Board members play an important role in nonprofits. They have many responsibilities, ranging from governing their organizations to establishing new revenue streams to engaging the community.

Like any other governing body, it’s important for your board to occasionally take the time to reflect on its actions, assessing where individual board members and the board as a whole can improve. That’s where self-assessment comes in.

This guide will go over everything you need to know about nonprofit board self-assessment, covering the following topics:

• What is a nonprofit board self-assessment?
• Why perform a nonprofit board self-assessment?
• How to Conduct a Successful Nonprofit Board Self-Assessment
• Best Practices for Nonprofit Board Evaluation
• Improving Board Member Engagement with Corporate Philanthropy

Even the best nonprofits need check-ups to ensure that they can continue to thrive. Nonprofit board self-assessment allows you to implement practices and strategies for a healthy and engaged board, creating a more efficient and effective team dedicated to your organization’s success. So let’s jump in with the first topic: What is a nonprofit board self-assessment?

What is a nonprofit board self-assessment?

Nonprofit board self-assessments are fairly self-explanatory: You ask each board member to reflect on their tenure as a board member. During the assessment, they may consider if they’re following your nonprofit’s bylaws, meeting expectations as an individual and as a group, and making progress toward goals. Plus, they’ll have the opportunity to give feedback on the board’s health and practices.

Formal nonprofit board self-assessments usually take place annually or every few years. However, you can conduct self-assessments more frequently and informally to ease the pressure on board members. For example, you might ask your board to give quick feedback on what’s working and what could be improved in their processes at the end of each board meeting.

Why perform a nonprofit board self-assessment?

With 56% of nonprofits struggling with board governance, you must implement systems to check in on your board’s health. Self-assessments are a great way to do so—ultimately, they allow board members to improve as individuals and as a team.

By conducting a nonprofit board self-assessment, you can:

• Clarify board expectations and objectives. While board members should learn about your organization, the board’s expectations, and their objectives during orientation, self-assessments are a great way to demonstrate their understanding of these aspects of their role. Should you find any misconceptions or misunderstandings, you can correct them in the next board meeting.
• Identify strengths and improvement areas. Much like with any other self-assessment, board members can take the time to identify the skills they think they’re strongest at and what they may be struggling with. If your board members fulfill specific roles, you may be able to assign them responsibilities that align more with their skills.
• Reflect on individual and shared responsibilities. Successful group work requires a delicate balance to ensure that every individual has similar levels of responsibility. There may be points during the year when some board members are swamped with work and others have fewer tasks to complete. Nonprofit board self-assessment can help you identify these times and reallocate responsibilities as necessary.
• Increase levels of board teamwork. If there are any misalignments on objectives, responsibilities, and mission, you can address them and bring your board back into alignment. By doing so, you’ll ensure that they remain engaged with their work and continue to support your nonprofit’s mission.
• Ensure the board represents beneficiaries. Your organization’s mission is to aid your beneficiaries, whether they are people, animals, the environment, or something else. Through nonprofit board self-assessment, you’ll be able to ensure that board members have your beneficiaries’ best interests at heart and are willing to go the extra mile to ensure that they receive the care and help they need.
• Demonstrate accountability and credibility. Nonprofits are under much scrutiny from all sides due to their not-for-profit nature. Government agencies require compliance with regulations, grantmakers want to see impact, and your supporters want to know that you’re responsible with your donations. Conducting nonprofit board self-assessments helps reassure these groups that you’re taking accountability for your operations.

The self-assessment isn’t only about how the board members are serving your nonprofit. It’s also about how enjoyable their experience is. Through your assessment, verify that board members feel included, valued, and engaged with their work. Board members who are happy with their experience and responsibilities will be more likely to work harder to support your nonprofit through fundraising, advocacy, or other activities.

How to Conduct a Successful Nonprofit Board Self-Assessment

Now that you know what a nonprofit board self-assessment is and why you should conduct one, let’s go over the steps to a successful self-assessment.

1. Decide who will conduct the self-assessment.

Although board members will complete the assessments, you’ll need to designate an individual to proctor or facilitate the assessments. This individual could be your nonprofit’s:

• Executive Director
• Board Chair
• Chief Operating Officer
• Staff Member

This individual will organize the assessment. After it is complete, they’ll moderate a board meeting where board members will discuss the results of the assessment. The proctor may not have access to the responses, but they’ll encourage board members to speak their minds and facilitate their growth during the conversation.

2. Prepare self-assessment questions.

No one knows the work of your board members better than themselves, so have them come up with their self-assessment questions. They’ll need to determine what topics they need to assess, including their current work and the potential challenges in the coming years.

