Learn more about analytics and research best practices, as well as real world examples and solutions for nonprofits.

Understanding Donor Trends with the Single-Largest Gift Cohort Analysis (SLG-CA)

In my last blog, First-half of 2025 Trends in Fundraising, I discussed the fundraising trend of fewer donors on file, but those that remain giving more. Since the pandemic, we have seen a greater proportion of an organization’s revenue come from major donors.

To better measure this trend, we have developed a new report we call the “Single-Largest Gift Cohort Analysis (SLG-CA)”. OK, I know its name is a mouthful.

One of the limitations of our standard SGA is that it didn’t focus enough on the high-value donors. Rather than focusing on Donor Lifecycles, the SLG-CA analyzes donor giving trends based on their cumulative giving levels. This analysis provides an organization with much more insight into their Mid & Major Donor performance.

We think you will agree.

Give me a shout out and I’d be glad to walk you through the analysis. The following is an example of cohort analysis that will be provided.

Micro-Sustainers to Lapsed Donors

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Each fall, we here at Analytical Ones survey the trends in fundraising and come up with testing ideas for your fall campaigns. Last year, we recommended testing first class postage, to avoid the USPS’s SOP of delivering all nonprofit postage appeals on the same day....

Part VII: How Analytical Ones Will be Using AI

by Bill Jacobs | Jul 16, 2025

Over the past couple of weeks, I have written about some potential effects that AI will have on the nonprofit sector. Today, I’m going to end this series on how we as a company intend to use AI. There’s no doubt there is a certain “wow-factor” using AI. It’s like Star...

Part VI: The Environmental Impact of AI

by Bill Jacobs | Jul 14, 2025

Up to this point in our AI blog series, I have been discussing (some might say ragging on) the practical implementational challenges of AI in the nonprofit sector. In today’s blog, I’m shifting the focus on a more global issue: Is using AI environmentally sustainable?...