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Imagine this: You have just stepped into a new role, maybe you are new to the organization, or new to fundraising altogether. You are preparing your first board report or fundraising strategy, and you open your team’s donor data. The growing spreadsheet file is filled with donor names, addresses, gift dates, and notes about your donors. And with different formulas and several tabs, you may not be sure what data is up to date, which data is accurate, or even where to start, particularly if your team is not using donor software or a dedicated database to keep track of donor information. 

Spreadsheets are a common starting place for many small organizations. They can be an affordable option when resources are limited, and the volume of data is manageable based on your organization’s capacity. With the ability to create visualizations, like charts or simple fundraising dashboards, you can help your team quickly understand your donor data and make informed decisions. However, over time, what once felt manageable can start to feel a bit stretched, especially as your organization grows and your fundraising efforts begin to scale. It becomes increasingly challenging to analyze your data and uncover the patterns you need to make informed fundraising decisions. 

So, what happens when those spreadsheets that were once manageable start getting in the way? In this article, we will explore three common questions organizations often aim to answer using their donor data and why, for many, doing so with spreadsheets alone can be more complicated than it seems. 

Question 1: Who are your lapsed donors? 

A lapsed donor is someone who has given to your organization in the past but has not made a gift within a set timeframe, often two years, depending on your organization’s fundraising cycle. 

The challenge with spreadsheets: Your donor data might include names and last gift dates, but what about duplicates? Or entries like “Abigail Stephens” in one row, “Stephens, Abigail” in another, and “Abby Stephens” in yet another. Optimizing your donor data starts with cleaning it, meaning it is consistent, well-organized, and easy to filter or analyze without trying to figure out what is accurate. When your data is not clean, even something as simple as figuring out who has not given in the last two years, or whatever your organization considers “lapsed”, can turn into a time-consuming task. 

The risk: You are either overlooking donors who should be re-engaged, or counting the same donor multiple times. When duplicates or inconsistent entries appear in your spreadsheet, they create a distorted view of your donor base. You might assume someone is a brand-new donor when they have actually given before or miss re-engaging a lapsed supporter because their name is recorded differently. In some cases, duplicate entries can make it look like a donor has given recently, when they have not. Lapsed donors often show signals in your data, like longer gaps between gifts or declining amounts that can be easy to miss without a clear view. The result? Outreach lists become less effective, reports less accurate, and your fundraising strategy may end up based on incomplete or misleading information. 

The opportunity: When you know exactly which donors have lapsed, you can prioritize outreach that is low-cost, high-impact, and within your small team’s capacity and resources. For example, depending on the donor’s communication preferences, this may be a phone call, a handwritten note, or a targeted appeal. Lapsed donors represent an opportunity in your data. You do not always need to find new donors, sometimes, reconnecting with past ones is a more practical way to start rebuilding the relationship. 

Question 2: How much do your most loyal supporters give over time?  

The total amount a donor gives over time across all campaigns, events, and appeals can tell you a lot about their commitment. Understanding this number helps you identify and stay connected with your most loyal supporters. 

The challenge with spreadsheets: Donations often appear as isolated entries spread across multiple years, campaigns, or appeals. Calculating cumulative totals may require filters, conditional formulas, or pivot tables. Even then, one small data entry issue, like a misspelled name or an incorrect formula, can throw the total off or cause duplicate tracking. 

The risk: If you cannot easily see a donor’s full giving history, you may unintentionally overlook your most loyal supporters or underestimate their long-term value. A donor who has given modest amounts consistently over several years might appear less significant than someone who gave once at a higher level, but in reality, the long-term donor may be more invested and more likely to give again. If you are unable to see how much a donor has given over time, you might miss signs they are ready to get more involved, whether that is an invitation to a campaign committee, or a major gift conversation. Over time, missing these signs can make donors feel overlooked and reduce the chances they will stay involved or give again. 

The opportunity: When you can see how much your most loyal supporters have given over time, you can group them more effectively, tailor your messages, and focus on the donors who are most likely to say yes to a monthly gift, a special campaign, or even a major donation—based on their giving history, capacity, or past conversations. Knowing the full picture helps you focus your efforts where they matter most: building stronger relationships that lead to lasting impact. 

Question 3: Which campaigns were most effective? 

Not every campaign is designed to build long-term engagement. Some campaigns, like crowdfunding or emergency appeals, may generate a lot of one-time support around a specific need. Others, such as your year-end appeal or annual appeal, may be more established and something your loyal donors expect and look forward to supporting each year, making them especially effective for long-term engagement. 

The challenge with spreadsheets: You may be able to see which campaign each gift came from, but it’s much harder to tell which campaigns helped build long-term donor relationships. Answering that question often means filtering rows, sorting by date, and joining data across tabs to trace giving patterns over time. That kind of manual work makes it tough to see which efforts actually led to ongoing support. 

The risk: Without the ability to view a donor’s interactions over time, you may keep investing in campaigns that generate one-time gifts but do not lead to lasting relationships. It might look like your campaign is doing well, and you may see several one-time gifts, increased website traffic, or sharing your social media posts. These signs might show people are paying attention to your organization, but they do not always mean lasting support. Furthermore, you may also spend valuable time and resources cultivating donors who have already moved on, while missing those who are still showing interest. These are the individuals opening your emails, attending events, or giving small but steady gifts. When you cannot see the full picture, you risk making decisions based on gaps in your data. 

The opportunity: When you can see how a donor’s giving has changed over time, it becomes easier to tell which campaigns helped build stronger relationships. You can focus more on the efforts that lead to repeat giving, like an annual appeal that donors expect, and adjust the ones that only bring in one-time support. 

Understanding who your lapsed donors are, how much your most loyal supporters have contributed over time, and which campaigns are most effective can transform the way your organization fundraises. These questions may seem simple, but without organized data, the answers can be hard to find. You do not need a big team to start seeing clearer patterns. With the right systems in place to manage your data, your information can move from spreadsheets that are starting to get hard to manage to something your team can use to help you make better decisions and build stronger relationships. 

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As someone who loves numbers, video games and fantasy fiction, Rochelle can be found playing video games or watching an action or fantasy fiction movie with her family. As the Co-founder of Story Point Consulting, she helps people working or volunteering at small charities and nonprofits find the right donors, effectively communicate with supporters, and strengthen relationships with them. If you are a small or new Canadian organization seeking a practical solution to support your donor management strategy, explore how Chronicle can help. 

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.