It’s easy to think that more donors equals more donations when you’re in the throws of fundraising. While acquiring new supporters is always a win, one of the best ways to grow your fundraising efforts might actually be with the donors you already have. That’s where donor expansion (AKA net donation retention) comes in.
Donor expansion is one of seven metrics we explore in The 2025 Virtuous Nonprofit Benchmark Report, where we pulled data from 571 mid-sized US-based nonprofits. Think of our Benchmark Report as a quick way to get a pulse check on the health of your nonprofit.
Today’s metric to discover? Donor expansion.
What Is Donor Expansion?
In simple terms, donor expansion is all about getting your current donors to give a bit more than they did before. Instead of focusing solely on bringing in new donors, donor expansion looks at how to increase the contributions of the people already supporting you.
If donors haven’t increased their donations over the years, are there ways to encourage larger or more frequent donations or recurring gifts?
Some strategies for encouraging this kind of growth include:
- Look for potential among current donors: If you have a small donor with the financial capacity to give more, they could become a mid- or even a major-level donor with the right kind of engagement.
- Offer varied donation options: You can set up donation options with specific impact targets, inspiring people to give a little more to reach a visible goal.
- Add special giving opportunities: Going beyond the regular calendar of appeals, special asks at unique moments in the year can create new chances for donors to contribute. For example, a nonprofit might launch a fundraising campaign tied to the anniversary of its founding, while an education-focused nonprofit could leverage the back-to-school season to boost donations.
- Recurring giving: Encouraging existing donors to change to a recurring giving model can increase both their donation amount and giving frequency. Someone might give a one-time $50 gift, but a $10 monthly donation more than doubles the one-time gift.
How Is Donor Expansion Calculated?
Calculating donor expansion is fairly straightforward and gives you a helpful snapshot of how much your existing supporters are increasing their contributions.
Some key metrics to understand when calculating donor expansion include:
- Active two-year donors: Donors who gave between 25 and 12 months ago and also gave between 12 months and the present.
- Last year’s average giving: Average gift of active two-year donors between 25 and 12 months ago
- This year’s average giving: Average gift of active two-year donors between 12 months and the present.
Donor Expansion = Percentage difference between this year’s average giving and last year’s average giving
This metric tells you if your existing donors are stepping up to contribute more over time, whether that’s through larger or more frequent donations.
Why is It Important?
Getting existing donors to give more is often easier—and less expensive—than bringing in new ones. These donors are already invested in your mission—they know your organization and feel connected to your work.
With the right inspiration, many will be open to increasing their support. Even a modest boost in the average gift size can make a big difference. It’s all about making a more significant impact without the heavy lifting of constantly searching for new donors.
Industry Benchmarks for Donor Expansion
The average net donation retention for nonprofits in our study was -0.45%, marking this as a place where nonprofits can improve and grow. Nonprofits in the top quartile of our study achieved an average of 5.8% donor expansion.
Tactics to Increase Donor Expansion
An effective donor expansion strategy begins with a strong focus on donor retention—both keeping current donors engaged and maintaining their existing giving levels. A key component of this approach involves cultivating and stewarding relationships with LYBUNT donors.
Organizations can use tools like Virtuous to streamline this process and immediately identify donors who gave last year but have yet to give this year.
Three simple ways to increase donor expansion include:
Introduce Tiered Ask Strategies
Leverage dynamic giving arrays and wealth insights to personalize your donation asks. A $50 donor with major gift capacity should never get the same prompt as a grassroots contributor. Right-size your requests to reflect both generosity potential and relationship depth.
Create Off-Cycle Giving Moments
Don’t wait for year-end. Design surprise campaigns around urgent needs, program breakthroughs, or exclusive behind-the-scenes stories—each one crafted specifically to re-engage existing supporters with timely relevance.
Pair Impact With Progress
Remind loyal donors what their past support has made possible—and show them the next step forward. When a gift becomes part of a larger narrative arc, it’s more than a transaction. It’s a shared story still unfolding.
With donor expansion, you grow without adding more people to your list—and without the cost of attracting new donors. By focusing on your existing supporters and helping them increase their impact, you’ll build stronger relationships, increase revenue, and amplify the difference you can make.
Read more: 3 Key Insights from the 2025 Virtuous Nonprofit Benchmark Report
