In 1987 I launched a series of highly successful mid-level giving programs and for years wondered why others weren’t doing the same.  So, when Tom and I started The Agitator we began ranting on the subject, urging folks to get on board. For example, hereand  here.

And so did others like Mark Phillips of BlueFrog with a 2008 study on Mid-Value Donors(and again in 2016) and Ken Burnett, those vision of fundraising in 2020 is must reading.

As the name implies, Mid-Level or Middle-Value Donor Programs are fundraising efforts that fall between the mass, small gift efforts at the base of the donor pyramid and the large, major gifts at the top.  Mid-Level giving ranges vary depending on how you want to define them, but usually they’re in the $500 to $5,000 + range.

Frankly, at a time when many groups are having acquisition and retention trouble at the base of the pyramid and uncertain economic and political times are creating delays or deferrals in giving at the top, the middle is where fundraisers need to focus. ( Clearly, the trade is catching up with this trend.  Moceanic now offers a multi-part, online-course on the subject.)

Among the U.S. fundraisers who were early proponents of the necessity for placing bigger bets on mid-level programs were Mark Rovner and his partner Alia McKee of Sea Change Strategies.

Four years ago, in Discover Your Missing Middle  we reported on a just-released study by Mark and Alia that reflected the state of mid-level giving in the U.S. That study was part manifesto and part how-to guide for building and sustaining programs in the $1000 to $10,000 giving range.

At the time I rejoiced because ‘mid-level’ or ‘mid-value’ giving is one of those buzzwords that lots of fundraisers talk about, few understand it and even fewer get around to dealing with it.

 NOW…four years later, Mark and Alia are back with Missing Middle Part Two 2018.

[ You can download both the 2018 and 2014 e-books of the study here.]

Wow!  According to this new study a lot has sure changed in the U.S. and Missing Middle Part 2  highlights the changes:

• Giving ceilings are higher (a $25,000 ceiling is now common).
• Organizations are devoting more staff to these programs.
• As midlevel files grow, fundraisers are finding ever more sophisticated ways of segmenting in order to personalize the donor journey.

Missing Middle, Part Two  is based on detailed data and personal interviews with fundraisers from 20 different organizations [ see chart below] covering a range of sizes and issue verticals. The study identifies eight critical themes for midlevel fundraisers to consider. These themes range from leadership to staffing to content to use of digital. It notes where things are “still the same” as in 2014 and what new developments have evolved in the interim.

Here’s a sampling of the organizations and programs  studied:

Click Here to Enlarge

I won’t spoil the treat you’re in for by summarizing the detail. Please download and read.

Although there are some details and recommendations I’d quibble with (for example the use of Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a meaningful and actionable metric) this is a first-rate, must-read piece of work.

In fact, seeing the evolution and progress of the potent Mid-level fundraising program since their last report in 2014 gives me far more than hope. It confirms my belief that great progress is possible as new leadership emerges and the same-old-same-old status quo mindset dies off.

Roger