A good place to start is the general areas of board operations. These include:

• Governance. This area includes board member expectations, objectives, participation, effectiveness, and education. It may also include how board members feel about other important individuals at your nonprofit, such as your president.
• Strategic planning. This area includes reviewing the nonprofit’s overall strategic plan and ensuring that board members agree with its roadmap and the projects it prioritizes.
• Financial oversight. This area includes reviewing financial reports, monitoring organizational budgets, and any other financial responsibilities your board members may have.
• Fundraising. This area includes donations made by board members, participation in fundraising events, recruiting major donors to the organization, and developing a high-level fundraising strategy.
• Programs. This area includes understanding the nonprofit’s mission, ensuring that programs are aligned with the mission, and reviewing program reports to ensure that your nonprofit is making a positive impact.

Additionally, include questions about the experience of serving on the board. You may have questions about how their experience has been so far, what they would change, and if there are any responsibilities or tasks they’d like to take on.

If you need more guidance on where to start, there are plenty of board self-assessment questionnaire templates that you can find. For example, BoardSource offers a free example of a self-assessment that you can reference.

3. Decide on self-assessment tools to use.

Having board members fill out and complete self-assessments with pen and paper is a great starting point, especially if your board meets in person. However, if your board meets virtually or if you’re looking for a more elegant solution that makes evaluating the assessments easier, you might look into self-assessment tools.

Common tools you might consider include:

• Survey software. If your board meets online rather than in person, then survey software is a great way to ensure that board members can easily fill out their self-assessments. These solutions allow you to customize survey questions and enable your assessment facilitator to view responses.
• Online assessment platforms. Nonprofit board self-assessments are best conducted regularly (more on that later!), and if you plan to make it an annual occurrence, an online assessment platform might be the right tool for your organization. On top of customizable survey templates and questions, these solutions may also offer secure data storage, automated data analysis, and other useful features.

Don’t rush into purchasing technology. First, ensure the tool addresses an obstacle or a need for your nonprofit’s self-assessments. Then, carefully research the available tools and determine which one best fits your needs before making your decision.

4. Schedule the self-assessments.

After you’ve done all the preparation to ensure a smooth process, it’s time to schedule and complete the board self-assessments. Ideally, you’ll set time aside during your next meeting to avoid requiring more time from your busy board members. Depending on the length and depth of your assessment questionnaire, board members may need the entire meeting duration to complete their assessments.

If you’re not able to dedicate board meeting time to your self-assessment, then you’ll need to ask members to complete it on their own time. If this is the route you take, be sure to give board members ample time and set a reasonable deadline. For example, if you want the assessment to be done by the end of March, send out all the relevant materials and information by the end of February.

5. Review the assessments and share the results.

After the self-assessments are complete, it’s time to review the assessments and share the results. Here are a few ways you can conduct this process:

• Facilitator reviews. The facilitator reviews the assessments, determines relevant insights, and brings them back to the board for them to discuss.
• Software data compilation. If you used survey software or an online assessment platform, the tool may be able to compile all the responses for you. It’ll identify commonalities in responses and analyze them for interesting findings.
• Board discussion. In this method, you’ll ask your board members to bring their self-assessments to the next meeting, where they’ll discuss their answers with one another and collaboratively decide on areas of improvement.

Keep in mind that since these are nonprofit board self-assessments, there’s some expectation of confidentiality. Regardless of which option you choose, uphold that principle. For example, if the facilitator of the assessment reviews each response, they should not mention what a specific board member wrote down. Instead, when discussing an insight with the board, they should simply say that one or more board members provided the response.

Best Practices for Nonprofit Board Evaluations

Now that you know how to conduct your board’s self-assessment, let’s go over the best practices to ensure that your nonprofit board remains engaged and dedicated to your organization’s success.

Conduct assessments regularly.

Regular nonprofit board self-assessments allow you to stay updated on the state of your board, including their engagement levels and satisfaction with their roles. Depending on your board terms, you can conduct assessments:

• Yearly
• Every two or three years
• Every five years

With regular check-ins, you’ll stay abreast of any important improvements to make, whether they’re for your nonprofit’s general governance or the satisfaction of an individual member. For example, if your board treasurer has been struggling to balance their nonprofit duties with their other responsibilities, you’ll be able to identify that early and help them either move into a less involved role or brainstorm another solution.

Assess individuals and the board as a whole.

Since self-assessments are individual by nature, it’s easy for facilitators and nonprofit boards to get bogged down about individual responses and overlook examining the board as a whole. However, you must not miss the forest for the trees. It’s as important to evaluate your nonprofit board’s general competency as well as the competency of individual board members.

For example, let’s say that after examining the results of your last nonprofit board self-assessment, the assessment facilitator determines that a few board members have a poor understanding of their responsibilities. This may indicate that these board members got confused along the way and may simply need a refresher on what board governance entails.

However, the facilitator may ask, “Why have none of these board members sought help from other members? Why have none of the other members addressed these misunderstandings?” Depending on the answer to these questions, perhaps you only need to realign the initial group of board members with your nonprofit’s expectations. Or perhaps you need to put in place better strategies for creating a more welcoming, inclusive, and helpful board to encourage greater collaboration between members.

Discuss the past and the future.

Maya Angelou once said, “I have great respect for the past. If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going.” The same principle applies to your nonprofit—without reflecting on the past, you won’t know how to improve and grow in the future.

