By Matt Vuorela / Chief Executive Officer of Steier Group
A donor pyramid template helps you visualize how different levels of giving work together to reach a fundraising goal – and, just as importantly, where your strategy needs strengthening before a campaign begins.
What Is a Donor Pyramid?
Understanding the definition and purpose of donor pyramids is the first step in using them effectively
At its core, a donor pyramid is a visual model that segments donors by giving level, typically arranged from a small number of large gifts at the top to a larger number of smaller gifts at the base. It answers a deceptively simple but critical question: How will we actually get to our goal?
The primary purpose of a donor pyramid is to show how gifts at each tier add up to your total fundraising objective. Rather than relying on hope or intuition, the pyramid forces you to think in concrete terms: how many gifts you need, at what size, and from how many potential donors.
Because of that clarity, donor pyramids are most commonly used in capital campaigns, annual funds and major gift planning. However, their value extends beyond any single initiative. A well-built donor pyramid becomes a shared planning tool for staff, volunteers and leaders, one that grounds ambition in reality while still leaving room for growth.
Donor Pyramid vs. Gift Range Chart
If you’ve worked in fundraising before, you’ve probably heard the terms donor pyramid and gift range chart used interchangeably. That is not an accident: They describe the same underlying concept, just in different formats.
Both tools map gift sizes against the number of gifts needed to reach a goal. Both start with a lead or top gift and cascade downward through progressively smaller gift levels. And both are designed to guide strategy, not predict outcomes. For that reason, many fundraising professionals think of them together when outlining the steps to create a donor pyramid or gift range chart.
The difference lies mostly in presentation. A donor pyramid is typically visual – triangular in shape, easy to understand at a glance and useful for presentations or board discussions. A gift range chart, on the other hand, is usually a table or spreadsheet that lists gift amounts, the number of gifts needed at each level, cumulative totals and often the number of prospective donors required.
You might choose a pyramid visual when you want alignment and buy-in, especially with volunteers or leadership who need a high-level view. A chart or table is often better for day-to-day campaign management, where precision and detail matter.
Because they serve the same planning function, you will often see the terms used interchangeably. What matters far more than the label is whether the tool is realistic, grounded in data and actively used.
How to Create a Donor Pyramid Step by Step
A donor pyramid is only as useful as the thinking behind it. The most effective pyramids are built intentionally, based on your organization’s actual donor base and goals. The following sections outline the practical steps to create a donor pyramid or gift range chart that can truly guide your campaign.
Start With Your Fundraising Goal
Every donor pyramid begins with a clear goal. This could be a multi-year capital campaign target or a one-year annual fund objective. Either way, the total amount drives every decision that follows.
Too often, organizations reverse this process by sketching out gift levels first and hoping they add up to something meaningful. Starting with the goal keeps the exercise honest. It forces you to ask whether your expectations align with your capacity, your donor base and your timeline.
A campaign goal, in particular, should reflect both need and feasibility. The donor pyramid does not set the goal but tests the goal. If the pyramid does not work on paper, it will not work in practice.
Define Your Gift Levels
Once the goal is clear, the next step is to define gift levels. This is where many organizations fall into the trap of using generic benchmarks instead of their own data.
A common rule of thumb is that the top gift represents 10% to 25% of the total goal, with subsequent levels scaling down from there. While that range is a helpful starting point, it should not override what you know about your donors.
The right gift levels are those that are achievable for your organization. A $5 million campaign for a regional hospital will look very different from a $500,000 effort for a church capital campaign. Historical giving, donor capacity and existing relationships should shape the tiers of your pyramid.
Estimate Donor Counts at Each Level
After defining gift levels, you need to estimate how many gifts are required at each tier. This is where the pyramid begins to reveal whether your plan is realistic.
A widely accepted rule of thumb is that you need two to four qualified prospective donors for every gift you hope to secure. Larger gifts tend to require more prospective donors, while smaller gifts require fewer.
Balancing optimism with realism is critical here. Overestimating success rates creates fragile pyramids that collapse under pressure. Underestimating potential can lead to overly conservative goals that leave impact – and dollars – on the table.
The healthiest pyramids assume disciplined effort, thoughtful cultivation and the reality that not every ask results in a gift.
Map Known Donors and Prospects
With gift levels and donor counts in place, the next step is to map what you already have. This means plugging in confirmed donors and known prospective donors before assuming new ones will appear.
Strong pyramids distinguish between gifts that are likely, possible and aspirational. They make clear where relationships already exist and where cultivation is still needed.
