Free nonprofit tool

Fundraising Efficiency Calculator

See your cost per dollar raised, dollars returned per dollar spent, and position against eight campaign benchmarks.

Campaign inputs

Use gross revenue and the direct fundraising expense from the same campaign period.

Campaign type

Amount raised

Gross gifts credited to this campaign.

Fundraising cost

Direct expense used to generate that revenue.

Selected benchmark

$0.15 per dollar

For annual fund

Efficiency result

$0.15

spent per dollar raised

Good

benchmark

Your cost per dollar is at or below this campaign benchmark.

Return on expense

$6.67 raised

for every $1 spent

Fundraising expense ratio

15.0%

of gross campaign revenue

Put the result in context

Benchmark bands are directional planning aids, not an audit opinion or a universal score. New donor acquisition, event goals, and long-term cultivation can justify different short-term economics.

Review organization-wide ratios

Keep reporting periods aligned

Compare expenses and gifts from the same campaign window. Mixing annual expense with a single appeal total will distort the result.

Cost per dollar raised

Fundraising expense divided by the amount raised. Lower is generally more efficient.

Dollars raised per dollar spent

Amount raised divided by fundraising expense. Higher means each expense dollar produced more revenue.

Campaign context

A gala, direct mail appeal, and major-gift effort can carry very different cost structures.

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