Inputs the user provides
- Donor data summary (total number of donors, database size, data completeness)
- Giving levels (major, mid-level, grassroots thresholds in your org's context)
- Engagement signals available (event attendance, email open rates, volunteer history, social, survey responses)
- CRM platform in use (e.g., Salesforce NPSP, Raiser's Edge NXT, Bloomerang, Little Green Light)
- Current retention rate and average gift (if known)
1. RFM Segmentation Framework
RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary) is the foundation. Score every donor on three axes, then combine scores to assign a segment tier.
1a. Scoring Definitions
| Dimension | Score 3 (High) | Score 2 (Mid) | Score 1 (Low) |
|-----------|---------------|--------------|--------------|
| Recency | Gift within [[Recency High Threshold, e.g., 12 months]] | Gift [[Recency Mid Range, e.g., 13-24 months]] ago | No gift in [[Recency Low Threshold, e.g., 25+ months]] |
| Frequency | [[Frequency High, e.g., 3+]] gifts in last 3 years | [[Frequency Mid, e.g., 2]] gifts in last 3 years | [[Frequency Low, e.g., 1]] gift ever |
| Monetary | Total lifetime giving ≥ [[Major Gift Floor, e.g., $10,000]] | Total lifetime giving [[Mid Range, e.g., $500-$9,999]] | Total lifetime giving < [[Grassroots Ceiling, e.g., $500]] |
Combined RFM Score: Sum the three scores (range 3-9). Use this as a segment-placement input alongside the donor-type and gift-level overlays below.
1b. Gift-Level Overlay
| Level | Threshold | Notes |
|-------|-----------|-------|
| Major Gift | ≥ [[Major Gift Floor]] single gift | Triggers moves-management pipeline (Section 3) |
| Mid-Level | [[Mid-Level Floor, e.g., $1,000]] - [[Mid-Level Ceiling, e.g., $9,999]] | High-touch cultivation; personalized stewardship |
| Grassroots / Community | < [[Grassroots Ceiling]] | High volume; automation-friendly |
1c. Donor-Type Overlay
| Type | Definition |
|------|-----------|
| Sustainer / Recurring | Active monthly or quarterly pledge on file |
| New Donor | First gift within [[New Donor Window, e.g., 12 months]] |
| One-Time | Single gift; no repeat within [[One-Time Window, e.g., 24 months]] |
| Lapsed | Last gift > [[Lapse Threshold, e.g., 18 months]] ago; was previously active |
| Reactivated | Lapsed donor who gave again within [[Reactivation Window, e.g., 12 months]] |
| Upgraded | Donor whose largest single gift increased ≥ [[Upgrade Threshold, e.g., 25%]] in current FY |
2. Defined Segments - Criteria, Strategy, and Channel
Each segment is defined by the intersection of RFM score, gift level, and donor type. Adjust thresholds to match [[Organization Name]]'s own data distribution.
Segment A - Major Prospects (High RFM + Major-Gift Capacity)
Entry criteria: RFM score 7-9 AND lifetime giving ≥ [[Major Gift Floor]] OR wealth-screen capacity score ≥ [[Capacity Score Threshold, e.g., "4 out of 5"]].
| Element | Detail |
|---------|--------|
| Cultivation cadence | Minimum [[Major Prospect Touches, e.g., 8-12]] meaningful touchpoints per year |
| Ask strategy | Individualized proposal; specific project/endowment alignment; give-amount anchored to capacity, not history |
| Assigned gift officer | Yes - primary relationship owner in CRM |
| Channels | Personal visit, 1:1 phone, handwritten note, curated event invite |
| Upgrade path | Propose named fund, legacy/estate gift conversation at month [[Legacy Milestone, e.g., 18]] |
Segment B - Mid-Level Loyal (RFM 5-7 + Mid-Level Giving)
Entry criteria: RFM score 5-7 AND cumulative giving [[Mid-Level Floor]] - [[Mid-Level Ceiling]]; no capacity flag for major.
| Element | Detail |
|---------|--------|
| Cultivation cadence | [[Mid-Level Touches, e.g., 4-6]] touches per year; mix of personal and automated |
| Ask strategy | Upgrade ask of [[Mid-Level Upgrade Multiplier, e.g., 1.5×]] current largest gift; Society/recognition club offer |
| Assigned gift officer | Portfolio or mid-level officer (group portfolio of [[Mid-Level Portfolio Size, e.g., 150-250]] donors) |
| Channels | Personalized email, phone call at renewal, invite to VIP stewardship event |
| Upgrade path | Society membership → major prospect qualification → moves-management pipeline |
Segment C - Sustainer / Recurring Donors
Entry criteria: Active recurring pledge on file (any amount).
