Donor Upgrade Rate
Percentage of existing donors who increased their gift size compared to their previous donation
What is Donor Upgrade Rate?
Donor upgrade rate is the percentage of renewing donors who increase the value of their giving. It shows how well a charity grows the support of people who already give.
Upgrades raise income without the cost of finding new donors, so they are a very efficient source of growth.
How this KPI is measured
- Function
- Fundraising & Income
- Sub-function
- Donor Development
- Industry
- Not-for-Profit / Charity
- Type
- Lagging
- Impact
- Revenue
- Unit
- %
- Measurement frequency
- Annual
- Formula
- (Donors who increased gift value / Total renewing donors) × 100
How to calculate it
Divide donors who increased their gift value by total renewing donors, and multiply by 100.
For example, if 600 of 5,000 renewing donors increased their gift, the upgrade rate is 12%.
Define upgrade clearly, such as an increase in the annual amount or regular gift, and look at the size of increases as well as the number of donors.
Where it is used
Growing income from existing donors
Raise giving without new acquisition.
Testing upgrade appeals
Measure the response.
Segmenting donors
Find those likely to upgrade.
How to improve it
Tips and common mistakes
- Do not ask too often or too soon.
- Respect donor preferences.
- Measure the effect on retention.
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