The Most Overlooked Donors in Your Database May Be Your Best Prospects
Nonprofits spend a lot of time thinking about two groups of donors. Annual donors and major donors. But there is a group sitting between them that may deserve considerably more attention.
The $1,000-to-$10,000 donor.
New fundraising data provides a compelling reason why. RKD Group analyzed 219 nonprofit organizations and found that mid-level giving reached a 10-year high during the first half of 2026. Revenue from these donors increased 8.6% in just one year and 84% since 2017.
In fact, mid-level giving has grown faster than general giving and major giving over that period—and it is the only gift category that has grown for four consecutive years. That should get the attention of nonprofit leaders.
Many organizations may have an accidental hole in their fundraising programs. Someone giving $100 receives annual-fund communications. Someone giving $100,000 receives personal attention from the CEO, development director and board. But what happens to the person giving $2,500? Too often, they receive essentially the same treatment as the $100 donor. That is a mistake. A $2,500 donor has already told you several important things. They believe in your mission. They have demonstrated meaningful financial capacity. And perhaps most importantly, they have raised their hand. The question is whether anyone notices.
The new data is particularly significant because the overall donor pool continues to shrink. RKD found that active donors declined another 2% during the first half of 2026 and are now nearly 20% below the pandemic-era peak. At the same time, revenue per donor reached a 10-year high. In other words: There are fewer donors—but the donors who remain are increasingly valuable. That has several practical implications.
First, nonprofits should identify their mid-level donors as a distinct group. Run the report. Who has given $1,000 to $10,000 during the past 12–24 months? Who has increased their giving? Who has been consistently supporting the organization for five or ten years? Those names deserve attention.
Second, create a deliberate pathway from mid-level to major giving. Not every $2,500 donor will become a $25,000 donor. But some may. They won’t get there because you sent them twelve more direct-mail appeals. They get there because someone called them, thanked them, learned why they care, invited them closer to the mission and eventually had a conversation about doing something more significant.
Third, involve organizational leadership. A handwritten note from the CEO. A call from a board member. An invitation to see the work firsthand. A personal update about something their giving helped accomplish. None of those things costs much. But they communicate something important: We noticed your generosity.
Finally, don’t treat mid-level fundraising simply as another annual-fund strategy. Treat it as major-gift pipeline development. Every nonprofit wants more major donors. Sometimes we immediately begin looking outside the organization for wealthy prospects. The better place to start may be with the people already giving $1,000, $2,500, $5,000 or $10,000.
They already know you. They already believe in the mission. And they have already demonstrated generosity. The latest fundraising data suggests they are becoming an increasingly important part of philanthropy. The opportunity for nonprofits is fairly straightforward: Figure out who they are—and start treating them like the important donors they already are.
