WHY DON'T YOU MEET ME IN THE MIDDLE?

Mid-level giving (often defined as gifts in the ~$250–$10,000 range, varying by organization) is increasingly becoming the make-or-break layer between broad-based annual giving and major gifts.

Many of you are likely facing reduced donor counts and struggling retention rates, even though your total dollars raised is holding steady or growing. This means you may be becoming more dependent on fewer donors. And you are not alone as shown in reports published by the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) that illustrate this dynamic trend.

At the same time, total charitable giving has shown strength. Giving USA reported $592.5B in U.S. charitable giving for 2024, representing an inflation-adjusted increase and a recovery from recent softness.

If you find yourself in this situation, how can you change this trend? As the popular 2018 song “The Middle” says, “why don’t you meet me in the middle?” Mid-level giving is where you can rebuild loyalty, increase average gift value, and create predictable upgrades, even when acquisition is difficult.

Key Trends Shaping Mid-level Giving

Recent research shows us that total dollars can rise while donor counts fall. The donor pipeline is thinning, but high-performing organizations are compensating through increased average gift value per donor and stronger retention among their best segments. They do this all while the FEP report continues to highlight persistent challenges in retention and acquisition.

This also brings to light why mid-level donors are not just “nice to have.” They’re the most scalable lever for your fundraising program without requiring a full major gift staffing model.

Digital fundraising benchmarks have consistently shown the growth in contributed support from monthly giving compared to one-time giving. This reflects the growing impact of younger donors (younger Gen Xers and Millennials) and how they behave differently from the Baby Boomers. It also highlights where to start your mid-level pathways.

Mid-level is no longer only about “bigger gifts.” It’s also about higher commitment (subscription-like giving), which reduces downgraded and lapsed giving patterns.

AFP and other philanthropic thought leaders increasingly call out the need to build mid-level giving as a deliberate strategy as it can “fill the gap” between annual and major gifts and serve as a bridge when donor retention is under strain.

If you view your mid-level donors like “enhanced annual donors”, think again about the potential value of this group to your overall fundraising efforts. Try instead to treat them like “future Major Gift donors”. By doing so, you will capture their attention and find greater success.

Mid-level donors are far more likely than small-dollar donors to want:

• proof of impact
• access to insiders (organizational leaders, staff/program leaders)
• thoughtful and personal gratitude
• fewer, better-focused communications

But many of us continue to communicate with this segment using mass messaging. This can cause missed upgrades and quiet downgrading and lapsing.

Find Your Middle

Your next step? Open your CRM and start by finding “your” middle.

First, create a definition for “mid-level giving” (MLG) for your organization using data, not guesses. To keep it simple, define 2–3 “tiers,” such as:

• Emerging MLG: $250–$999
• Core MLG: $1,000–$2,499
• Upper MLG: $2,500–$9,999

Then go a bit deeper by developing a profile of your mid-level donors using characteristics such as:

• Giving recency/frequency/monetary (RFM)
• Communication channel preference (online, digital, direct mail, etc.)
• Their top Interest: which programs/appeals to which they respond
• Look at their current upgrade patterns (# of years between gift change, level of “jump”, type of solicitation)

Once you know who your mid-level donor is, start a donor-centered mid-level stewardship model. Use current communication channels and tactics you already employ (newsletters, thank you post cards, phone messages of thanks, etc.) and add a few personal and impactful touches to the roster for this group.

Follow that by creating upgrade pathways, not upgrade campaigns. What is the journey your emerging mid-level donor will go on to become a core mid-level donor? Build a path and make it intentional and consistent for all.

Then consider how you can fix retention by focusing on the second gift and the second year. The lowest percentage of retention comes after the first gift is made. What will the donor experience be at your organization for a new emerging mid-level donor that will lead to their second gift?

Finding and meeting your mid-level donors is your future growth strategy

Even as overall giving shows encouraging strength in recent national data, donor turnover and retention pressures remain a main challenge facing nonprofits. Remember to treat mid-level donors in a relational and personal manner, not as a one-size-fits-all group and they will become the cohort of donors that can most realistically:

• stabilize your contributed support
• build loyalty
• create upgrade momentum
• strengthen the major gifts pipeline

…all without requiring a massive investment.