Skip to main content
Calcimator

Donor Retention Calculator

Calculate donor retention rate, lifetime value, churn impact, and revenue gains from improved retention.

Inputs

$
$

Results

Retention Rate

45%

Donor Lifetime Value

$273.00

≈ 5 tanks of gas

Churn Rate55%
Expected Lifetime (years)1.82
Retained Revenue$33,750.00
Lost Revenue$41,250.00
Replacement Cost$13,750.00
Revenue Gain (+10% Retention)$7,500.00
Net Impact-55,000
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Donors at Start of Year, Donors Retained, and Average Gift ($).
  2. Set Acquisition Cost per Donor ($).
  3. Review Retention Rate (%) and Donor Lifetime Value ($).
  4. Use Churn Rate (%) and Expected Lifetime (years) to inform your decision.
  5. Use the chart to visualize the results and explore different scenarios by adjusting inputs.

How the result changes with Donors at Start of Year

Donors at Start of YearRetention RateDonor Lifetime Value
100,0010.22%$150.00
350,0010.06%$150.00
650,0000.03%$150.00
900,0000.03%$150.00

What each input means

Donors at Start of Year
Total active donors at the beginning of the period
Donors Retained
Number of those donors who gave again during the period
Average Gift ($)
Average annual gift amount per donor
Acquisition Cost per Donor ($)
Cost to acquire a new donor to replace a lapsed one

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Donors at Start of Year = 500, Donors Retained = 225, Average Gift ($) = 150, Acquisition Cost per Donor ($) = 50 = 4 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Retention Rate
    Retention Rate
    45 = 45
  3. Calculate Donor Lifetime Value
    Donor Lifetime Value
    273 = $273
  4. Calculate Churn Rate
    Churn Rate
    55 = 55
  5. Calculate Expected Lifetime
    Expected Lifetime
    1.82 = 1.82

Engine last updated .

Related Calculators

The questions that sit next to this one — chosen by subject, including calculators filed under a different category.

Nonprofit & Fundraising

Fundraising Goal Calculator

Calculate your nonprofit's total fundraising goal including program needs, overhead, reserves, and contingency.

Nonprofit & Fundraising

Program Efficiency Ratio Calculator

Evaluate nonprofit financial health with program efficiency ratio, overhead ratio, fundraising efficiency, and operating margin.

Data Science

Cohort Analysis Calculator

Analyze user cohort retention over time. Calculate monthly retention rates, churn rates, estimated customer lifetime value (LTV), and total cohort revenue.

Nonprofit & Fundraising

Volunteer Hours Calculator

Track volunteer service hours and calculate annual contribution, team totals, and equivalent economic value.

More in Business & Entrepreneurship.