Your self-assessment should contain questions about your nonprofit’s past and future. You might include the following:

• What do you think has contributed to our nonprofit’s success in the past?
• What should we do to grow and improve our nonprofit for the future?
• What good/bad financial decisions have we made? How can we improve in the future?
• What have we historically done well in terms of strategic planning?
• What can we improve on in terms of strategic planning?

With questions such as these, you directly encourage board members to reflect on the past and apply those principles to your nonprofit’s future. This allows you to improve your nonprofit’s operations for the future, ensuring that you create the positive impact on your beneficiaries that you desire.

Improving Board Member Engagement with Corporate Philanthropy

A common struggle for nonprofit board members is being involved in fundraising—beyond making donations themselves, board members may lack initiative when it comes to helping increase funding for their nonprofit.

That’s where corporate philanthropy comes in, specifically matching gifts. If you’re unable to engage board members with fundraising, you can at least maximize the donations they make to your organization.

This is how matching gifts with board members works:

1. A board member donates to your nonprofit.
2. You verify that the board member’s employer has a matching gifts program.
3. If they do, then you request your board member fill out a match request form with their employer.
4. Your board member fills out and submits this form.
5. Your board member’s employer reviews this form and verifies the donation.
6. Your board member’s employer makes a matched donation to your nonprofit.

As companies usually match donations at a 1:1 ratio, this allows you to essentially double the donation you receive from your board member. And some organizations are particularly generous to nonprofit board members.

Plus, once you educate board members about this unique corporate giving initiative, they may be happy to spread the word about it on your behalf. With over $4 billion in matching gifts going unclaimed every year, the extra awareness could be invaluable for increasing revenue for your organization.

Additional Resources

All governing bodies, regardless of whether they belong to for-profit or nonprofit organizations, require strategies for accountability, improvement, and growth. Nonprofit board self-assessments are one such strategy. With thorough research and preparation, you’ll be able to facilitate assessments and discussions afterward that move your board and nonprofit as a whole forward.

If you’re looking for more information about nonprofit boards and fundraising, check out these resources:

• The Ultimate Nonprofit Board Report Template and Tips. To ensure board meetings are well-organized and successful, you need to provide board members with a report containing key organizational insights. With this template, you’ll ensure your report is thorough and well-designed.
• How to Express Board Member Appreciation: An Expert Guide. Your board members work hard to help your nonprofit succeed—it’s only fair that you show appreciation for their efforts. Learn the best strategies in this guide.
• Conduct a Fundraising Feasibility Study: 7 Steps to Success. Board members play a big role in your nonprofit’s fundraising feasibility studies. Check out the steps you can take to ensure your feasibility study is a success.

CSR reporting is an increasingly popular way for businesses to display their sustainability performance and build credibility. A compelling CSR report can strengthen corporate relationships between employees, stakeholders, and consumers. In this guide, we’ll explore the ins and outs of CSR reporting by covering the following topics:

• What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?
• What is CSR Reporting?
• Why is CSR Reporting Important?
• Who Reads CSR Reports?
• What Should a CSR Report Include?
• Strategies to Strengthen Your CSR Report
• CSR Report Examples to Emulate

Keep in mind there is no “perfect” CSR report to rely on. Instead, your CSR report should encapsulate your company’s values and show tangible evidence of its commitment to responsibly steward its resources and influence.

What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?

Corporate social responsibility also known as CSR or corporate citizenship describes a company’s efforts to improve society in some way. 

These efforts fall into several categories such as volunteering, donating cash or in-kind goods or services, or changing operational systems to benefit environmental or social justice-related causes. Although it is not a mandated practice in the U.S., CSR positively impacts companies, employees, and society as a whole and can function as a meaningful differentiator for companies that participate.

What is CSR Reporting?

A CSR report, also known as an extra-financial report or an ESG (environmental social governance) report, is a document published by a company (usually annually) to provide evidence of its CSR efforts and results.  

Although there is not a common set of reporting standards in the U.S., typically a CSR report captures at least one of the four categories: environmental, ethical, philanthropic, or economic impact.

Is CSR Reporting Mandatory?

Sustainability reporting falls under ESG reporting which stands for environmental, social, and governance reporting which acts as a quantifiable measurement of a company’s social impact outcome.

Currently, U.S.-based companies are not legally required to provide an ESG report. However, all companies are encouraged to produce ESG reports to provide company insights that pave the way for a more sustainable future.

The United States Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) only requires companies to report on information that may be material to investors, including ESG-related risks. This policy could change soon as the SEC proposed in May 2022 certain “amendments to rules and reporting forms to promote consistent, comparable, and reliable information for investors concerning funds’ and advisers’ incorporation of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors.”

That said, delivering a CSR report should be about more than just maintaining potential legal compliance. Instead, it’s about demonstrating your commitment to making the world a better place through responsible stewardship of resources.

Why is CSR Reporting Important?

