Glossary
CRM Basics

Engagement Score

By: Alec Hollingsworth
Updated:  
July 2, 2025

Definition:

An Engagement Score is a numerical value indicating how actively a contact interacts with your nonprofit’s campaigns, events, and communications.
An Engagement Score is a numerical value assigned to a contact or donor in a nonprofit CRM, reflecting their level of interaction and involvement with the organization. This score is typically calculated based on factors such as email opens, event attendance, donations made, volunteer hours, and other forms of participation. By quantifying engagement, nonprofits can better understand which constituents are most active, identify those at risk of disengagement, and segment audiences for targeted campaigns. The Engagement Score helps organizations prioritize outreach, personalize communications, and maximize donor retention by focusing efforts where they are most likely to have an impact.

Key Takeaways

  • Measures supporter activity and involvement
  • Enables targeted communications and campaigns
  • Helps identify highly engaged or at-risk contacts

Why It Matters

It helps nonprofits identify and prioritize highly engaged supporters, improving retention and fundraising effectiveness.

Real World Example

A local food bank tracks Engagement Scores for its volunteers and donors. After sending a newsletter about a new fundraising campaign, staff review the scores to see who opened the email, clicked through, or recently attended an event. They notice that one long-term donor’s score has dropped, signaling reduced involvement. The team reaches out personally, inviting them to an upcoming volunteer day. Meanwhile, supporters with high scores receive personalized thank-you messages and early invitations to events. This approach increases donor retention and deepens supporter relationships, all guided by the insights from Engagement Scores.

How Keela Helps

In Keela, Engagement Scores are automatically calculated using your contact data such as donations, email interactions, and event participation. This allows you to quickly see which supporters are most engaged with your mission and tailor your communications or campaigns accordingly. Keela’s dashboard visualizes these scores, making it easy to segment and target the right people at the right time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is an Engagement Score calculated?

It’s typically based on actions like email opens, event participation, donations, and volunteer activity, with each action assigned a point value.

Why should nonprofits track Engagement Scores?

Tracking Engagement Scores helps organizations identify highly involved supporters, tailor communications, and improve donor retention rates.

Can Engagement Scores change over time?

Yes, a contact’s Engagement Score will increase or decrease as their interactions with your organization change.

How does Keela use Engagement Scores?

Keela automatically calculates Engagement Scores and displays them in your dashboard, making it easy to segment contacts and target outreach.

What actions affect my supporters’ Engagement Scores?

Actions such as donating, volunteering, attending events, and interacting with emails all contribute to higher Engagement Scores.

Related Terms

A/B Test
Accessibility Compliance
Acknowledgement Letter
Address Verification
Affiliation
Archiving Historical Donor Data

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