
There’s no one right approach to donor engagement. Every nonprofit is different, and their supporter bases are all different, too. But one strategy that has shown success time and time again is to institute giving levels.
Giving levels that make it easy for your donors to make decisions and offer special incentives—not to mention the feeling that they’re part of a special group—can help you both acquire new donors and retain existing ones.
Here’s everything you need to know about giving levels for nonprofits and how you can start setting them at your organization in just six simple steps.

See Neon CRM in Action!
In just 30 minutes, you’ll learn how Neon CRM empowers nonprofit organizations across the US and Canada to manage donors, members, volunteers, grants, and fundraising campaigns!
Why Should You Use Giving Levels?
First, let’s get our Raymond Carver on and define what we’re talking about when we talk about giving levels.
Giving levels are structured categories that sort donor contributions by dollar amount in order to define different tiers. Each tier, or “level,” of donations is then associated with specific benefits and recognition methods.
The basic goal of giving levels is that they will (when implemented effectively) encourage your donors to give more while fostering a sense of community within your supporter base.
How do they do that? In a couple of different ways, some direct, some indirect.
The first is to encourage people to make a larger gift than they would have otherwise made while also relieving them of decision fatigue. A person who was thinking they’d give $40 will likely give $50 if that extra $10 means joining a higher giving level.
In fact, giving donors an easy way to make their giving decision, like “Give $50 to join our Ocelot level,” will probably be a relief to them.
We’re not going to dive deep into decision fatigue, but just go to your local grocery store, head to the toothpaste aisle, and try to figure out which tube you’re going to purchase. That mild headache you’re feeling? That’s decision fatigue.
Beyond relieving your donors of any decision fatigue, giving levels can also foster a sense of belonging and commitment among donors by making them feel like members of your organization—”I’m not just a financial supporter, I’m an Ocelot!”—and forging a stronger emotional connection to the cause.
Furthermore, giving levels can be used to bolster your communications strategy by serving as purpose-built donor segments.
In plain English, you can tailor your messages to donors at each level so that they speak more directly to that group’s general experience with your organization. You talk to your Ocelots differently than you talk to your Bobcats, your Caracals, or your Clouded Leopards.
On the operations side of things, giving levels allow for more accurate revenue forecasting and effective fundraising planning.
By understanding donation patterns, you can set realistic fundraising goals (”Let’s get 50 new Ocelots”) and develop campaigns that build effectively on your past successes (“Servals loved that free t-shirt; let’s offer them a free crewneck to upgrade”).
In the next section, we’ll cover how to set up effective giving levels. And, like most aspects of modern fundraising, it all starts with data.

Which CRM is Right for You?
Take this short quiz to get a customized list of CRM vendors that best fit your nonprofit based on budget, size, and functionality needs.
Setting Up Giving Levels in 6 Steps
Setting up effective giving levels will require a lot of work, but the path is pretty clear. You start by gathering and analyzing data on your donors to find common donation amounts, and then you use those amounts to create your different tiers.
It’s easy! Okay, maybe it’s not easy. But it’s relatively straightforward. Let’s get started.
Step 1: Gather Donor Data
Understanding your donor base is crucial. This step involves gathering and analyzing data to create a foundation for your giving levels and to inform your nonprofit’s overall strategy.
Here are three of the primary ways you can gather more information on your supporters and begin to mine it for insights.
- Track Donor Interactions: Nonprofit CRM systems can monitor all interactions between your organization, Use CRM analytics to parse through all these data points and identify trends in donation amounts, frequency, and donor engagement. Create segments based on various criteria such as donation size, frequency, donor longevity, or event attendance. These segments will help you determine your various giving levels.
- Conduct Donor Surveys: Craft donor surveys to gather detailed insights into donor motivations, preferences, and satisfaction. Ask about their reasons for giving, preferred communication channels, and feedback on their experience with your organization. Use the survey data to understand what motivates your donors and what might encourage them to increase their contributions. Look for common themes and suggestions that can inform your giving level structure.
- Wealth Screening: Use wealth screening tools to assess your donors’ financial capacity. This information helps identify donors who have the potential to give larger gifts or smaller gifts more frequently as part of a monthly giving program. Combine wealth screening insights with your CRM data to create giving levels that align with donors’ financial capabilities and communication strategies that align with their interests.
