The Hidden Power of Mid-Level Fundraising: Unclogging Your Major Gift Pipeline

While we spend a lot of time at Veritus talking about major gifts, we also know that if you want a healthy, thriving major gift program, you can’t ignore the rest of the pipeline—especially the mid-level.

The truth is, most non-profits don’t have a real strategy for mid-level donors. And that’s a big problem.

Here’s why.

When we dig into an organization’s data, we almost always see the same pattern: donors move steadily upward in their giving… until they hit a wall. That wall is mid-level. And once they hit it, most of them just stop progressing.

For smaller organizations, this tends to happen around the $250–$999 cumulative giving range. For larger ones, it’s more like $1,000–$9,999. This is where everything slows down. It’s what we call the clog.

Donors are stuck. They’re not being asked to do more. They’re not being connected in deeper, more personal ways. And so they stay where they are—or worse, they start to fade away.

Mid-level is where we see some of the highest donor and donor value attrition. So while it might look like that donor group is healthy—because it’s full—it’s actually leaking. And the overall revenue? Flat. Year over year.

Let me show you what this looks like.



Look at the $1,000–$4,999 cumulative giving level—there are 4,173 donors contributing a combined $6.8M. Now glance up to the $5,000–$9,999 level. Just 175 donors, giving a little over $1M. That drop-off is massive. That’s your clog. When this organization first came to us, they had no mid-level strategy. That’s changed.

And we’ve seen this pattern across hundreds of non-profits. When there’s no mid-level program in place, only 0.02% to 1% of mid-level donors organically move into major gifts. But when there is a strong mid-level program? That number jumps to 3.5% to 4%. That’s a game changer. And remember—those donors are already qualified. They’re engaged. They’re primed to go deeper. This is exactly why a mid-level program is a major gift officer’s best friend.

So what’s the fix?

You need a real mid-level strategy layered over your existing direct-response efforts. That means building intentional relationships with this group—just like you would with major donors—but using the right tools for the scale: phone calls, emails, personal notes, and touches that actually make a donor feel known.

The best approach we’ve found is to hire a dedicated Mid-Level Officer (MLO) who manages a caseload of 500–750 donors. Their role is focused entirely on retention, cultivation, and qualification. And while they won’t do face-to-face visits, they’re still doing deeply relational work—helping donors feel more connected to the mission and inviting them to do more.

Here’s what happens when you do this right:

• Donor and donor value attrition goes down
• Revenue per donor increases
• More donors move up into major gifts

And here’s the bigger impact: the mid-level pipeline starts flowing again. The clog eases. You stop losing donors who are just waiting to be invited into something deeper. And suddenly, your major gift officers are working with more qualified, engaged prospects who are already connected to the mission.

Why does this work?

Because you’re building real relationships. You’re listening. You’re showing donors how they can make a bigger impact—and you’re doing it in a way that matches their passion with real needs.

That’s what a great mid-level program does. It clears the path for donors to grow, for relationships to deepen, and for revenue to rise in a meaningful, sustainable way.

So—what’s stopping you from starting a mid-level program today?

Jeff

PS — Want to learn more about strengthening your mid-level efforts? Sign up for our Certification Course in Mid-Level Fundraising that kicks off in June (and get an early bird discount if you register by May 9th).