| Element | Detail |
|---------|--------|
| Cultivation cadence | Annual thank-you call; quarterly impact update; anniversary recognition |
| Ask strategy | Annual upgrade request of [[Sustainer Upgrade Ask, e.g., $5-$10/month]]; do NOT ask for one-time gifts over sustainer amount without relationship context |
| Channel | Email series, SMS (if opted in), auto-renewal notice 30 days before anniversary |
| Retention priority | Payment failure recovery workflow: day 3 / day 7 / day 14 automated retry + personal outreach at day 10 |
| Upgrade path | Monthly → quarterly → major prospect qualification at [[Sustainer Major Floor, e.g., $100/month]] |
Segment D - New Donors (First 12 Months)
Entry criteria: First gift within [[New Donor Window]] and not yet recurring.
| Element | Detail |
|---------|--------|
| Cultivation cadence | 7-touch welcome series within first 90 days (see below) |
| Ask strategy | Second-gift ask at day [[Second Gift Ask Day, e.g., 45]]; sustainer conversion offer at day [[Sustainer Conversion Day, e.g., 90]] |
| Channels | Email welcome series, personal thank-you call within [[Thank-You Call Window, e.g., 48 hours]] for gifts ≥ [[Call Threshold, e.g., $250]] |
| Goal | Convert to recurring or repeat before 12-month mark; target [[New Donor Retention Target, e.g., 45%]] second-gift rate |
90-Day Welcome Sequence:
- Day 0 - Immediate gift acknowledgment + tax receipt
- Day 3 - Impact story related to the program the gift supported
- Day 7 - "Meet the team" or founder story
- Day 21 - Program update / milestone
- Day 45 - Soft second-gift ask with specific project offer
- Day 75 - Invitation to event or volunteer opportunity
- Day 90 - Sustainer conversion offer ("Join our [[Monthly Giving Program Name]]")
Segment E - Lapsed Donors
Entry criteria: Last gift > [[Lapse Threshold]] ago; RFM recency score = 1.
| Lapsed Tier | Last Gift Age | Strategy |
|-------------|--------------|---------|
| Warm Lapsed | [[Lapse Low, e.g., 18-36 months]] | Reactivation series (3 touches); reduced ask = last gift amount |
| Cold Lapsed | [[Lapse High, e.g., 37-60 months]] | Single reactivation appeal; low-barrier entry offer |
| Lapsed Sustainers | Canceled recurring pledge | Dedicated win-back sequence; address payment failure or reason |
Reactivation cadence (Warm Lapsed):
- Touch 1 - "We miss you" email; impact since last gift; no ask
- Touch 2 - Soft re-ask at last gift amount (2 weeks later)
- Touch 3 - Final ask with urgency / deadline offer (4 weeks after Touch 2)
Channel: Email primary; direct mail for donors with last gift ≥ [[Direct Mail Lapsed Threshold, e.g., $500]]; no phone unless RFM score was ≥ 6 before lapsing.
Segment F - One-Time / Occasional Donors
Entry criteria: Only 1-2 lifetime gifts; RFM frequency score ≤ 2; not yet lapsed.
| Element | Detail |
|---------|--------|
| Strategy | Frequency-building communications; lower-barrier giving opportunities (giving days, matching campaigns) |
| Ask | Specific, small-step increase or sustainer trial ("Give $[[Monthly Trial Amount, e.g., 10]]/month for 3 months") |
| Channel | Email; SMS if opted in; social media re-engagement ad (custom audience match) |
3. Upgrade Paths and Lapsed-Reactivation Flows
3a. Grassroots → Mid-Level Upgrade Path
Grassroots donor (< [[Grassroots Ceiling]])
└─ RFM score ≥ 6 AND 2+ consecutive annual gifts
└─ Upgrade ask: [[Mid-Level Entry Offer, e.g., $500 or $1,000/yr]]
└─ If accepted → Segment B (Mid-Level Loyal)
└─ If declined → Stay Segment F; retry in 12 months
3b. Mid-Level → Major Prospect Qualification
Mid-Level donor (Segment B)
└─ Wealth screen OR capacity flag triggered
└─ Assign to gift-officer portfolio
└─ Moves-management pipeline entry (Section 3d)
3c. Lapsed-Reactivation Flow
Lapsed Donor (Segment E)
└─ Warm Lapsed (18-36 mo): 3-touch series
└─ Reactivated: → New Donor welcome series (abbreviated, 5 touches)
└─ No response: → Cold Lapsed queue; annual appeal only
└─ Cold Lapsed (37-60 mo): 1 appeal
└─ Reactivated: → Segment F (One-Time); monitor for upgrade
└─ No response: → Suppress for [[Suppression Period, e.g., 24 months]]; re-evaluate
3d. Moves-Management / Major-Gift Pipeline
The moves-management pipeline tracks major prospects through cultivation stages in CRM. Each stage has a defined next action and target timeline.
