The donor retention report compares each donor's giving behavior between two consecutive calendar years, classifying them into six categories that reveal whether your donor base is growing, stable, or eroding.
Go to Admin → Venues → [your venue] → Reports → Donor Retention.
Picking years
Use the Year picker at the top to select the primary year. The report automatically uses the prior year for comparison. For example, selecting 2026 compares 2026 giving against 2025.
The six classifications
| Classification | Definition | |---|---| | New | Gave in the primary year but had no gift in the prior year | | Retained — same | Gave in both years; primary-year total within ±10% of prior year | | Upgraded | Gave in both years; primary-year total more than 10% above prior year | | Downgraded | Gave in both years; primary-year total more than 10% below prior year | | Lapsed | Gave in the prior year but not in the primary year | | Recaptured | Gave in the primary year after skipping at least one year |
Summary metrics
Below the year picker, summary tiles show:
- Retained rate — retained donors (same + upgraded + downgraded) divided by total donors in the prior year
- Total by classification — count and total dollars for each category
A healthy program typically shows a retained rate above 60% and an upgrade count that offsets lapses in revenue terms.
Per-patron rows
Click any classification card to see the list of donors in that group.
Each row shows the patron name, their prior-year total, and their most recent gift date. Export the list with the Download button.
Using this for outreach
The Lapsed list is the highest-priority re-engagement target: these are donors who gave last year and have not yet given this year. A mid-year personal outreach or a targeted campaign to this list often yields strong results.
The Upgraded list is useful for stewardship — these donors have increased their commitment and deserve personal recognition.
Export the Lapsed list and build an audience in the campaign composer using "By patron list" or use the Advanced audience builder with a "Lapsed donors" rule to send them a targeted re-engagement email.