4 Proven Strategies to Boost Mid-Level Giving in 2025

As the bridge between annual and major gifts, mid-level donors — ones that typically give somewhere between $1,000 and $10,000 a year — are critical to a sustainable and healthy donor pipeline. However, mid-level donors are often overlooked or treated the same as annual donors due to giving thresholds. Communication and stewardship strategies for this key base of donors tends to be lacking: NextAfter found that just 8% of organizations gave mid-level donors a phone call thanking them for their donation.

Here, I outline four proven ways to put a renewed focus on this donor segment to grow a reliable pipeline for years to come. 

1. Understand Your Mid-Level Donors

At the other end of your donor communication is a human being. Mid-level donors, like all other donors, have varied interests, backgrounds and giving histories. To tap into this donor segment, dig deeper to better understand them. 

In a study by Sea Change Strategies, 42% of mid-level donors developed interest in their chosen cause when they were young adults, highlighting the need to prioritize mid-level donors early in their journeys. Use your database or segment and analyze donor data, looking for trends in giving history, frequency and capacity. Then, develop robust mid-level donor personas. Include characteristics of your ideal mid-level donor, such as:

• Donation amount
• Communication preferences
• Giving motivation
• Engagement level
• Demographics

Getting to know donors you are seeking to connect with will help you understand where to communicate with them, what messaging to use and how frequently to reach out. 

2. Build a Tailored Engagement Strategy

Mid-level donors often fall into a gray area — they're too generous for broad-based annual campaigns but not quite at the level to receive the personal attention reserved for major donors. Tailoring their engagement strategy helps ensure these valuable supporters feel recognized and inspired to continue giving. 

Mid-level donors want to feel like more than just a name on a list. Personalizing your outreach can make all the difference. Use donor data to send outreach relevant to their interests, motivations to give to your cause or past contributions. For example, if a donor has previously supported a food insecurity program, highlight related updates or programs in your communications. 

Personalizing your thank-you communications is also vital in building authentic relationships. Consider handwritten notes or personal video messages that show appreciation more impactfully than a generic canned email. 

3. Leverage Technology to Scale Personalization

The elephant in the room when it comes to mid-level donor strategy? You just don’t have the headcount or resources to do it effectively without overburdening your team.

That’s where technology comes into play. The fact is, it’s nearly impossible to run a robust, well-planned mid-level giving program — one that pays dividends in revenue from mid-level gifts in the long run — without the right technology tools offloading some of the manual work. 

Here are some of the tech essentials that can go a long way in a strong mid-level program:

CRM. A robust CRM system allows you to segment mid-level donors by key criteria such as giving history, interests and capacity. Use these insights to create targeted campaigns and personalized outreach.

AI-powered outreach. Some artificial intelligence tools can analyze donor data to identify patterns and recommend next steps, such as predicting which donors are likely to upgrade their gifts. AI can also alert you when it’s the ideal time to reach out to a donor based on things like giving history. 

Automated gratitude. With the right tools, you can make every donor feel like they’re receiving personal attention. Set up triggers in your CRM to automatically send personalized thank-you notes or videos after a donor takes a specific action.

Chatbots and SMS. For instant engagement, implement chatbots or SMS campaigns that provide quick responses to donor questions or updates on their contributions.

By integrating technology into your mid-level giving strategy, you can efficiently scale personalized engagement, deepen relationships and maximize your team’s effectiveness. The result? A stronger, more connected donor base ready to support your mission.

4. Create Unique Giving Opportunities

Mid-level donors are motivated by a sense of connection, impact and recognition. Offering them tailored giving opportunities not only strengthens their engagement but also inspires continued and increased generosity. Unique experiences like mid-level donor societies and matching gift challenges can appeal to this crucial donor segment.

Introducing a mid-level donor society can be a great way to foster belonging and exclusivity to this group of donors. Give your society a name (e.g., The Champions Circle) to make membership feel special and meaningful. Offer unique perks like access to fun events or recognition on your website.

Matching gift challenges are another proven method to boost mid-level donor participation. Secure matching commitments from larger donors or local businesses to inspire mid-level donors to give, ultimately contributing more to the cause. Challenges are all about amplifying impact — make sure to run these on a day of giving or assign a closing due date to heighten the sense of urgency. 

Up Your Mid-Level Giving Game in 2025

Mid-level donors represent a critical yet often underutilized segment of your donor base, but you can transform this group into a reliable and generous source of support for your organization. As you implement these strategies, remember that the key to success lies in consistency and authenticity. Mid-level donors want to feel valued, connected to your mission and confident that their contributions are making a meaningful impact.

By prioritizing this donor segment in 2025, you’re not just cultivating stronger relationships today — you’re building a pipeline that ensures sustained growth for years to come.

The preceding post was provided by an individual unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of NonProfit PRO.