One of the most common pitfalls in campaign planning is the “hope-based” pyramid, one that works only if several unqualified prospective donors suddenly become generous donors. Mapping known donors and prospective donors forces clarity and prevents wishful thinking from driving your strategy.
Pressure-Test the Pyramid
Before a donor pyramid is put into action, it needs to be pressure-tested. This means asking hard questions.
Do you have enough qualified prospective donors at the top? Are your goals too dependent on one or two gifts? Does the middle of the pyramid – the often-neglected space between major and small donors – have enough depth?
A healthy pyramid has balance. A risky pyramid relies too heavily on a narrow group of donors or assumes unrealistic conversion rates.
When the math doesn’t work, the answer is not to ignore it. You may need to adjust the goal, rethink gift levels, expand donor prospect research or extend your timeline. The pyramid’s value lies precisely in revealing these issues early.
Using Your Donor Pyramid to Guide Strategy
Building the pyramid is only the beginning. Using donor pyramids for fundraising strategy is where the real value emerges.
Once built, a donor pyramid should actively guide your fundraising strategy, not just sit in a folder or presentation deck, forgotten after you present it to the board or organization staff.
One of its most powerful uses is identifying gaps in your prospective donor pipeline. If the pyramid shows weakness at a particular level, that is where cultivation, research and relationship-building should be focused.
The pyramid also helps prioritize activity. Top-tier prospective donors require customized and in-person cultivation and appeals, while lower tiers may be best served through broader engagement strategies like direct mail. Rather than treating all donors the same, the pyramid encourages intentional allocation of time and resources.
When paired with moves management, the donor pyramid becomes even more effective. Each tier informs not only who you should be engaging, but how and when. Over time, the pyramid helps you track progress, adjust strategy and measure whether donors are moving upward in the pyramid – as you hope they will!
Keeping Your Donor Pyramid Current
A donor pyramid is not a one-time exercise. Updating and maintaining donor pyramids is essential if you want them to be useful planning tools.
During a campaign, the pyramid should be revisited regularly and especially at key milestones. Mid-campaign check-ins allow you to compare projections against actual results and adjust your donor development strategy accordingly.
After a campaign, the pyramid becomes a valuable learning tool. Which of your assumptions ended up being accurate? Which ended up being off-base? These insights will only help you make stronger decisions and plans in the future.
For annual fundraising, many organizations benefit from refreshing their pyramid each year. Donor behavior changes, leadership changes and external factors shift your donors’ priorities. A current pyramid reflects today’s reality, not last year’s.
Tools and Templates for Donor Pyramids
Choosing the right templates and tools for donor pyramids can make this process far more effective.
Many organizations begin with simple spreadsheet templates in Excel or Google Sheets. These often are more than sufficient, especially for early planning or smaller campaigns. A well-designed spreadsheet can clearly show gift levels, donor counts, prospective donor needs and cumulative totals.
Some CRM systems include built-in features for donor pyramids or gift ranges, allowing you to tie projections directly to donor records. These tools can be especially helpful for larger organizations managing complex prospective donor pools.
The key question is not whether your tool is sophisticated, but whether it is usable. A simple template that is understood and updated regularly is far more valuable than a complex system that no one touches.
The Steier Group can help your organization choose or build templates that align with your size and your goals – ensuring that the tool supports your fundraising strategy rather than complicates it.
Alternatives to the Donor Pyramid Model
As helpful as the classic model is, it is not always the best fit. Understanding alternatives and variations to the donor pyramid model can help you choose the right approach for your organization.
Gift range charts present the same information in table form and are often preferred for internal planning. Donor ladders and cultivation pipelines focus more on individual donor journeys than on aggregate totals.
In some cases, alternative shapes – such as flat-top pyramids or lifecycle maps – may better reflect an organization’s reality. The right model is the one that helps you think clearly and act strategically.
That said, many organizations find it best to start with the classic pyramid and adapt from there. Its simplicity is a strength.
Conclusion
A donor pyramid template is a planning tool, not a guarantee. It does not raise money on its own, and it does not predict donor behavior with certainty. What it does is bring clarity to ambition.
By forcing you to articulate how gifts of different sizes contribute to your goal, the donor pyramid transforms abstract hopes into concrete strategy. It highlights strengths, exposes risks and creates a shared framework for decision-making.
The most effective organizations revisit and refine their pyramids as data comes in, using them as living documents rather than static charts. With thoughtful construction and ongoing use, a donor pyramid becomes more than a template – it becomes a guide for sustainable, relationship-driven fundraising.
