Donor Growth

Do nonprofits need North Star metrics?

Louis Diez & Mike Duerksen

Should you focus on donors, dollars, or something else?

Some shops have over 25 metrics that they use to measure gift officer performance!

Others, don’t have any… (or maybe just this one: the is-the-board-happy metric)

What should a fundraising shop measure to make sure it is accountable and progressing toward the nonprofit’s goals?

The answer, according to our conversation today: it depends on:

Your nonprofit’s growth stage

  • The type of nonprofit you work in
  • What you’re able to measure

What we firmly advocate for: having one or at most two key metrics that we call North Star metrics.


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ABOUT THE HOSTS

Louis Diez advises nonprofits in annual fund development, digital fundraising, and engagement strategies. He's the host of the Donor Participation Project and founder of the Annual Fund Toolkit.


Mike Duerksen hosts the Build Good Fundraising Podcast. He’s the founder and CEO of BuildGood, a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors.