High Lift Donors DEC Last Fiscal Year Analysis

This analysis provides a retrospective look at the donors whose contribitions provided the greatest uplift to December fundraising results last year.

By RaiseTellMarch 18, 20263 min read

High Lift Donors DEC LFY

How to use the High Lift Donors DEC LFY analytic

This analysis identifies donors who made gifts in December of the last full fiscal year that exceeded their own average December giving over the previous three years. Using your giving data, it compares each donor's most recent December performance to their typical December support, highlighting those individuals whose giving has meaningfully increased-these are your high-lift donors. The analysis draws on all gift records, calculates three-year baselines for each donor, and isolates those who surpassed their own historical benchmarks in December. It surfaces not only the incremental dollar lift but also supporting details such as the donor's name and constituent ID, which allows you to personalize your outreach quickly.

The core metric, Personal Incremental Lift ($),  measures the difference between a donor's actual December giving in the last fiscal year and their own three-year average for December. This approach highlights genuine accelerations in donor engagement, rather than focusing solely on large gifts or single-year performance. By filtering for donors who are not marked as deceased and who gave more than their average, you ensure the analysis focuses on living donors, showing positive movement.

You can use this analysis to guide strategic stewardship and cultivation efforts. For example, prioritize high-lift donors for thank-you calls, personal notes, or invitations to special events, as their increased support signals a deepening commitment. The inclusion of donor names and IDs facilitates tailored outreach, as development officers can reference specific giving patterns or acknowledge year-over-year growth in communications, thereby strengthening the donor relationship. Reviewing this analysis regularly, especially as part of your Constituent Intelligence routines, ensures you don't miss emerging major gift prospects or significant shifts in donor loyalty.

Fundraising directors and gift officers should review this analysis shortly after each December close and before major stewardship pushes. Use the insights to segment high lift donors for personalized recognition or to identify candidates for upgrade strategies and leadership giving programs. Success can be measured by tracking follow-up actions taken for these donors, as well as subsequent retention and upgrade rates, and the overall growth in the high-lift cohort year over year. By focusing on these metrics, you can effectively leverage Constituent Intelligence to drive increased giving and deepen donor engagement.


Analytic ID: QX108

Analytic Name: High Lift Donors DEC LFY

Focus: 2.3: Within-Segment Growth; 2.5: Large Gift Growth (75th Percentile); 3.2: Prospect Identification

Type: Standard Analytic

Segments: All/None specified | Scope: Individual Donor

Description: This analysis identifies donors who made gifts in December of the last full fiscal year that exceeded their own average December giving over the previous three years. Using your giving data, it compares each donor's most recent December performance to their typical December support, highlighting those individuals whose giving has meaningfully increased-these are your high-lift donors. You can use this analysis to guide strategic stewardship and cultivation efforts. The inclusion of donor names and IDs facilitates tailored outreach, as development officers can reference specific giving patterns or acknowledge year-over-year growth in communications, thereby strengthening the donor relationship.

Key Question: Which donors in this month made big upward moves (for them)?

Action: Adjust outreach for these motivated donors.

Calendar Timing (Best Used In): October, November, December

Columns included in this analytic: Donor, Avg Giving in Target Month (Prior 3 Years), Giving in Target Month (Last FY), Personal Incremental Lift ($), Constituent ID, Deceased, Constituency, Assigned Fundraiser, Pledge Payments CFY, Pledge Payments LFY, Last Pledge Payment Date