Terminology
Adjusting for delays in data reporting
Donation data for a quarter may arrive after the reporting deadline. To account for this, we adjust the top-line metrics using historical and quarterly trends in reporting delays, estimating what the metric would be if all late data were included, without having to delay our reports.
Average annual giving per donor
Total donations received in a year divided by the number of unique individuals or entities who donated during that year.
Average donor annual value
The average yearly donation calculated by dividing total historical donations from an individual or entity by the number of years in which donations were made.
Average gift
Total amount received divided by the number of individual donations made.
Cause category
A classification that groups organizations by their primary mission or field of work. These groupings are based on the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE), which organizes tax-exempt organizations into major sectors for comparison and analysis.
Database donor retention rate
The percentage of previously active donors, excluding first-time participants in the current year, who continued to give relative to all previously active donors on record.
Donor (new term)
An individual, household, or organization that chooses to support a mission or shared purpose through a financial contribution, resulting in what is recorded as a donation.
Donor acquisition
The set of strategies and tactics used to generate a first-time financial donation from an individual or organization.
Donor attrition
The reduction in active donors over time as individuals who previously gave no longer donate.
Donor attrition rate
The percentage of individuals who donated in a prior period but did not donate in the current period.
Donor giving history
The total cumulative value of all donations made by an individual or organization from first recorded donation through the most recent.
Donor loyalty in years
The number of distinct years in which an individual or organization made at least one donation.
Donor participation analysis
An examination of how the number of donating individuals changes across one or more time periods.
Donor participation rate
The proportion of individuals in the database who made a donation during a given year.
Donor participation rate of growth
The rate of increase or decrease in donating individuals over time, calculated relative to the starting period.
Donor participation report
A summary that outlines changes in the number of donating individuals across one or more time periods.
Donor reacquire
The process of re-engaging individuals whose last recorded donation occurred three or more years ago.
Donor reacquire rate
The percentage of individuals who had not donated for three or more years but donated in the current year, relative to all eligible individuals in that group.
Donor reactivate
The process of re-engaging individuals who donated two years ago but not in the previous year.
Donor reactivate rate
The percentage of individuals who donated two years ago, skipped the previous year, and donated again in the current year.
Donor recapture
The process of re-engaging individuals who had previously stopped donating for two or more years.
Donor recapture rate
The percentage of previously inactive individuals who resumed donating in the current year.
Donor relations
The strategies and activities used to maintain ongoing engagement through communication, recognition, and involvement opportunities.
Donor renewal
The process of inviting an individual or organization to make another donation following a prior one.
Donor retention
A set of practices aimed at sustaining continued donations from individuals who have previously given.
Donor retention rate
The percentage of individuals who donated in a prior period and donated again in the current period.
Donor upgrade
A change in giving behavior where an individual donates a higher amount compared to a previous period.
Donor’s first annual giving amount
The total donation amount recorded in the first year an individual or organization donated.
Donor’s first gift amount
The amount of the initial donation recorded for an individual or organization.
Donor’s first year
The calendar year in which the first recorded donation occurred.
Donor’s largest annual giving amount
The highest total donation amount recorded within a single year.
Donor’s largest annual giving year
The year in which the highest total annual donation occurred.
Donor’s largest gift amount
The highest value of a single donation recorded.
Donor’s latest annual gift amount
The total donation amount recorded in the most recent year.
Donor’s latest annual giving level segmentation
The grouping of individuals based on ranges derived from their most recent annual donation totals.
Donor’s latest gift amount
The value of the most recent donation recorded.
Donors in database
The total number of individuals or entities recorded as donors within a system at a given time.
Donors’ largest annual giving level segmentation
The grouping of individuals based on ranges derived from their highest annual donation totals.
Downgraded donors
Individuals whose donation amount decreased compared to a previous period.
Estimated donor lifetime
A projection of how long an individual or organization is expected to continue donating, calculated as the inverse of the attrition rate. Measured in years.
Estimated donor lifetime value
The projected total donation amount over time, calculated by multiplying average annual donation by estimated duration of participation.
