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Writer's picturerob grayson

The Giving Matrix


Hands holding envelopes

Successful Year-End fundraising is a result of good planning and execution. However, so many organizations simply write a letter, send it out to their donors and then hope for the best. However, with a little planning and organization you can dramatically impact your results. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing some key strategies that can help you plan and execute a successful year-end fundraising campaign to help you reach your goal.


So where do you start? Well, if you are expecting this process to help you reach your fundraising goal … you need a fundraising goal. Setting a goal is an important aspect of campaign success. Without a goal, how are you expected to achieve it? Once you have a goal, communicate that goal to your staff and board so they can all help stay focused on what success looks like for your organization.


Now that you have a goal lets figure out how you will get there. Say your goal is $100,000. Knowing how many gifts you need and at what level will help determine if that goal is attainable. This is where a Giving Matrix is an essential tool. A giving matrix is simply a chart of various gift amounts, the number of gifts needed at the various levels, and the number of “qualified” prospects at each level you will need to reach that goal. I know, I know… sounds confusing but the chart below illustrates exactly how the Giving Matrix works.


Image of a giving matrix example

Based on this Matrix, to reach your goal of $100,000 you will need one gift at $25,000, one gift at $12,000, two gifts at $10,000 and so on. This information will allow you to look at your existing donor base and see who has the capacity to give you those gifts or if you have to expand your outreach to new donors with that right capacity. It will also allow you to ask for the right amount from each donor instead of asking for a generic amount that will not help you get to your goal. We will get to “asking for the right amount from the right donors” in a future post.


Follow this link to build your own Giving Matrix: Fundraising Gift Range Calculator


Want to learn more about building a Giving Matrix or planning your Year-End Appeal? Talk to Boone’s Creative Director, Rob Grayson. Rob was a development director and professional fundraiser for 24 years before joining Team Boone. Studio B, our in-house creative studio specializes in designing fundraising campaigns and outreach materials for nonprofits as well as a wide range of private sector creative services.

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