What inflation did to your average gift (and how to fix it)

Revenue is up across the sector, and donor files are at their smallest in seven years. 

Both are paradoxically true at the same time. 

RKD Group’s 2026 Mid-Year Benchmark Report, covering 219 organizations and a decade of giving data through June 30, explains what’s driving the gap and where email teams can close it.

The big picture: record revenue, shrinking file
Mid-year revenue hit $1.86 billion, a 10-year high. 

But active donors fell to the lowest mark since 2019, down 22% from the 2020 pandemic peak. 

The read? Every dollar of growth came from getting more out of fewer people.

The inflation lens changes the story
RKD ran every metric through the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator. 

Total revenue is down 3% vs. 2021 in real dollars. Revenue from gifts under $10,000 is down 16.9%.

The average gift is $99.58, which looks fine on a dashboard. But adjusted for inflation, it’s down 13% vs. 2017. 

The read? If the suggested amounts on your donation forms haven’t changed since before the pandemic, you’re effectively asking donors for less every year. 

Monthly giving grows in real dollars, but the pipeline is thinning
Recurring revenue reached $114.9 million, up 67.6% over 2017 after inflation. 

That’s the strongest real growth of any metric in the report.

But monthly donors dipped 1.5% for the first time since 2018. Revenue growth came from upgrades, not new monthly donors. 

Most year-end email plans include an upgrade ask for current sustainers. Fewer include a dedicated acquisition email or a recurring-first ask on the donation page. 

The read? This data says both belong in your program.

Mid-level is the fastest-growing gift band
Gifts between $1,000 and $10,000 hit an all-time high, up 8.6% year over year, growing at a 7% compound rate for four consecutive years. 

This is the upgrade pipeline that email programs feed.

According to NextAfter’s 2025 Recurring Giving Benchmark Study, only 36% of organizations ask one-time donors to convert to monthly. 

Even fewer segment $500+ donors into a distinct track with a personal sender name or stewardship content between asks. 

The read? Those donors are already giving more — the question is whether your email program reflects that.

What to do with this before year-end
Test your suggested gift amounts against inflation. Run them through the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator. 

Test updated amounts on a segment before rolling them out across your full file.

Add a sustainer acquisition email to your year-end plan. Send a dedicated recurring ask to one-time donors who gave more than once this year. 

They’ve already shown repeat interest; give them the option to make it automatic.

Give your $500+ donors a different email experience. A personal sender name, a stewardship touch before the ask, or fewer emails with a higher amount could all make a difference. 

Mid-level giving is growing, and your email program should reflect that.

The bottom line
Our sector is squeezing harder from fewer people, and that has an expiration date. 

If there’s one thing to do with these benchmarks before year-end planning kicks in, open your donation form, review the suggested amounts, and ask yourself when you last changed them.

Check our events list for more or reply to this email to submit one for consideration.

‘Til next time!
Sara