It’s Survey Time: How to Calculate Your Online Giving Results

By Bryce Wilkinson, Senior Online Giving Specialist, Community First Foundation

We hope you are happy with how online giving fared for your nonprofit both on Colorado Gives Day and throughout the year.

We are in the midst of reviewing data to understand the impact of ColoradoGives and evaluate online giving trends. The online survey we are e-mailing to nonprofits that use ColoradoGives.org will help us answer questions we cannot determine from our data alone—and is also considered a grant report.

Some of the survey questions require a few calculations. Not a math person? Learn how to calculate answers to key questions below.

What percentage of total fundraising by your nonprofit comes through ColoradoGives.org?
The formula: (Total amount raised through ColoradoGives in 2013) ÷ (Total amount raised via all sources in 2013) x 100
How many donors on Colorado Gives Day were first-time donors to your organization?
If a donor listed on your 2013 Colorado Gives Day donation report has donated to you prior to Colorado Gives Day (Dec. 10, 2013) by any means, then do not count him in the total.
What percentage of your donors on Colorado Gives Day were first-time donors to your organization?
The formula: (# first-time donors, as calculated above) ÷ (Total # of unique donors on your 2013 Colorado Gives Day donation report) x 100
How many of your donors on Colorado Gives Day were lapsed (donors who had not given to your organization for two or more years)?

Identify existing donors. The formula: (Total # 2013 Colorado Gives Day donors) − (# first-time donors) = # existing donors
Check donors identified as existing in your organization’s entire donor database to see when each of them last gave to you.
If the existing donor last gave to you two or more years ago, then count him.

We hope these survey questions help you evaluate your online giving results from last year and make even more informed fundraising plans for 2014. Watch for our comprehensive Colorado Gives Day Report coming in February to learn about online giving patterns state-wide.

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