| Stage | Definition | Owner | Target Duration |
|-------|-----------|-------|----------------|
| 1. Identification | Wealth screen or officer flag; no relationship yet | Research / Data | - |
| 2. Qualification | Confirm interest and capacity; introductory meeting | Gift Officer | [[Stage 2 Duration, e.g., 1-3 months]] |
| 3. Cultivation | Relationship building; org site visits, events, impact briefings | Gift Officer | [[Stage 3 Duration, e.g., 6-18 months]] |
| 4. Solicitation | Formal proposal; specific ask tied to project or endowment | Gift Officer + ED | [[Stage 4 Duration, e.g., 1-3 months]] |
| 5. Stewardship | Gift acknowledgment, reporting, relationship maintenance | Gift Officer | Ongoing |
Pipeline KPIs: Track total pipeline value, conversion rate stage 3→4, average time to close, and number of prospects per gift officer (target: [[Portfolio Cap, e.g., 50-75]] active prospects per officer).
4. Data Hygiene and Wealth/Capacity Screening
4a. Required Fields (minimum viable CRM record)
| Field | Required For | Notes |
|-------|-------------|-------|
| Full legal name | All segments | Separate first/last; salutation preference |
| Primary email | All segments | Opt-in/opt-out flag required |
| Mailing address | Direct mail segments | NCOA append annually |
| Phone | Segments A, B, C | Mobile vs. landline; SMS opt-in separate |
| Gift date, amount, appeal | All | Ties to RFM scoring |
| Gift type | All | One-time, recurring, pledge, matching |
| Donor source / acquisition channel | All | Attribution for LTV modeling |
| Solicitation code | All | Enables appeal-level ROI analysis |
| Constituent type | All | Individual, corporate, foundation, board |
| Do-not-contact flags | All | Email, mail, phone - separate per channel |
4b. Data Hygiene Schedule
| Task | Frequency | Owner |
|------|-----------|-------|
| NCOA (address validation) | Annually (pre-fall campaign) | Database manager |
| Email bounce suppression | After every send | Marketing / CRM admin |
| Deceased / moved suppression | Quarterly | Database manager |
| Duplicate merge | Quarterly | Database manager |
| Sustainer payment failure audit | Monthly | Finance + CRM |
| Segment re-scoring (RFM) | [[RFM Rescore Cadence, e.g., Quarterly]] | Database manager |
4c. Wealth and Capacity Screening
For Segments A and B (major and mid-level prospects), run a third-party wealth screen on:
- All new donors with first gift ≥ [[Screen Threshold, e.g., $500]]
- All donors with cumulative lifetime giving ≥ [[Cumulative Screen Threshold, e.g., $2,500]]
- All board members, advisory council members, and event table purchasers
Recommended screening tools: WealthEngine, DonorSearch, iWave, or built-in tools within [[CRM Platform]].
Key capacity signals to capture: Real estate holdings, business ownership/executive title, stock holdings (SEC filings), previous major gifts to peer organizations, philanthropy history, board memberships.
Screening output → CRM action: Append capacity rating, estimated capacity range, and last-updated date to the donor record. Flag records with capacity ≥ [[Major Flag Threshold, e.g., $25,000]] for gift-officer review within [[Flag Review Window, e.g., 30 days]].