Aside from the positive societal and environmental impact it accounts for, CSR reporting is important because it communicates and provides evidence for your company’s values. To break it down further, comprehensive CSR reporting accomplishes the following objectives:

• Maintains transparency and accountability. A CSR report discloses a company’s societal and environmental impacts, initiatives, and performance to stakeholders. Often, it’s a means of establishing or strengthening trust as it indicates a commitment to ethical decision-making.
• Enhances brand reputation. Companies that document their CSR initiatives stand out among others as leaders in the social good space. A strong CSR program and transparent reporting can also bring more socially conscious consumers, stakeholders, and employees.
• Manages risks. CSR reporting enables companies to proactively identify and mitigate social and environmental risks. For example, a company may opt for a greener supply chain management process or roll out a new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policy to welcome a more diverse workforce.
• Engages employees. CSR reporting can increase employee morale and engagement by showing a company cares about its local and global community more than just making a profit. For example, 83% of employees would consider leaving their jobs if the company displayed irresponsible CSR practices.
• Encourages innovation. To reach CSR goals, companies sometimes invest in research and development of sustainable products and processes that can lead to cost savings and open up new revenue streams.

For all these reasons, CSR reporting should be a staple at every socially responsible organization as doing so will ensure a company’s internal aims align with its actions. And, if the United States decides to follow the European Union’s lead and enforce distinct reporting standards, companies well-versed in CSR reporting will already have a leg up.

Who Reads CSR Reports?

When writing any report, knowing your audience and why they’d be interested in reading it is helpful. In the case of a CSR report, the document will target both internal and external parties. Let’s take a look at each below.

Investors

Investors are interested in CSR reports because they want to assess your company’s long-term sustainability and ethical practices. Specifically, they evaluate ESG risks and the strategies your company has in place to mitigate them.

Investors are also concerned with your company’s financial performance, so a data-backed CSR report that details associated cost savings and market share increase can be a valuable asset for attracting this group.

Customers

Customers read CSR reports to make informed purchasing decisions that align with their values. For example, 50% of survey respondents even reported conducting online research to see how a business reacts to social issues before making a buying decision.

Remember a customer’s perspective when finalizing your report. For example, a local company may opt to highlight its local community involvement through programs or partnerships. This also translates to choosing engaging imagery and using customer-friendly language.

Current and potential employees

Employees read CSR reports to better understand their employer’s values, ethics, and contributions to society to see if their values align. More recently, employees have noted that CSR is a paramount decision-making factor for new employees as 93% believe companies must lead with purpose.

Therefore, your CSR report can also act as a retention and recruitment tool by plan by highlighting your company’s sustainability and social good plans and accomplishments

What Should a CSR Report Include?

Because CSR reports can vary in length, subject matter, and style, it can be difficult to know where to start. To help you out, we’ve provided CSR reporting do’s and don’ts for you to compare below:

CSR Reporting Do’s

• Consult GRI and SASB standards. The GRI is a nonprofit organization that provides the most widely used CSR reporting standards that range from universal to sector and topic standards. The SASB is an independent organization that develops industry-specific standards for ESG disclosure designed to be compatible with existing financial reporting frameworks. Consult each of these reporting standards throughout your report creation.
• Communicate defined goals and targets. Clearly define your objectives to ensure they line up with the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) framework. For example, a company may aim to decrease carbon emissions by a certain percentage in 2030.
• Align goals with company values. Choose achievable goals that directly relate to your company’s values and business strategy. For example, Disney’s emphasis on ethical storytelling carries on in its commitment to DEI initiatives.
• Include measurable metrics and data points. Include KPIs such as hiring data, emissions targets, volunteer hours, and charitable donations to offer tangible evidence of your CSR progress.
• Regularly report your outcomes. Continue publishing your CSR reports annually or semi-annually to update your documentation. If you have a breakthrough or priority shift for one of your programs, publish an updated version of your report.

CSR Reporting Don’ts

• • • Greenwash. Greenwashing involves misleading or making false claims about your organization’s environmental or societal impact in an attempt to appear more socially or environmentally responsible. Avoid exaggerating achievements or using deceptive language to mislead readers. Instead, remain honest and transparent about your CSR initiatives.
    • Omit negative information. If your organization did not meet its goal or ran into internal roadblocks, don’t omit this information. Transparency involves sharing successes and challenges as leaving out negative aspects can erode stakeholder trust.
    • Report unverified or unvalidated data. Consider engaging external auditors or verification experts to review your data and maintain transparency.  Additionally, make sure all data sources are documented within your final report. For example, if you’re reporting on greenhouse gas emissions, cite that the data matches emissions reports from monitoring equipment and third-party audits.
    • Ignore stakeholder feedback. Gather feedback from internal and external stakeholders throughout your reporting process. Engaging with them will help you identify and amend data discrepancies and elaborate on vague or inconsistent points.
    • Ignore local needs. Your CSR report should be sensitive to the needs and expectations of the community in which you operate. Ignoring local needs can lead to a disconnect between your CSR initiatives and the community. For instance, a company located in a hurricane-prone area might consider aiding in disaster relief as one of its core CSR projects.