Step 2: Identify Common Donation Amounts
Once you’ve gathered all your donor data, you can start drilling down on donations to identify what donation amounts will best spur your supporters to give (without leaving additional funds on the table).
Dive into the historical data on all past donations, including amounts, frequencies, and donor demographics. Identify your average donation amounts, looking for both the mean and median averages to get a fuller picture.
Based on this analysis, aim to set giving levels that are achievable and motivating. For example, if the median donation is $100, you might set levels at $50, $100, $250, and so on. This ensures that each level is within reach for your donors while encouraging higher contributions.
Before moving on to the final step, double-check that these giving levels support your overall fundraising goals. And if you want some help on how to achieve S.M.A.R.T. fundraising goals, check out this article:
Step 3: Set Your Incentives and Recognition Strategy
Creating incentives and donor recognition programs for your different giving levels will help motivate donors to sign up—and for your higher giving levels, they could really help seal the deal.
There are lots of different perks you can offer and ways you can show your donors how much you appreciate them.
Gathering data will be critical here. You can’t simply copy what other organizations are doing; you need to know what your own donors want!
But to get you started, here are some of the most common perks and donor recognition strategies.
Branded Merchandise
Offering free merch like T-shirts, tote bags, mugs, pens, and stickers emblazoned with your nonprofit’s branding and logo can be a cost-effective way to incentivize donors while providing daily reminders of their contribution. These items can also act as conversation starters, potentially attracting new donors.
VIP Events
This covers a wide range of events, including special galas, private tours, exclusive dinners or presentations with executives, or even the opportunity to contribute to specific projects. But all of them provide opportunities for donors to network with other supporters and key figures in your organization. They also offer a platform to showcase your work and impact in an intimate setting for meaningful interactions.
Donor Walls
Include donors who are giving at higher levels on plaques or digital displays in your organization’s office or main facilities. Donor walls provide a permanent, visible acknowledgment of support, which can be a source of pride for donors and motivation for others. For smaller organizations, a donor wall that lists all your donors is very much a possibility!
Exclusive Updates & Access
Provide your donors with exclusive updates, impact reports, or behind-the-scenes looks at ongoing projects. This will not only keep them informed about your work but also deepen their connection to your mission and demonstrate the tangible impact of their support. This exclusivity can also extend to early-bird event invites, special discounts, or even a members-only section of your website.
Highlighting Donor Stories
Share stories about your individual donors’ motivations and impact in newsletters, on your website, or through social media. Showcasing donor stories can inspire others and create a sense of community among supporters. You can even create a dedicated donor recognition page on your organization’s website, providing easy access for donors to see their support celebrated.
Personalized Thank-You Notes
This last one is simple, but it’s very effective. For donors who join one of your giving levels, sending them handwritten notes, personalized emails, or video messages from staff or beneficiaries can have a huge impact. Personalized thank-you notes show genuine appreciation and effort, making donors feel truly valued. It doesn’t get more personalized than a letter or a video made for you and you alone.
Create a Donor Appreciation Strategy
As you think through what incentives you want to include at each level and write out a budget, consider your staff’s time and bandwidth. Even something as simple as mailing a t-shirt will take time that could be spent on something else. If you’re in the mood for some more ideas, here’s a whole list of donor appreciation ideas for you to consider:
Step 4: Establish Your Levels
And here we are! Now that you have your common donation amounts and your data-backed donor segments, it’s time to create your actual donation tiers. Well-defined donation tiers help you effectively target donors.
Start by coming up with some tier names. You can use common tier names like “Bronze,” “Silver,” and “Gold,” or you could use something that speaks more towards your specific mission, like the “Ocelot,” “Caracal,” and “Clouded Leopard” examples we used earlier that would work well for a wild cat rescue.
Next, set the donation range for each tier based on your average donation amounts and your specific donor segments. Here’s a potential structure:
- Ocelot Level: $50 – $99. Benefits include a thank-you email and recognition in the annual report.
- Caracal Level: $100 – $249. Benefits include a personalized thank-you letter and quarterly updates on project impact.
- Serval Level: $250 – $499. Benefits include exclusive invitations to events and your name listed on the donor wall.
- Clouded Leopard Level: $500 – $999. Benefits include VIP event access and personal updates from the executive director.
- Florida Panther Level: $1,000+. Benefits include private tours, exclusive meetings with leadership, and a special plaque.
