The most effective nonprofits use reporting to stay focused and resilient, connecting day-to-day fundraising performance to nonprofit strategic planning<\/a> and mission impact.<\/p>\n This blog will walk you through 12 essential nonprofit reports\u2014what they reveal, why they matter, and how they can support clearer decision-making across your fundraising and strategic planning efforts.<\/strong><\/p>\n Nonprofit reports serve a bigger purpose than just checking boxes for audits or board meetings. When built around your organization\u2019s goals, they become a practical tool for clarity and stronger decision-making across teams.<\/p>\n They help you:<\/strong><\/p>\n Most importantly, reports create alignment. When leadership, development, and finance teams are looking at the same data, the organization moves faster and with less friction. That alignment is essential to effective nonprofit strategic planning<\/a>, where goals, fundraising strategy, and operational reality must stay connected and not siloed.\u00a0<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Save hours each month by building reports that reflect how your team operates, with data tailored to what each department needs.<\/p>\n DonorPerfect offers 70+ standard nonprofit reports<\/a> plus flexible custom reporting tools<\/a>, allowing you to filter, segment, and view data based on your organization\u2019s unique goals, campaigns, and nonprofit strategic planning priorities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Below is a comprehensive set of nonprofit reports that leaders and fundraisers should utilize and reference regularly. Not all of these reports need daily attention, but all should be part of your ongoing reporting rhythm.<\/p>\n New donors<\/a> are how your organization grows its community and sustains its mission over time. A new donor acquisition report helps you understand not just how many donors you\u2019re bringing in, but how they\u2019re finding you, and what that means for your future fundraising strength.<\/p>\n A strong new donor report typically shows:<\/p>\n Why it matters: Additionally, and from a nonprofit strategic planning perspective, this report provides critical insight into whether your donor growth strategy can realistically support future fundraising goals and program expansion<\/a>.<\/p>\n What to watch for:<\/strong><\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Strengthen early donor relationships by tracking the interactions and engagement patterns that lead to a second gift within 12 months. Use Constituent Tracking<\/a> in DonorPerfect to record donor interactions, appeals, and engagement history alongside new donor reports, helping your team understand which acquisition sources and touchpoints drive early loyalty.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019re only focused on new donors, you\u2019re likely leaking revenue. Lapsed donor reports\u2014commonly called LYBUNT<\/a> (Last Year But Unfortunately Not This) and SYBUNT<\/a> (Some Year But Unfortunately Not This)\u2014identify donors who have stopped giving.<\/p>\n Why it matters:<\/strong> This data helps inform long-term planning around:<\/p>\n What to watch for:<\/strong><\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Reduce donor churn by prioritizing outreach to recently lapsed donors before they fully disengage. Generate reports and filter<\/a> by gift date, last gift amount, and total giving to gain valuable insight about your donor data and giving patterns. Then, create a personalized outreach plan for donors you\u2019d like to engage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Donor retention<\/a> is one of the most reliable indicators of long-term fundraising stability. A donor retention report helps you understand how consistently supporters continue giving over time and where relationships may be strengthening or weakening.<\/p>\n A strong donor retention report breaks down results by:<\/p>\n Why it matters:<\/strong><\/p>\n Overall retention rates provide a useful snapshot, but segmented retention offers the real insight. It shows which donor groups<\/a> are building lasting relationships with your organization and which may need a different approach.<\/p>\n Retention data also supports strategic decisions about sustainability, accurate forecasting, and donor experience investments.<\/p>\n What to watch for:<\/strong><\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Improve donor retention by identifying high-value donor segments and tailoring stewardship strategies to their giving patterns and interests. Use the Comprehensive Donor Revenue Analysis Report<\/a> in DonorPerfect to learn more details about your donors, along with your nonprofit\u2019s donor retention rate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n You likely have a strong sense of how much you\u2019re raising overall, but understanding where that revenue is coming from is just as important. A revenue report<\/a> that breaks down performance by campaign, fund, and solicitation gives you the visibility to see which strategies are working and which need adjustment.<\/p>\n This report connects day-to-day fundraising activity to your nonprofit strategic plan. It shows how well your revenue-generating efforts align with your organizational goals and where you might be investing time or money without a clear return.<\/p>\n Track revenue by:<\/p>\n Why it matters:<\/strong> What to watch for:<\/strong><\/p>\n Recurring donors<\/a> are a great source of predictable revenue from your most committed supporters. Monthly giving programs create reliable cash flow, reduce fundraising costs over time, and deepen donor relationships.<\/p>\n But to be effective, monthly giving needs active oversight. A recurring giving report helps you stay on top of donor behavior and spot trends that impact long-term sustainability.