Calculators
Annual Fund Goal Calculator
Project next year's annual fund from donor retention, gift growth and new donors, and find how many new donors are needed to reach a goal.
- Runs in your browser
- Nothing uploaded
The tool
Enter your numbers below. Results update as you type, and nothing leaves your browser.
Everything you enter stays on your own machine. Nothing is sent to us or to anyone else, which you can confirm in your browser network tab.
What people use it for
- Setting annual fund targets
- Development plans
- Board goal-setting
- Campaign planning
About this tool
What the Annual Fund Goal Calculator does
An annual fund goal should rest on donor maths rather than a round number. Retained donors times their average gift (plus any upgrade) and new donors times their average gift give a realistic projection; the gap to the goal shows how many extra donors are needed.
Formula
- Retained = donors × retention × average gift × (1 + upgrade)
- Projection = retained + new donors × first gift + reactivated × average gift
- Extra donors = gap ÷ average first gift
Worked example
Using the starting values in the calculator above:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Donors last year | 1,200 |
| Average gift last year | $180 |
| Donor retention rate | 45% |
| Average gift increase for retained donors | 5% |
| New donors expected | 400 |
| Average first gift | $95.00 |
| Lapsed donors reactivated | 60 |
| Annual fund goal | $200,000 |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Projected annual fund | $150,860 |
| Gap to goal (negative = ahead) | $49,140 |
| Extra new donors needed | 518 |
| From retained donors | $102,060 |
| From new donors | $38,000 |
| From reactivated donors | $10,800 |
| Projected donors | 1,000 |
How to read the result
Improving retention by 10 points is usually cheaper than finding the same value in new donors.
Monthly giving programmes lift both retention and average annual gift.
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Questions
Questions about this tool
The things clients actually want to know — costs, timelines, ownership and what happens after launch.
Project giving from retained, new and reactivated donors, then stretch modestly.
Overall retention for US nonprofits has been around 40% to 45% in recent years, with first-time donors lower.
Retain more donors, upgrade gifts and acquire new donors efficiently.
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