| Gift size | # of gifts | Prospects needed | Subtotal | Cumulative |
|---|
This uses a standard gift-pyramid structure (the top gift is ~15% of goal; each lower tier is smaller but more numerous, with a base of many gifts). It is a planning rule of thumb — your real chart should reflect your actual prospect pipeline. The 80/20 pattern (a small share of donors give most of the money) is why the top tiers matter most.
Recurring support that doesn’t depend on a campaign
A gift chart shows how much campaigns lean on a few big gifts. Good Circles complements that with broad, recurring, unrestricted support from everyday local spending — about 10% of each merchant’s net profit, conservatively ~$72 per active supporter per year (an estimate), free for your nonprofit. It widens the base of the pyramid so you’re not betting everything on the top.
Claim a Founding Nonprofit spot →Sources & tools
Free first
- National Council of Nonprofits — campaigns — foundational guidance on capital and major-gift campaigns.
- CFRE / AFP fundraising resources — professional standards and free learning on major-gift fundraising.
- Candid Learning — free courses and articles on campaign planning and major gifts.
Paid — optional labor-savers
- A campaign feasibility study / consultant — tests your goal against real donor capacity before you launch. Worth it when the campaign is large enough that a misjudged goal would be costly.
Last verified 2026-06-17. Figures and rules change — verify at the source before you act.
FAQ
What is a gift range chart?
A gift range chart, or gift pyramid, lays out the specific gifts a campaign needs to reach its goal: a few large lead gifts at the top, then increasing numbers of smaller gifts. It also estimates how many qualified prospects you need at each level.
How many prospects do I need per gift?
A common rule of thumb is three to four qualified prospects for every gift you need to secure, with the ratio highest at the top of the chart where gifts are largest and hardest to close.
How big should the top gift be?
In many campaigns the lead gift is roughly 10 to 20 percent of the total goal, and the top ten or so gifts together provide more than half of it. This tool uses about 15 percent for the lead gift as a planning default.
Is the gift range chart a guarantee?
No. It is a planning rule of thumb that tests whether your goal is realistic against the gifts and prospects you would need. Your real chart should reflect your actual donor pipeline and giving capacity.