Does the Perfect Donor Exist in 2025?

M+R Benchmarks and the Fundraising Effectiveness Project have released their reports, and the trend of fewer donors giving more dollars has continued. There are lots of great data points in both reports that showcase not only donor file makeup, but also how nonprofits communicate with those donors. 

The trend of active donor files shrinking leaves me pondering the reason for this and ultimately asking, does the perfect donor exist in 2025? Did they ever exist? 

OK, maybe the word “perfect” isn’t the right word and analyzing our files to find perfect donors is a fool's errand. Should just focus on great — or maybe just good donors.

I often analyze donor files and find trends, and look for key attributes of great donors. Artificial intelligence is making this much faster and allows us to not only see reports, but think about what attributes and leading indicators to look for in donors. 

What Makes Great Donors?

When thinking about what makes great donors, I often go back to the three C’s. 

Compassion. Great donors need to be compassionate. They need to have a heart, care about helping not just your cause, but the world they live in. This is important because they are often not dedicating their lives to solving the challenges that your mission is, but instead, they care enough that they know by donating, they are making a difference. 

Capacity. Great donors have the capacity to give. We talk a lot about discretionary spending and how the competition for that money is high. Companies and nonprofits are both vying for that money, so while capacity is important, having capacity alone does not make a person a great donor.

Commitment. Great donors are committed and engaged. Their passion for a topic usually drives this, but for someone to become a champion of a cause, they need to be committed to that cause. With so many nonprofits asking for support, a committed donor is key. 

There are lots of other traits that make great donors, but these three are the ones that I believe are non-negotiable. Alone, they do not make great donors, but together, they can make great donors. 

In short, I believe that there are great donors today. I believe there have always been great donors. 

Are There Fewer Great Donors Today?

I’ve heard a lot of stories from organizations about people who they considered great donors lapsing. This is challenging to hear because the attributes I mentioned are timeless — maybe not capacity as much as the others, but there is still a level of capacity that is timeless. 

So what in the world is happening today that is leaving great donors feeling alienated, causing them to drop from donor files and leading them to disengage?

I don’t believe this is because they are no longer compassionate. Or that they are no longer committed to solving a challenge in society. Maybe the economy has them worried, but the trend has been happening for years, so this doesn’t feel like the reason.

How Can We Keep Great Donors On File (And Acquire More Great Donors)?

Data shows us that donors like to be a part of something and know that they are a part of that thing. It’s why November has turned into campaigns that feature donors sharing their why. It’s why galas exist. It's why people love membership cards.

We know multiple channels influence donors, which shows the difference between channels of influence and channels of transactions. 

We know that donors are people. People live in the real world and crave relationships that are mutually beneficial. It’s why, after a disaster strikes, a text message asking if a person needs to pause their monthly gift during the difficult time can go a long way in building a trusting relationship. It’s why a thank-you phone call can bring a smile to a person’s face. It’s why behind-the-scenes looks at how donations are being used to change the world matter. 

Great Donors — They Do Exist

We all have competing priorities. We feel stretched too thin at times. We have bad days and are upset when someone decides not to give to a cause that we believe so strongly in. 

Taking care of yourself as a fundraiser is important. 

If nothing else, I hope this shows that we see you. We value you. We need your passion and commitment. So take a moment and smile. Know that you are making the world a better place. 

And always remember, there are great donors whose are great people. They may not be perfect, but no one is. 

They may not be knocking down your door today, but through the work that you do, telling stories that change lives, you will connect with them. It takes effort and time to foster great relationships because relationships are rooted in mutual benefit. It is hard, but great relationships can be hard at times. 

Great relationships are formed with great donors every day.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of NonProfit PRO.