The library

For fundraisers who’d rather keep donors than replace them.

Research on donor retention, the craft of thanking and the moments that matter. Every statistic is cited to a primary source, the way we think impact should be reported.

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Seasonal
Dec 1
Giving Tuesday 2026
Latest
Giving Tuesday 2026: the date, the plan, and the day after

Giving Tuesday 2026 falls on December 1. The planning timeline that starts in September, what $4 billion in 2025 signals, and the day-after thank-you plan most nonprofits skip.

September 15, 2026 · 8 minRead the piece →
Templates
15+
thank-you letters that don't read like receipts
15+ donor thank-you letter templates that don't sound like receipts

Copy-paste thank-you letter templates for first-time donors, monthly givers, major gifts, memorials, year-end and more: each one personal, specific, and ask-free.

September 11, 2026 · 9 minRead →
Guide
48 hrs
the thank-you window that earns a second gift
The complete donor thank-you guide: how to thank donors so they give again

How to thank donors properly: the 48-hour standard, what to say and what to skip, formats that work, IRS receipt rules, and the follow-up that earns a second gift.

September 8, 2026 · 10 minRead →
News & analysis
$617B
given in the US in 2025
Giving USA 2026: giving crossed $600 billion while donor counts fell

A record $617.2 billion given in 2025, bequests up nearly 20%, donor counts down again. What Giving USA 2026 means for the relationships behind the record.

September 4, 2026 · 6 minRead →
Seasonal
37%
of online giving arrives in December
Your year-end giving runway starts in September

37% of online giving arrives in December. A month-by-month runway from September to January that builds the story, the segments, and the thank-you before the rush.

September 1, 2026 · 9 minRead →
Research
19%
of first-time donors give again
Donor retention statistics 2026: the numbers every fundraiser should know

The 2026 donor retention numbers, sourced: overall retention at 43.3%, first-time retention near 19%, and what the research says brings donors back.

August 29, 2026 · 8 minRead →

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