<\/p>\n This report should show:<\/p>\n Why it matters:<\/strong> Recurring revenue supports:<\/p>\n What to watch for:<\/strong><\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Stabilize cash flow by monitoring missed recurring gifts monthly and following up quickly. Manage recurring donations<\/a>, track payment status, and report on monthly giving trends.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Major donors play a significant role in fundraising success, which makes visibility into their giving and engagement essential. Top donor and major giving reports<\/a> help teams understand who is driving revenue and how those relationships are evolving through the donor engagement cycle.<\/p>\n These reports typically highlight:<\/p>\n Why it matters:<\/strong><\/p>\n A small number of donors often account for a significant portion of total revenue. These reports help fundraisers spot changes in giving behavior early and ensure major donors receive the attention and stewardship they expect.<\/p>\n These reports also help leadership forecast revenue more accurately and assess major gift strategy alignment.<\/p>\n What to watch for<\/strong><\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Pair major giving reports with gift frequency analysis to better understand giving habits across your top donors. The Gift Frequency Analysis Report<\/a> in DonorPerfect shows how often donors give, what percentage of your base they represent, and how much revenue each group contributes, helping you identify consistent supporters with high long-term value.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Volunteers play a critical role in how nonprofits deliver programs, extend capacity, and build long-term relationships with supporters. Volunteer hours and engagement reports<\/a> help organizations understand not only how much support they\u2019re receiving, but how deeply individuals are connected to the mission beyond financial giving.<\/p>\n These reports provide visibility into how volunteers contribute their time and skills across the organization and how that engagement may grow over time.<\/p>\n Volunteer hours and engagement reports typically track:<\/p>\n Why it matters:<\/strong><\/p>\n Volunteer engagement is often a leading indicator of donor loyalty and future giving. These reports also provide concrete, defensible data for grant applications, impact reporting, and board communications. Volunteer data gives leaders a clearer picture of organizational capacity and program growth. Additionally, volunteers may be good prospects for planned gifts, especially those who have volunteered for years.<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Strengthen donor and volunteer retention by identifying individuals who give both time and money and creating engagement paths that deepen both relationships. Track volunteer<\/a> hours, assignments, and participation history in one place to report on engagement, capacity, and community impact.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Fundraising success depends on how much revenue you generate, along with how efficiently and sustainably you work to achieve your fund development strategies year-round. Fundraising ROI and profitability reports help leaders evaluate the true return on time, budget, and staff effort invested in each campaign or activity.<\/p>\n These reports provide a clearer picture of which fundraising efforts strengthen the organization and which may quietly strain resources.<\/p>\n Fundraising ROI and profitability reports typically measure:<\/p>\n Why it matters:<\/strong><\/p>\n Some fundraising initiatives generate impressive gross revenue while consuming disproportionate time or budget. ROI reports give leadership the data needed to make informed decisions about where to invest, where to adjust, and which efforts may no longer align with long-term goals.<\/p>\n These insights support smarter budgeting, more accurate forecasts, and a clearer picture of what drives sustainable growth.<\/p>\n Understanding donor behavior<\/a> over time is essential to effective fundraising planning. Timing and cadence reports reveal when donors are most likely to give and how giving patterns shift throughout the year.<\/p>\n Rather than relying on assumptions or past habits, these reports help teams plan fundraising activities around actual donor behavior.<\/p>\n Timing and cadence reports typically reveal:<\/p>\n Why it matters:<\/strong><\/p>\n Timing data improves forecast accuracy and helps teams plan appeals, campaigns, and staffing more strategically. It also reduces risk by highlighting periods of vulnerability or opportunity within the fiscal year. These reports shape annual calendars and ensure fundraising timelines align with donor behavior and team capacity.<\/p>\n Donor scoring and engagement reports<\/a> help you understand where to focus your time and energy across your donor file. Instead of treating all donors the same, these reports surface patterns in giving and engagement so outreach can be more intentional and effective.<\/p>\n A donor scoring report typically evaluates:<\/p>\n Why it matters:<\/strong> These reports help align your team\u2019s time and outreach with donors who are most likely to sustain and grow revenue\u2014key for long-term planning.<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>Use donor scoring to focus outreach on supporters who are already showing strong signals of engagement and giving potential. DonorPerfect\u2019s Donor Score<\/a> highlights donors based on recency, frequency, and engagement, helping your team prioritize outreach and stewardship more effectively. Dashboards<\/a> provide nonprofit leaders with a high-level, real-time view of organizational performance by bringing multiple nonprofit reports into a single, easy-to-read interface. Instead of relying on static reports or delayed summaries, dashboards allow executives to monitor key indicators as conditions change.<\/p>\n Well-designed dashboards surface the fundraising metrics<\/a> that matter most to leadership and boards, helping teams stay focused on progress, risk, and opportunity without getting lost in operational detail.