That’s it! You’ve established your giving levels, now it’s just a matter of marketing them, signing donors up, and then either retaining them or upgrading them to a higher level. Easy, right?
(That was a joke. It’s very hard.)
Step 5: Promote Your Giving Levels
You’ve put in all this work creating totally awesome giving levels, so it’s time to let the people know! To do so effectively, you’ll need to leverage both online and offline channels.
Here’s a quick overview of the different marketing channels you should employ to promote your giving levels and some ideas for getting the word out about each one.
Website
Start by creating dedicated landing pages on your nonprofit’s website for each giving level, detailing the benefits and impact associated with each tier.
Next, make sure that your levels are prominently displayed on your donation page, with bold headings, contrasting colors, and visual hierarchy to make them stand out.
For targeted campaigns, you can also create donation pages that are specific to each giving level, creating a special experience for supporters that will encourage them to complete their donation.
Direct Mail Campaigns
Create visually appealing brochures and flyers that detail your giving levels and use them as the centerpiece of a direct mail campaign. (Direct mail is a great way to stand out from the crowd, even with younger audiences!)
You can also send personalized letters to potential and existing donors explaining your giving levels and building those personal connections that can lead them to sign up.
Automation is the name of the game when it comes to email.
Use tokens to automatically tailor your emails to address recipients by name and acknowledge past contributions. This personal touch can significantly increase engagement.
For new donors, create an automated welcome email series that explains the different giving levels and the benefits associated with each.
And for existing supporters, create automated drip campaigns that provide ongoing engagement, slowly educating donors about the impact of their contributions and encouraging them to move up the giving levels.
Events
Announce your giving levels at your nonprofit’s events and fundraisers. Use speeches, presentations, and printed materials to inform attendees about the different tiers and their benefits.
Offer public recognition at events for donors who commit to higher giving levels. This can motivate others to increase their contributions.
Social Media
Create engaging content—with high-quality images, videos, and infographics–that highlights donor stories and the impact of their contributions.
Use hashtag campaigns to encourage followers to share their experiences, offering social proof that your supporters love being involved in your missions.
Lastly, host live Q&A sessions, virtual tours, or impact updates to engage with your audience in real-time and discuss your giving levels and their impact. This real-time engagement can create a sense of community and urgency.
Media Coverage
Issue press releases to local media outlets announcing your giving levels and any significant contributions. Highlighting major gifts can attract attention and encourage others to donate.
But don’t just rely on your press releases; actively get out there and arrange for interviews or feature stories in local newspapers, magazines, or radio shows, then use these platforms to discuss your giving levels and their impact on your mission.
You should also include a “press” section on your website to help any local journalists looking to cover you.
Digital Advertising
Avail yourself of Google Ad Grants and use Google Ads to target potential donors searching for related causes with advertisements that highlight your giving levels and direct traffic to your optimized donation pages.
You can also advertise on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn ads to reach a broader audience.
Finally, implement retargeting strategies to reach users who have visited your donation page but did not complete a donation and remind them of the impact their donation can make.
Step 6: Evaluate & Adjust
Regular evaluation and adjustment of your giving levels will be crucial for maintaining their effectiveness.
Hey, wait a second, that sounds a lot like the advice we gave you in Step 1!
Correct. That’s no accident. Once your giving levels are up and running, you go back to the beginning of the process to create an ever-sustaining loop. That’s the only way you can stay in lockstep with what your donors are looking for in a generosity experience.
Start by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), like donor retention rates, average donation amounts, and various engagement metrics like email open and click-through rates, website traffic, event attendance, and social media interactions
Next, gather qualitative feedback by sending out periodic surveys, conducting interviews, or even holding focus groups where you ask donors about their motivations, satisfaction with the giving process, and suggestions for improvement. Analyze your results to identify common themes and actionable insights.
Based on the feedback you receive, adapt to changes in donor behaviors by recognizing trends and making informed adjustments based on data insights. This is how you make sure that your giving levels remain relevant and effective!
For instance, an increase in online donations may indicate a preference for digital giving platforms. You can then adapt your strategy by optimizing your online donation page, implementing mobile-friendly solutions, and promoting these options more heavily.
As you make changes, keep a close eye on the results. This will help you determine whether or not they’re working as intended. Sometimes you might need two or three tries before you achieve your desired results.
