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💰 Financial · Rex's Toolbox

Fundraising Goal & Gift Range Calculator

Turn a campaign goal into the gift pyramid and prospect count it requires.

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Rex says

Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.

Try a scenario

Click to load — tweak from there.

Inputs

Result

Lead gift target

$75,000

Top ten gifts must total

$165,000

Major gifts (top 60% of goal)

$300,000

Major gifts needed

21

Qualified prospects to cultivate

84

Asks required at your close rate

70

Grassroots gifts needed

1,333

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How to use this

  1. 1Enter campaign goal ($).
  2. 2Enter lead gift as share of goal (%).
  3. 3Enter prospects per gift closed.
  4. 4Enter expected close rate on asks (%).
  5. 5Enter average grassroots gift ($).
  6. 6Read your lead gift target on the right — it updates as you type.
  7. 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.

About this calculator

Campaigns fail at the top of the pyramid, not the bottom. Standard practice says the lead gift funds 10–20% of the goal and the top ten gifts fund a third of it. This builds the gift range chart and the number of qualified prospects you need to cultivate for each tier.

FormulaGifts per tier × tier amount = tier total; prospects = gifts needed × prospect ratio (typically 4:1).

Worked example

Using the values the calculator loads with:

Inputs

  • Campaign goal: 500000 $
  • Lead gift as share of goal: 15 %
  • Prospects per gift closed: 4
  • Expected close rate on asks: 30 %
  • Average grassroots gift: 150 $

Results

  • Lead gift target: $75,000
  • Top ten gifts must total: $165,000
  • Major gifts (top 60% of goal): $300,000
  • Major gifts needed: 21
  • Qualified prospects to cultivate: 84
  • Asks required at your close rate: 70
  • Grassroots gifts needed: 1,333

What each field means

Inputs

Campaign goal ($)
The campaign goal used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 500000 $ so you have a working example on load.
Lead gift as share of goal (%)
The lead gift as share of goal used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 15 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 2–40 %.
Prospects per gift closed
The prospects per gift closed used in the calculation. Starts at 4 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–12.
Expected close rate on asks (%)
The expected close rate on asks used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 30 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–100 %.
Average grassroots gift ($)
The average grassroots gift used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 150 $ so you have a working example on load.

Results

Lead gift target
Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Top ten gifts must total
Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Major gifts (top 60% of goal)
Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Major gifts needed
Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Qualified prospects to cultivate
Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Asks required at your close rate
Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Grassroots gifts needed
Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.

FAQ

Why is the lead gift so large?

Because momentum is real. Campaigns that quietly secure 15–20% from one donor before going public close far more often than those that open with a blank chart and hope volume arrives.

What is the quiet phase?

The period before public launch when you secure 50–70% of the goal from board members and top prospects. Announcing a campaign at 10% raised is the fastest way to stall it.

Accuracy and limitations

  • Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
  • Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
  • This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.

Related tools

Donor Retention Rate Calculator

Retention rate, attrition cost, and the value of a retained donor.

Fundraising Event ROI Calculator

Net revenue, cost per dollar raised, and break-even attendance for a gala.

Cite this calculator

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APA
RevenueLab. (2026). Fundraising Goal Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fundraising-goal
HTML
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fundraising-goal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fundraising Goal Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Markdown
Source: [Fundraising Goal Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fundraising-goal) (2026).
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