There’s a moment in every Giving Season when someone asks, “How are we doing?” Usually, the answer starts with dollars raised and how close you are to the goal.
That makes sense. Charities need revenue to deliver their programs, and year-end campaigns carry real expectations. But a fundraising total can only tell us so much. You can raise more money than last year while reaching fewer people, losing returning supporters, or becoming more dependent on a handful of large gifts.
CanadaHelps’ 2026 Giving Report points to this challenge. Donations through CanadaHelps reached $529 million in 2025, up 10% from the previous year. At the same time, donations under $100 declined by 17%, with larger gifts helping drive growth. Giving fundraisers a reason to look more closely at their own results.
This Giving Season, tracking a few additional measures can help you understand what’s happening behind your fundraising total and decide where your team’s time will make the biggest difference.
1. How many people are giving?
Start with the number of unique donors supporting your campaign. Count each person once, even if they give multiple times, and compare the same campaign period year over year.
Then separate first-time donors from returning supporters.
If revenue is rising while donor numbers are falling, look at where that growth is coming from. A generous major gift is worth celebrating. You also want to know whether the broader community supporting your work is growing.
Watch participation across gift sizes, too. Are fewer people making gifts of $25 or $50? That’s a reason to review your suggested amounts and explain what smaller contributions can accomplish. People should be able to see a meaningful place for their generosity in your campaign.
2. Who is coming back?
Returning donors deserve a place in your campaign reporting.
One useful measure is the percentage of last year’s Giving Season donors who have given again this season. Use the same dates when comparing results, and remember that someone who usually gives in late December may simply not have donated yet.
If returning participation is lower than expected, review the experience those donors have had since their last gift. Did they hear how their contribution helped? Have they received updates that connect them to your work? Is your current appeal relevant to what originally motivated them?
The answers can help you shape a thoughtful follow-up. A donor who already knows your charity may need an update on the work they made possible, alongside a clear reason to give again.
3. Are interested people completing a donation?
Campaign reach matters, but attention needs a clear path to action.
Where your analytics allow it, track donation-page conversion: completed online donations divided by visits to that page. Keep the definition consistent so comparisons are useful.
If people are clicking through but few are donating, take the journey yourself. Open the email on your phone, follow the link, and work through the form. Does the page reflect the campaign message? Are the donation options clear? Is anything confusing or difficult to use?
You may find an improvement you can make while the campaign is still running. CanadaHelps’ Giving Season Hub includes guidance on optimizing your online presence, alongside campaign planning resources and templates.
4. What ongoing support are you building?
Monthly giving deserves its own line in your campaign results. CanadaHelps reports that monthly donations have increased 82% since 2020, highlighting the importance of this giving option.
Track new monthly donors and the monthly revenue they have committed. Keep that commitment separate from money already received: a $20 monthly commitment represents $20 collected after the first successful payment, with future payments still to come.
Also watch cancellations and failed payments among existing monthly donors. Bringing in new supporters matters, and so does maintaining the relationships already supporting your work.
Make the invitation specific. Explain what regular support helps your charity plan or deliver, and give donors a clear choice about how they would like to contribute.
5. What happens after the first gift?
Include donor follow-up in your campaign plan before the busiest weeks arrive.
Track whether new donors receive a prompt thank-you and a meaningful introduction to your charity. Then review how many make another gift within a defined period, such as 90 days. Compare groups with equal follow-up time so a December donor isn’t judged against someone who gave in October.
The key thing to remember is that you won’t have every answer by December 31. Assign someone, or yourself, to review these results in the new year, when you can see more of what happened after the initial donation.
The Giving Season Hub’s stewardship and reporting resources can help you build this follow-up into your plan.
For a small team, this can start with a shared spreadsheet and a short weekly check-in. Keep your revenue goal visible, then add donor participation, returning donors, donation-page conversion and monthly giving. Schedule the second-gift review for later.
Choose measures your team can use to make decisions. If a number changes, discuss what it might mean and what you can reasonably do about it.
When someone asks how the Giving Season is going, you’ll have a fuller answer: how much your community has contributed, how many people are participating, and what you’re learning about keeping them connected to your cause.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s alone and do not necessarily represent those of CharityVillage.com or any other individual or entity with whom the authors or website may be affiliated. CharityVillage.com is not liable for any content that may be considered offensive, inappropriate, defamatory, or inaccurate or in breach of third-party rights of privacy, copyright, or trademark.
