Track whether your donor base is growing or shrinking with a year-over-year change — this year’s donors minus last year’s, over last year’s. The headline trend for board reports.
The example
340 this year vs 300 last.
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Value |
| 2 | This / Last | 340 / 300 |
| 3 | Growth | → +13.3% |
The formula
The formula:
How it works
How it works:
- Subtract last year’s donors from this year’s for the net change.
- Divide by last year’s count for the percentage growth.
- A negative result means the donor base shrank — a retention or acquisition warning.
- Apply the same formula to dollars raised for revenue growth.
Decompose the change. Net donor growth = new donors acquired minus donors lapsed. A flat total can hide churning a third of your file. Track acquired and lapsed separately — new - lapsed = net change — so a “+0%” year doesn’t mask a retention crisis papered over by frantic acquisition.
Try it: interactive demo
Donors this year and last year.
Variations
Net change
Donor count:
Revenue growth
Same on dollars:
New minus lapsed
Decompose:
Pitfalls & errors
Base is last year. Divide by the prior count, not this year’s.
Net hides churn. Flat growth can mask heavy acquisition offsetting heavy lapse.
Zero last year. A first year gives #DIV/0!.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate year-over-year donor growth in Excel?
Why is my donor base flat but feels unstable?
Can I use this for revenue?
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