Strategies to Strengthen Your CSR Reporting

Now that you know the basics of CSR reporting, you might be wondering, How can I take my report to the next level? To start, you’ll want to review your current CSR programs and data collection methods. Other strategies that can take your CSR strategy above and beyond are listed below:

Invest in CSR software

Comprehensive CSR reporting requires that your company keep track of several programs at once spanning from environmental causes to social and economic initiatives. With a CSR platform, your team can manage these historic and incoming data points with ease.

These software solutions make it simple to ingrain your social, environmental, and philanthropic values into your day-to-day operations. This way, you can prioritize your societal impact without sacrificing focus on your company’s growth and long-term success. Aside from streamlining your workflow, CSR platforms can help you reap several benefits, including:

• Enhanced reporting and analytics. Employee engagement software and sustainability management software all have built-in reporting capabilities that will keep you on track. For instance, you can easily measure matching gift participation or revenue generation at a glance.
• Increased transparency and maintain compliance. Some industries have stricter CSR reporting standards than others. CSR platforms streamline the data collection process and generate real-time reports to ensure companies are meeting all the relevant requirements.
• Improved employee engagement. A survey conducted by Paul Polman found that 70% of U.K. employees and 78% of U.S. employees want their company to have a reputation for doing good in society. CSR software encourages businesses to take the reins and cultivate a higher sense of pride through organized CSR programs.

When shopping for the right CSR software, look for a platform that compliments your existing technology. For example, CSR software with an auto-submission integration can skyrocket your employee matching gift participation by making it easier than ever to submit a matching gift request.

This way, when an employee donates to a nonprofit, they only need to submit their corporate email address, and the software automates the rest of the request submission process.

Check out this brief video to understand how the auto-submission feature fits into your CSR strategy:

As seen in the video, CSR software integration can significantly help boost employee participation and elevate your matching gift programs.

Contextualize your data

Your data and performance indicators must be contextualized to be useful for the reader. This means you’ll need to explain the importance of each of your initiatives and provide an honest picture of your progress. Here are a few strategies you can use to offer a complete summary:

• Historical data. Compare your recent data to historical data to show trends and changes over time. For example, you may compare how your company has decreased its carbon emissions over the past decade.
• Industry benchmarks. Compare your data to industry benchmarks and standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines to provide a frame of reference for stakeholders.
• Geographic or demographic information. If applicable, provide geographic or demographic context about the regions or demographics your initiatives impact. For example, if your company rolls out a clean water initiative, you should provide context concerning the region and people this program will impact.
• External factors. Acknowledge any relevant external factors that may have affected your data including economic shifts, regulatory changes, or natural disasters that have influenced your progress.
• Visual representations. Break down your findings by using a variety of visual representations such as graphs, infographics, and charts to make your data more accessible and help stakeholders quickly grasp your main points.

By adding these strategies to your CSR report, you’ll provide additional clarity to your readers and effectively communicate your sustainability journey. This way, you’ll foster trust and confidence by exploring the full picture of your company’s challenges and successes.

CSR Report Examples to Emulate

Sometimes it’s helpful to have a few examples to refer to when drafting your CSR report. To help guide your research I’ve handpicked three companies with stellar CSR reports and listed what makes each report worth emulating below:

Meta 2023: Forward-Thinking Strategy

The Social Metaverse Company, or Meta, “builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses.” They specialize in creating immersive technologies that facilitate new social experiences.

Meta’s 2023 CSR report’s forward-thinking strategy makes it worth considering. The company’s concrete and transparent approach to net zero emissions gives the reader a better understanding of its strategy. Take a look at its carbon emissions breakdown below:

This graph shows Meta’s 2022 carbon footprint and the description of how it has achieved net zero emissions in its global operations.

Additionally, the report goes on to say that reaching net zero emissions is not enough and lays out a plan to decarbonize it’s footprint beyond its offices and data centers. Specifically, to align with the Paris Agreement, Meta has set a goal to reach net zero emissions across its value chain in 2030.

This forward-thinking approach uses historical data to set both achievable and measurable goals as Meta sets out to design with less, incorporate sustainable supply chain principles, and embrace low-carbon technology.

Campbell Soup: Consistent Branding

The Campell Soup company is committed to “bringing people together through food they love.” The company’s soups, simple meals, snacks, and beverages are in alignment with its health and well-being goals.

Campell Soup’s homestyle messaging rings through in its 2022 CSR report. The report’s clear branding and engaging visuals remind readers of the company’s purpose. Additionally, the programs Campell Soup supports such as its school nutrition partnerships align with its values:

By providing nutrition education in a variety of school settings to support awareness of and pique interest in nutritious food choices, Campbell Soup affirms its dedication to improving food access and education.

This is just one example of a CSR program that is aligned with Campbell’s Soups values. For more details, check out the full report below.