Estimated lifetime value (ELTV)
A projection of total expected donations over time based on historical donation patterns and estimated duration of participation.
Gains in donors
The total number of new donors plus previously inactive donors who resumed giving.
Gains in giving
The total value of donations from new participants, returning participants, and increased donation amounts from existing participants.
Gift frequency in months
The average number of months between donations, calculated across all donations for an individual or group.
Giving level
A categorization of donation amounts into defined ranges.
Giving level analysis
An examination of donation patterns across different donation ranges.
Growth in donors
The net change in the number of donating individuals between periods, accounting for gains and losses.
Growth in donors’ analysis
An examination of increases and decreases in donating individuals across one or more time periods.
Growth in giving
The net change in total donation value between periods, accounting for gains and losses.
Lapsed donors
Individuals who donated in a prior period but did not donate in the current period.
Lapsed new donors
Individuals who made their first donation in the previous period but did not donate in the current period.
Lapsed repeat donors
Individuals who donated in multiple prior periods, including the previous period, but did not donate in the current period.
Life cycle
A framework describing how an individual’s financial participation changes over time, from first donation through ongoing or discontinued engagement, typically grouped into stages based on recency and frequency of giving. There are four stages: new, new-retained, repeat-retained and recaptured.
Lifetime value
The projected total donation value attributed to an individual or group based on expected donation behavior over time.
Losses in donors
The total number of individuals who stopped donating, including both new and repeat donors.
Losses in giving
The reduction in total donation value due to decreased donation amounts and individuals who stopped donating.
New donor
An individual or organization with no prior recorded donations before the current period.
New donor acquisition rate
The percentage of new donors in the current period relative to the total number of donors in the previous period.
New donor retention rate
The percentage of individuals who made their first donation in a prior period and donated again in the current period.
NTEE Code
A standardized classification assigned to tax-exempt organizations in the United States that identifies their primary area of activity. There are 10 major groups that categorize organizations, these include: Arts, Culture, and Humanities; Education; Environment and Animals; Health Human Services; International, Foreign Affairs; Public, Societal Benefit; Religion Related; Mutual/Membership Benefit; Unknown; Unclassified.
Org Cause
A classification that identifies an organization’s primary mission area based on standardized categories such as those defined by the NTEE system.
Overall donor retention rate
The percentage of all donors from a prior period who donated again in the current period.
Overall rate of growth in donors
The net change in donors divided by the total number of donors in the previous period.
Overall rate of growth in giving
The net change in total donation value divided by the total donation value in the previous period.
Panel
A dataset that tracks the same group of organizations over multiple time periods (such as quarters) to identify trends. For FEP, this group is limited to organizations that meet specific inclusion criteria so the results reflect consistent, long-term patterns across the sector. These criteria include: Yearly Growth Rate: total donations must change between -66% and +300% year over year; Donation Frequency: at least 25 donations received per year; Organization Size: total annual donations between $5,000 and $25,000,000; Donation Frequency: The organization must receive at least 25 donations per year. Organization Size: The organization’s total donations per year must fall between $5,000 and $25,000,000.
Reacquired donors
Individuals who had not donated for three or more years but donated in the current period.
Reactivated donors
Individuals who donated two years ago, did not donate in the previous year, and donated again in the current period.
Recaptured donors
Individuals who had previously stopped donating for two or more years and resumed donating.
Repeat donor retention rate
The percentage of previously active repeat donors who continued donating, excluding first-time donors from the prior period.
Repeat donors
Individuals who donated in the previous period and at least one earlier period and donated again in the current period.
Same donors
Individuals whose donation amount remained consistent compared to a previous period.
Top line Metrics
The primary summary indicators presented at the beginning of a report that describe overall sector performance.
Total donor value (TDV)
The combined total of all past donations and projected future donations attributed to an individual or organization.
Upgraded donors
Individuals whose donation amount increased compared to a previous period.
Weights
A statistical adjustment applied to results so that the sample more accurately reflects the real-world distribution of organizations. This corrects for over- or under-representation of certain groups within the dataset.
Year over Year
A comparison method that evaluates how a metric has changed relative to the same time period in the previous year.