-donors and every 100 donors gained in 2012 was offset by 105 in lost donors through attrition. That is, 105 percent of the donors gained were offset by lapsed donors.Growth-in-giving performance varies significantly according to organization size (based on total amount raised), with larger organizations performing much better than smaller ones.The largest growth in gift dollars/donors came from new gifts/donors, and the pattern was most pronounced in the organizations with the highest growth-in-giving ratios.The greatest losses in gift dollars came from lapsed new gifts, particularly in the organizations with the lowest and highest growth-on-giving ratios. the greatest losses in donors came from lapsed new donors in all growth-in-giving categories