5. Metrics Per Segment
Track these KPIs by segment, reported [[Metrics Reporting Cadence, e.g., quarterly]].
| Segment | Retention Rate Target | Average Gift Target | LTV Goal | Key Leading Indicator |
|---------|----------------------|-------------------|---------|----------------------|
| A - Major Prospects | [[Major Retention Target, e.g., 90%]] | [[Major Avg Gift]] | [[Major LTV, e.g., $50,000+]] | Moves-management stage progression |
| B - Mid-Level Loyal | [[Mid Retention Target, e.g., 75%]] | [[Mid Avg Gift]] | [[Mid LTV, e.g., $5,000-$25,000]] | Upgrade rate to Segment A |
| C - Sustainers | [[Sustainer Retention Target, e.g., 85%]] | [[Sustainer Avg Gift, e.g., $240/yr]] | [[Sustainer LTV, e.g., $1,500-$5,000]] | Payment success rate; annual upgrade rate |
| D - New Donors | [[New Retention Target, e.g., 45%]] | [[New Avg Gift]] | [[New LTV]] | Second-gift rate at 90 days |
| E - Lapsed | [[Lapsed Reactivation Target, e.g., 10-15%]] | [[Lapsed Avg Gift]] | [[Lapsed LTV]] | Reactivation rate per series |
| F - One-Time | [[One-Time Retention Target, e.g., 30%]] | [[One-Time Avg Gift]] | [[One-Time LTV]] | Frequency (1→2 gift conversion) |
5a. Organization-Wide Retention and LTV Benchmarks
- Overall donor retention target: [[Overall Retention Target, e.g., 45-50%]] (sector median ~43%; aspirational >55%)
- Donor lifetime value (LTV) formula: Average gift × average gifts per year × average donor lifespan (years)
- Cost to acquire vs. retain: Track cost-per-acquired donor and cost-per-retained donor by channel; retained donors should cost ≤ [[Retention Cost Ratio, e.g., 20%]] of acquisition cost
- Recapture rate (lapsed): Track separately from new-donor acquisition; report [[Recapture Rate Target, e.g., 12-18%]] as internal benchmark
6. CRM Implementation Notes
6a. Segment Field Setup
Create a Segment field (single-select picklist) in [[CRM Platform]] with values:
Major Prospect | Mid-Level Loyal | Sustainer | New Donor | Lapsed-Warm | Lapsed-Cold | One-Time | Reactivated | Upgraded | Suppressed
Update segment on a [[Segment Update Frequency, e.g., quarterly]] automated batch run based on the RFM scoring logic in Section 1.
6b. Smart Groups / Dynamic Queries
Build a saved query or smart group per segment keyed to the RFM fields plus gift-type flags. Recommended query logic:
| Segment | Primary Query Logic |
|---------|-------------------|
| Major Prospect | Capacity flag = High OR lifetime giving ≥ [[Major Gift Floor]] AND recency ≤ 24 mo |
| Sustainer | Recurring gift status = Active |
| New Donor | First gift date within last [[New Donor Window]] |
| Lapsed-Warm | Last gift 18-36 months ago AND NOT recurring |
| Lapsed-Cold | Last gift 37-60 months ago AND NOT recurring |
6c. Automation Triggers
| Trigger | Action | Segment |
|---------|--------|---------|
| First gift processed | Enroll in new-donor welcome series | D - New Donor |
| Recurring pledge canceled | Enroll in sustainer win-back sequence | C → E |
| Payment failure (day 3, 7, 14) | Automated retry + personal outreach flag | C - Sustainer |
| Last gift date crosses [[Lapse Threshold]] | Move to Lapsed-Warm; enroll in reactivation series | F/B → E |
| Capacity screen returns High flag | Create gift-officer task: qualify prospect | Any → A |
| Upgrade gift recorded | Log upgrade event; adjust segment | Any → Upgraded |
6d. Major-Gift Portfolio Management in CRM
- Use Relationships or Contact Roles to link prospects to their assigned gift officer
- Log every touch (visit, call, email, event) as an Activity with outcome and next-step date
- Set Proposal records with ask amount, project, stage, and expected close date for pipeline reporting
- Run monthly pipeline report: total ask value by stage, average days per stage, officers at/over portfolio cap
6e. Reporting Dashboard (Recommended Views)
- Retention by segment - current period vs. prior year
- Pipeline: major-gift stages by value and count
- Sustainer health: active count, average monthly value, payment failure rate
- New-donor 90-day conversion funnel: received → opened welcome series → second gift → converted to sustainer
- Lapsed reactivation: series sent → opened → reactivated → average reactivated gift
- RFM score distribution: heatmap of donor count and value by score bucket
Format & Standard
Segmentation strategy: criteria-defined segments, per-segment cultivation/ask strategy and metrics, upgrade and reactivation paths, moves-management major-gift pipeline, data hygiene fields, wealth-screening guidance, per-segment KPIs, CRM implementation notes. Framework follows RFM scoring and moves-management methodology standard in nonprofit fundraising CRM practice.