Lastly, be doubly sure that you inform donors about any changes to your giving levels or recognition programs. This transparency will foster trust, demonstrate that you value donor feedback, and show that you’re committed to continuous improvement.

Want more great content like this?
Join our monthly newsletter community to get insights right in your inbox.
Putting Your Giving Level Segments to Work
Segmenting donors based on giving levels allows for more targeted communication with each group. A well-executed donor segmentation strategy results in each donor receiving messages that resonate with their interests and engagement level.
Obviously, that’s not going to happen every single time with every single donor. But by making data-backed decisions about what messages different groups of donors like to hear, you can have a majorly positive impact on your fundraising totals.
Giving levels aren’t the only way you can segment your donors, but they’re a heck of a good one. Going back to the wild cat rescue we’ve used as an example throughout this post, here’s a sketch of a segmentation strategy for each giving level.
Ocelot Level Donor ($50 – $99)
- Message Content: “Thank you for your generous support! Your contribution is making a real difference in [specific program]. Here’s an update on the impact your donation is having.”
- Communication Frequency: Monthly emails with updates on specific projects or programs they have supported.
- Engagement Strategies: Include stories and testimonials from beneficiaries to show the tangible impact of their support. Offer opportunities to engage further, such as signing up for a volunteer event or attending a webinar.
Caracal Level Donor ($100 – $249)
- Message Content: “We appreciate your continued support! Your recent gift of [amount] is helping us [specific impact]. We’d love to share more about how your contribution is making a difference.”
- Communication Frequency: Bi-monthly newsletters with in-depth stories and behind-the-scenes looks at your organization’s work.
- Engagement Strategies: Invite them to participate in surveys or polls to gather their input on future projects. Offer early access to new reports or resources.
Serval Level Donor ($250 – $499)
- Message Content: “We are thrilled to have you as a key supporter. Your recent gift is enabling us to [specific impact], and we’d love to invite you to our upcoming event.”
- Communication Frequency: Quarterly impact reports with detailed breakdowns of how their donations are used.
- Engagement Strategies: Send invitations to exclusive events, such as donor appreciation nights or private tours. Offer opportunities to meet with program directors or beneficiaries.
Clouded Leopard Level Donor ($500 – $999)
- Message Content: “Your generous donation is transforming lives! We’re excited to share an exclusive update on [specific project] and invite you to join us for a special event.”
- Communication Frequency: Personalized emails and phone calls, quarterly reports, and annual impact summaries.
- Engagement Strategies: Provide VIP access to major events, offer personalized tours of your facilities, and arrange meetings with senior leadership to discuss the impact of their donations.
Florida Panther Level Donor ($1,000+)
- Message Content: “Thank you for being a visionary partner in our mission. Your substantial contribution of [amount] is driving significant change in [specific area]. We’d love to discuss the impact of your support and explore further opportunities for collaboration.”
- Communication Frequency: Monthly personalized updates, annual impact reports, and regular phone calls or meetings.
- Engagement Strategies: Organize exclusive events such as dinners with the board of directors, behind-the-scenes tours, and special recognition in publications and at events. Provide opportunities for direct involvement in project planning and decision-making.
Crafting an entire donor segmentation strategy is a lot more complicated than what we’ve outlined here, but these examples give you a good idea of where to start.
For more (a lot more) information on donor segmentation, check out this article!
Use Giving Levels to Encourage Recurring Gifts
Giving levels are a great way to build connections with your donors while getting them in the habit of providing regular support.
Giving levels can help you take your fundraising strategy to the next level by making data-backed decisions to set ambitious but achievable goals, coming up with fun names and exciting incentives, and taking the time to measure results and adjust.
But one of the best ways to put giving levels to work is in the service of a recurring donor program. Did you know that recurring donations are actually one of the only forms of nonprofit giving currently on the rise? It’s true!
We know a lot about recurring donors. Like, a lot a lot. Like, we-surveyed-over 100,000-recurring-donors-from-over-2,000-Neon-CRM-clients-over-a-full-5-year-period a lot. We put our findings from that analysis into The Recurring Giving Report: Data-Backed Insights for Sustainable Generosity.
If you want to learn more about how you can create a recurring giving program for your nonprofit, this report has everything you could want. Download it now!
Join the discussion in our Slack channel on connected fundraising