<\/p>\n Dashboards commonly support:<\/p>\n Why it matters:<\/strong><\/p>\n Dashboards help bridge the gap between day-to-day fundraising activity and long-term nonprofit strategic planning. They allow leaders to track progress toward goals, identify issues early, and have more informed, forward-looking conversations with boards and stakeholders.<\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Improve leadership alignment by standardizing dashboards around the few metrics that directly reflect strategic priorities and fundraising goals. Add reports to your DonorPerfect dashboard<\/a> to visualize fundraising performance, donor engagement, and progress toward goals in real time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Nonprofit reports play a critical role in connecting fundraising activity to an organization\u2019s long-term goals. When reporting is aligned with nonprofit strategic planning, leaders can clearly see how fundraising performance supports\u2014or falls short of\u2014strategic priorities.<\/p>\n Rather than reviewing fundraising results in isolation, these reports help leadership evaluate whether resources are being directed toward the programs, initiatives, and outcomes identified in the strategic plan.<\/p>\n Reports that connect fundraising to nonprofit strategic planning typically show:<\/p>\n Why it matters:<\/strong><\/p>\n When the right reports are reviewed consistently and used thoughtfully, they become more than performance summaries. They help leadership teams anticipate risk, allocate resources with confidence, and stay aligned around shared goals.<\/p>\n Purposeful use of data helps leaders:<\/p>\n Clarity matters more than perfection when it comes to reporting, especially when you\u2019re deciding what to do next.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need to track everything\u2014just the right things. The nonprofit reports in this guide are designed to give you visibility into what\u2019s working, what needs attention, and how your fundraising supports your long-term goals. When you make reporting part of your leadership rhythm, it becomes one of your strongest tools for confident, strategic growth.<\/p>\n Ready to turn reports into action? <\/strong>If you want nonprofit reports that support smarter fundraising and stronger nonprofit strategic planning\u2014without adding complexity\u2014DonorPerfect can help. Explore how DonorPerfect makes reporting clearer, faster, and more strategic<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n 1. <\/strong>What should I do if my nonprofit reports aren\u2019t telling me anything new?<\/strong><\/p>Why nonprofit reports are a strategic asset\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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![\"Mock-up](\"https:\/\/uploads.donorperfect.com\/images\/sites\/2\/report-center.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n12 nonprofit reports to guide planning and growth<\/h2>\n
1. New donor acquisition report<\/h3>\n
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<\/strong>New donor acquisition fuels long-term revenue, but it\u2019s also one of the most resource-intensive parts of fundraising. This report helps you evaluate which acquisition sources<\/a> have historically brought in donors who continue to give\u2014so you can invest in strategies that build lasting relationships, not just boost initial numbers.<\/p>\n\n
![\"the](\"https:\/\/uploads.donorperfect.com\/images\/sites\/2\/donor-profile-donor-score-1-1024x518.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n2. Lapsed donor (LYBUNT & SYBUNT) reports<\/h3>\n
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<\/strong>Engaging donors who are close to your cause is important and also cost-effective. These reports show where your retention strategy is failing and where recovery is possible.<\/p>\n\n
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3. Donor retention report (overall and segmented)<\/h3>\n
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4. Revenue by campaign, fund, and solicitation<\/h3>\n
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<\/strong>This is where fundraising performance and strategic priorities intersect. If your plan prioritizes certain programs or growth areas, this report helps you track whether your revenue is supporting those goals or is being directed elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n
5. Recurring and monthly giving reports<\/h3>\n
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<\/strong>Monthly giving smooths cash flow and strengthens donor loyalty, but only if it\u2019s actively managed.<\/p>\n\n
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6. Top donor and major giving reports<\/h3>\n
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7. Volunteer hours and engagement reports<\/h3>\n
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![\"volunteer](\"https:\/\/uploads.donorperfect.com\/images\/sites\/2\/volunteer-report-large.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n8. Fundraising ROI and profitability reports<\/h3>\n
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9. Timing and cadence reports (monthly, quarterly, annual)<\/h3>\n
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10. Donor scoring and engagement reports<\/h3>\n
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<\/strong>These insights allow fundraisers to segment donors more strategically, prioritize relationship-building efforts, and identify opportunities for upgrades or deeper engagement. Over time, donor scoring supports more personalized fundraising and stronger donor retention.<\/p>\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n11. Dashboards for executive insight and oversight<\/h3>\n
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12. Reports that connect fundraising to nonprofit strategic planning<\/h3>\n
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Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\t\t