Intel: Effective Collaboration

Intel specializes in providing technology that seeks to improve the life of every person. The company has driven business and society forward with innovation, expertise, and forward-thinking products.

A main thread of the company’s beliefs is interconnectivity which is alive and well within Intel’s CSR report. Multiple letters from company leadership including the CEO and CPO clearly outline the report’s goals.

Additionally, Intel’s emphasis on employee engagement and stakeholder transparency sets it apart. According to the Executive Vice President “Maintaining a strong culture and positive employee relations is paramount as we grow and transform Intel”.

And, Intel’s integrated investor outreach program speaks to its commitment to corporate accountability. By getting the perspective of multiple stakeholders, Intel’s CSR report is an example of effective collaboration. View the report below for more details.

CSR Reporting: Conclusion + Additional Resources

CSR reports are necessary tools to communicate your company’s sustainability and environmental goals. When drafting your report be sure to include accurate and complete data that builds credibility. Consider researching the reports of companies within your sector to get a better understanding of how to structure your report.

We hope you enjoyed this guide to CSR reporting. Check out these resources to continue learning:

• What’s the impact of CSR? FAQ & Key Benefits for Businesses. New to CSR? Read this guide to learn what it is and why it matters for your business.
• Creating a CSR Strategy: How to Forge a Lasting Impact. With so many worthy causes, you might not know where to direct your company’s efforts. Read this guide to learn how to create a successful CSR plan.
• A Smart Guide to Unlocking The Power of CSR Software. The right software makes CSR reporting much easier. Read this guide to understand how CSR software can support your corporate goals.

Because they don’t exist in the same spotlight as your major donors, it can be easy to leave mid-level donors out of your stewardship plans. However, their reliable support can contribute substantially to your nonprofit’s success. 

Learn how to identify this donor group and build a compelling program to retain their support in this comprehensive guide. Here’s what we’ll cover:

• Who are your mid-level donors?
• How can you identify mid-level donors?
• Why should you create a mid-level donor strategy?
• How to create a mid-level donor program
• Best practices for mid-level donor retention

By strengthening your relationships with mid-level donors, nonprofits can eventually deepen their connection to this consistent, generous donor type. Over time this can benefit your organization by garnering regular contributions or by transforming, mid-level donors into major donors

Who are your mid-level donors?

Defining mid-level donors

Mid-level donors or recurring donors refer to the category of supporters who give more than the average donor, but less than major donors or sponsors. Visually, this group of donors falls in the middle of the donor pyramid between first-time donors and planned givers:

The amount that defines this in-between donor category will differ depending on your nonprofit’s size and should be updated regularly based on your donor data. However, a general estimate of mid-level donation amount would range from $1,000 to $10,000 given annually. 

Importance of mid-level giving

Mid-level donors can easily be overlooked in the stewardship process because they don’t fall into the major donor category and usually aren’t an integral part of your nonprofit’s donor acquisition strategy. Don’t make this mistake! Mid-level donors can be game-changing for your nonprofit in several ways. Check out these statistics to learn why:

• Mid-level donors can account for 40-50% of revenue (NonProfit PRO)
• Two-thirds of major donors start in annual giving (NonProfit PRO)
• Donors who give $1,000 to $10,000 represent only 1% of donors at many charities, but they often give more than a third of the money raised (Philanthropy.com)

Characteristics and giving patterns of mid-level donors

Mid-level donors have recognizable giving characteristics and patterns that set them apart. Here’s how you can spot one: 

• Donation history. Mid-level donors typically give more than the average donation but still haven’t scratched the major gift levels. 

• Gift frequency and amount. As mentioned, mid-level donors typically give between $1,000 and $10,000 through regular amounts rather than one-time gifts. 
• Engagement patterns. Usually, mid-level donors have another connection to your cause either through volunteering, event attendance, or social media engagement.

To make these characteristics more tangible, let’s look at an example mid-level donor profile:

Name: Sarah Mitchell

Giving History: She typically donates between $500 and $1,000 per year to your organization. Her contributions have steadily increased, starting with a modest $250 donation when she first discovered your organization.

Background and Involvement: She attends your annual fundraising gala and participates in volunteer events organized by your nonprofit. She has also signed up for your monthly newsletter and follows your social media updates to stay informed about your initiatives.

The above profile indicates that this donor has the affinity and capacity markers that would define her as a mid-level donor. Mid-level donors also tend to be more involved with your cause than the average one-time donor.

Mid-level donors vs. major donors

Because mid-level donors can be on the cusp of becoming major donors, it can sometimes be challenging to tell them apart. Fortunately, a few key distinctions can help you differentiate between mid-level donors and major donors.

Major donors typically migrate up the giving pyramid more quickly than mid-level donors. They also tend to give larger gifts less frequently. On the other hand, mid-level donors settle into giving over time and renew their gifts consistently or choose to give through multiple channels. After some time, mid-level donors usually stay at their giving rate and they rarely lapse.

How can you identify mid-level donors?

