Glossary
Engagement & Communication

Donor Engagement Level Scoring

By: Alec Hollingsworth
Updated:  
July 16, 2025

Definition:

Donor Engagement Level Scoring ranks donors based on their interactions, helping nonprofits target communications and enhance fundraising efforts.
Donor Engagement Level Scoring is a data-driven method used by nonprofits to assess and rank the engagement of individual donors or donor segments. This scoring system typically analyzes various interactions, such as donation frequency, event participation, volunteerism, and communication responses, assigning numerical or categorical values to each activity. By aggregating these scores, organizations can segment donors based on their overall engagement, identify highly involved supporters, and tailor outreach strategies accordingly. The goal is to better understand donor behavior, nurture relationships, and maximize the impact of fundraising efforts by focusing resources where they will yield the greatest benefit.

Key Takeaways

  • Enables effective donor segmentation
  • Improves personalization of outreach
  • Identifies top and at-risk supporters
  • Supports strategic fundraising decisions

Why It Matters

It helps nonprofits target outreach, improve donor retention, and increase fundraising efficiency.

Real World Example

A mid-sized animal rescue nonprofit uses Donor Engagement Level Scoring in Keela to analyze supporter activities, including donations, event attendance, and email responses. The scoring reveals that a group of donors who regularly volunteer and attend events, even if their monetary contributions are modest, are highly engaged. The organization uses this insight to create a special recognition program for these supporters, resulting in increased volunteer retention and inspiring some to become recurring donors. Meanwhile, lower-scoring donors receive targeted re-engagement messages, leading to a boost in overall participation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Donor Engagement Level Scoring?

It's a method for evaluating and ranking donors based on their engagement with a nonprofit, such as donations, event participation, and communications.

How does Keela use engagement scoring?

Keela's tools automatically track donor interactions and assign engagement scores, helping organizations target communications and manage relationships efficiently.

Can engagement scoring improve donor retention?

Yes, by identifying at-risk and highly engaged donors, nonprofits can personalize outreach and increase retention rates.

What activities influence a donor's engagement score?

Common activities include donation frequency, event attendance, volunteering, and responsiveness to emails or calls.

Is engagement level scoring only for large nonprofits?

No, organizations of any size can benefit from engagement scoring, especially with tools like Keela that automate the process.

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