The Cost to Raise $1

A number of data sources put the cost of raising a major gift dollar in the $0.10 - $0.12 vicinity. One imagines a higher cost for many smaller organizations, as the major gifts won’t be as large. We project $.10 - $.30.  Consider how much it costs you to raise a dollar from special events and direct mail.

The point is not to say that acquisition mailings are not a good idea.  They are!  You need to keep bringing new donors into your organization.  And special events are a wonderful way to bring your donors closer.  But you don’t want to miss the next step up the donor pyramid, the most personal one of all—major gifts.