Your nonprofit CRM or donor database plays a pivotal role in identifying mid-level donors. You can segment your existing database and get a better understanding of who your mid-level donors are. For instance, you can use the following markers to characterize this group:

• Donation history analysis
• Gift amount and frequency
• Behavioral and engagement analytics

In addition to using your CRM, you can also leverage a matching gift database like Double the Donation’s to identify match-eligible donors collect even more data, and create on-demand actionable reports. With help from Double the Donation, you can identify upcoming trends, optimize mid-level donor communication channels, and establish realistic fundraising goals for every donor type. A few reports Double the Donation offers include:

• Repeat Donors Report that shows donors who have submitted requests for previous donations, but have other gifts that have not been matched.
• A General Statistics Report that indicates email open rates and click rates matches identified donations by month and provides a status breakdown to determine where your donors are in the conversion process.
• Eligible But Not Submitted Report that indicates the most valuable groups of donations that are eligible, but have not submitted matching gift requests.

Despite these benefits, many nonprofits skip cultivating mid-level donors so they can focus their time and energy on stewarding major gifts or planning direct marketing efforts. A mid-level donor program can help you intentionally steward this group. Let’s explore the basics in the next section.

Why should you create a mid-level donor strategy?

You should prioritize stewarding mid-level donors for the following reasons:

• Revenue stability. Mid-level donors offer a consistent level of support that can stabilize funding for your programs when major donors lapse or donor acquisition efforts return unfruitful. This gives your nonprofit a steady revenue stream it can build on.
• Increased giving potential. Because of their consistency and familiarity with your cause, mid-level donors have the potential to increase their giving levels or donate through planned gifts or legacy giving.
• Engagement and loyalty. Mid-level donors are reliable. A survey by Brown and Halvorsen found that two-thirds of mid-level donors surveyed said that they had supported the same nonprofits for 5+ years.
• Foundation and corporate support. Mid-level donors involved in CSR or employee engagement programs are a direct link to corporate support. Their engagement can result in increased corporate matching gifts, in-kind donations, and sponsorships.
• Networks and referrals. Mid-level donors can offer valuable connections through their personal and professional networks. For instance, a board member may be a mid-level donor and their involvement could spark the interest of friends and family.

Despite these benefits, many nonprofits skip cultivating mid-level donors so they can focus their time and energy on stewarding major gifts or planning direct marketing efforts. This is where a mid-level donor program can help you intentionally steward this group. Let’s explore the basics in the next section.

How to create a mid-level donor program

1. Define mid-level donors

Using your CRM, segment your donors to find mid-level donors that fit your predefined criteria. Choose relevant indicators such as donation amount, frequency, and involvement. For example, you might ask the following questions to identify your mid-level donors:

• Have any of your donors brought community members to events?
• What is their recurring gift status?
• How often do they volunteer?
• Have they increased their giving over time?
• Have they expressed interest in learning more about your programs or mission?
• Would they be interested in increasing their donation amount if approached in the right way?

Consistently review and update your donor profiles based on this information. As giving habits evolve, be sure to update a donor’s status, such as when a mid-level donor has achieved a major donor status.

Additionally, the criteria with which you identify your mid-level donors will change as your organization grows. Therefore, be sure to check your nonprofit’s objectives and align your team on which characteristics they can count on to spot a mid-level donor.

2. Create personalized communication plans

Personalize your communication to connect with mid-level donors in a way that acknowledges their level of giving and demonstrates impact. Take a multi-channel marketing approach to invite donors to take the next step in engaging with your organization. For example, you might launch the following initiatives as a part of your mid-level donor cultivation strategy: 

• A social media campaign showcasing the results of your recurring gifts program and thanking donors who made it happen.
• An email campaign that offers a vision for your nonprofit’s future and invites mid-level donors to partner with you by volunteering or learning more in a webinar series.
• A direct mail campaign that thanks mid-level donors for their continued support and includes a brochure of how their gifts have made a difference.
• An exclusive event where beneficiaries share first-hand impact stories and guests get a sneak peek of upcoming projects and initiatives.

Rely on your donor data to pinpoint which communication channels your mid-level donors are most likely to respond best to. Find out where most of them are located as well. For instance, if most of your donors are local, an in-person gala could offer a memorable way for them to engage with you.

3. Offer exclusive access

Distinguish your mid-level donors by providing events or exclusive content that are just for them. This will encourage first-time donors to increase their engagement while recognizing the impact of mid-level donors. Some examples of this may include:

• Early access or exclusive previews of an upcoming nonprofit event.
• Free parking or prime seats at your next event.
• Behind-the-scenes tours of your new facilities.
• Exclusive “boots on the ground” content from your volunteer team.

By offering these perks and benefits, you can effectively retain mid-level donors. Just be sure to distinguish your mid-level donor stewardship program from your major gifts stewardship program. For instance, you may dedicate more formal, exclusive galas to major donors and plan quarterly volunteer workshops and lunches for mid-level donors.

