Donor Retention Rate
Your donor retention rate is the percentage of all donors who give in two consecutive years. This does not count new donors, but it will include upgraded and downgraded donors.
Donorbox Moments feature improves donor retention because you are informed about key donor events so you can amp up donor engagement, send personalized updates, and communicate more effectively with your donors.
How to use this calculator
To calculate donor retention rate, divide the number of repeat donors this year by those that donated last year.
Pro Tip
Strong donor retention rates help predict revenue for the organization and improve meaningful engagement, get larger donations, and help nonprofits budget better. While organizations with a high retention rate keep or renew many donors from year to year, those with a low rate must spend more to acquire new donors to keep their bottom lines above water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is donor retention important?
If you can encourage donors to renew annually, it will cost less than acquiring new donors every year. Maintaining and growing relationships with current donors requires less time, effort, and expense than acquiring new donors.
What is the average donor retention rate?
The average donor retention rate has hovered around 43% to 45% for more than a decade, declining slightly each year, according to a report by the Fundraising Effectiveness Project. New donor retention rates are much lower, with an average of 18%-20%.