Breaking Down Your Donor Categories

This past weekend my wife and I visited her grandma in the hospital.  While walking through the main foyer I noticed the Hospital Foundation's annual recognition wall. Seeing the plaque got me to thinking how useful the Donor Category Report can be. The plaque broke donors into levels depending on their giving level. This is exactly what the Donor Category Report does; it categorizes donors into different buckets (Donor, Friend, Benefactor, Founder, etc.) based on giving level.

Using the Donor Category Report is simple. First we set up giving levels:
1. In Configuration, highlight Tables, and highlight Donor Categories - Table 1.
2. Click New Table Entry.
3. In the Name field, enter the giving level name (e.g., Donor, Friend, Benefactor, Founder, etc.).
4. In the Minimum amount field, enter the lowest level of giving for that particular donor category. For example, if 'Friends' need to contribute at least $250, enter $250 as the minimum for that category. Click OK.
5. Repeat these steps for each category in the table.

You can also find these steps in Knowledgebase solution BB184604.

Next, run the Donor Category Report:
1. Go to Reports, select Analytical Reports, and Create a Donor Category Report.
2. Select to run the report for all or selected constituent records, and decide on your filters (gift type, campaigns, funds, appeals, constituency, and date range).
3. On the General tab, select the format to run the report in (detail, summary, or both). The detail format shows the constituent name and the amount given. The summary format includes columns for the category name, the giving level, the number of constituents per category, the amount given per category, and the total amount given. 
4. On the Format tab, highlight Detail on the left, and select your donor category table (1, 2, or 3).
5. In the Detail Order frame, select the sort order (Constituent last name or Amount given).
6. Mark the Print each category on a separate page checkbox if you want each donor category printed on a new page.
7. To include up to two optional columns on the report, go to the Format tab and highlight Optional columns.
8. Preview the report.

If a constituent's giving does not qualify him for any of the donor categories specified in the table used for the report, he is not excluded from the report. Instead, he appears in a category called Unknown. To remove 'Unknown' from the report, go back to step 4, and, at the bottom of the screen, select to 'Use Selected Categories Only' and move all of your categories to the right side. Doing this will remove donors who don't qualify for any of the categories.

So when your development director comes up to you requesting a list of donors for the upcoming banquet, save yourself some time and headache and let the report do the work for you! How are you taking advantage of the Donor Category feature for stewardship? Leave your ideas in the comments.

For more information about the Donor Category Report check out Knowledgebase solution BB13743.