4. Promote relevant opportunities

Once you’ve consulted your database, you have a better idea of your mid-level donors’ giving capacities and interests. Tailor your program to highlight relevant giving opportunities that your mid-level donors would likely agree to. 

For example, if a mid-level donor has been offering a recurring gift for multiple years, you might approach them to discuss how planned gifts could help them leave a lasting legacy.  Or, if a mid-level donor has a substantial social media following, you may invite them to participate in your next peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. Another option would be to invite a committed mid-level donor onto your nonprofit board to involve them in your decision-making processes. 

Each of these next steps will differ depending on a donor’s giving and engagement history. However, it’s always a good idea to invite donors to get more experience with your cause to deepen their understanding and connection. 

5. Use metrics to measure progress

To measure your program’s success, identify which metrics you’ll track. This will help you assess your mid-level giving program’s return on investment and help you adapt your program over time. Key metrics to keep an eye on include:

• • Mid-level donor retention
  • Conversion rate from low-level giving to mid-level giving
  • Event participation rate
  • Recurring gift program participation rate
  • Matching gift participation
  • Mid-level giving program benefits utilization

In addition to these metrics, you may also choose to calculate donor lifetime value, which estimates a mid-level donor’s value based on their potential future contributions. This metric is especially relevant to assess the long-term impact of your program and can convince your team to hone their mid-level cultivation strategy.

Best practices for mid-level donor retention

To properly select and cultivate mid-level donors, there are a few techniques to keep in mind. Following these will save your team time while maximizing each connection you make and leading your donors further down the pipeline. Let’s review them below!

Lean into automation

Planning and executing informed marketing campaigns can take time. That’s why nonprofits should lean into automation to do some of the heavy lifting for them. Email marketing, social media posting, and SMS messaging are all examples of automated marketing you can tap into to get your messages across promptly.

Another game-changing automated process is matching gift auto-submission. This technology facilitates the donor-matching gift submission process by embedding directly into a nonprofit’s donation form. All donors have to do is provide their company email address and the software will handle the rest of the matching gift process on their behalf. Check out this video for a quick overview of  Double the Donation’s automation platform:

As the video explains, matching gift auto-submission has an easy setup with integrations, no developer time, no custom coding, and no additional complications. Plus, recent statistics indicate that auto-submission is projected to yield an 80% increase in matching gift revenue.

By incorporating auto-submission into your nonprofit tech stack, you can make donating matching gifts easier than ever and retain more mid-level donors.

Demonstrate impact

By reminding mid-level donors of how their giving translates into real-world impact, you’ll foster greater transparency and trust among them. Here are a few strategies you can use to effectively demonstrate impact:

• Impact reports. These comprehensive annual reports outline how your team used incoming funds to advance your mission. Specifically, they cover your organization’s activities, goals, and achievements. The report should be stocked full of progress metrics and can even be interactive with multimedia like videos, charts, and infographics inviting readers to take a deeper look at your mission.
• Testimonials. With permission, you can use volunteer, staff, and beneficiary testimonials to drive more mid-level donor support. For instance, a homeless shelter may use volunteer and beneficiary testimonials to drive home the value of a functional warming center during the cold winter months.
• Real-time statistics. To keep your audience updated at all times, you can use real-time statistics that play up your campaign’s urgency. For example, if you choose to run a time-sensitive matching gift challenge campaign, you can use fundraising leaderboards or thermometers that update matching gift progress automatically.

These techniques will keep your mid-level donors informed and excited about offering their support. And, over time, you can inspire your mid-level donors to pursue major gift status by keeping your mission top of mind.

Prioritize recognition

Did you know that 41% of donors will give again when they receive personalized outreach on the impact of their support? Providing recognition goes hand in hand with demonstrating impact and can show that your nonprofit is grateful for gifts of all sizes.

Recognize your mid-level donors as soon as the gift is received or within a 48-hour window to show your appreciation in a timely manner. An easy way to make your recognition both prompt and personalized is by using digital eCards. A platform like eCardWidget’s easy customization makes it the perfect donor recognition tool.

For example, look at how Youth For Understanding’s colorful thank-you eCards illustrate the level of creative freedom you can get with the platform:

Use quick and meaningful updates like these to thank donors, invite them to dedicated events, or even send them a happy birthday message to signal their importance to your organization. 

Conclusion + Additional Resources

Mid-level donors are often the loyal sustainers of your organization. Their consistency can help you stay afloat or level up your existing programs. Use the tools and techniques listed in this article to zero in on your mid-level donors and launch an engaging program that keeps them enthusiastic about your cause.

Did you enjoy this guide to mid-level donor programs? Check out these related resources to learn more:

• Donor Retention: A Comprehensive Guide + 6 Strategies. Learn all things donor retention-related and add new strategies to your existing retention plan in this guide.
• Donor Stewardship: How to Retain Support Effectively. Learn how to make stewardship an ongoing iterative process that builds lasting relationships in this guide.
• Digital Marketing for Nonprofits: The Ultimate Guide. Make your digital marketing communications count with actionable advice from this guide.