Why it matters
A gift range chart turns a goal into a plan. It shows the board that a campaign is won or lost on a handful of top gifts, and it tells you how many names you need at each level before you announce anything.
Build it from your own file. If you cannot list enough real prospects for the top rows, lower the goal or spend more time on cultivation first. A chart that rests on hope is not a plan.
How to calculate it
Start with a lead gift of about 20% of the goal. At each lower level, halve the gift size and double the number of gifts until the rows add up to the goal. Plan for 3 to 4 prospects for each gift you need.
Goal: $100,000.
1 gift of $20,000 = $20,000 (3 to 4 prospects).
2 gifts of $10,000 = $20,000 (6 to 8 prospects).
4 gifts of $5,000 = $20,000 (12 to 16 prospects).
8 gifts of $2,500 = $20,000 (24 to 32 prospects).
20 gifts of $1,000 = $20,000 (60 to 80 prospects).
35 gifts in total reach $100,000.
How Steward shows it
Steward does not build a gift range chart for you. Each campaign carries its goal, with what has been raised and what has been pledged shown as separate figures, and Top donors in Reports helps you list who could fill each row.
Related terms
- Capital campaign Capital campaign means a fundraising effort with a set goal and deadline to pay for something big and lasting, such as a building, a major renovation or an endowment, usually on top of the annual fund.
- Major gift A major gift is a gift large enough that your organization handles it personally, with visits, a tailored ask and close stewardship. The dollar threshold is set by each organization, not by the sector.
- Capacity Capacity is an estimate of how much a donor could give if they chose to, usually over several years, based on their wealth and income rather than on what they have given so far.
The free Lost & Found audit reads a giving export in your browser and shows your lapsing donors and what they used to give. Nothing is uploaded. Then bring the same file to a 20-minute demo.