Donor Tiers That Actually Work: The Right Way To Segment Supporters

Fundraisers Friday is back, and Julia C. Patrick and Tony Beall (Mr. Nonprofit Consultancy) tackle a topic that quietly runs the business side of fundraising: donor tier levels. If you’ve ever stared at your donor list and wondered, “Where do we start, and how do we keep this manageable?” this episode is your playbook.

They begin with the “why.” Tony frames donor tiers as a practical operating system, not a fancy fundraising accessory. Done well, tiers let you personalize messaging and protect your time by matching stewardship to giving level and relationship needs. In other words: less guessing, more intentional workflows. Tony puts it plainly: “The tiers really help you… organize your workflow and your bandwidth.” That’s a business benefit every nonprofit can appreciate, whether you’re running development solo or leading a full team.

Julia reinforces that tiers help organizations stop spinning their wheels. Once you know who’s in which group, you can plan communications, offers, and engagement with purpose instead of defaulting to blank-stare marketing meetings. As she says, “It kind of like helps you steer the ship.” The cohosts also emphasize that tiers are not “grades.” You’re not ranking human worth—you’re segmenting so you can communicate better and build a healthier donor experience.

From there, they move into how to set tiers responsibly: start with your giving data, avoid “one-size-fits-all,” and keep the number of tiers realistic (think three to six for most organizations). They also talk about naming your tiers for easier internal coordination and stronger external marketing—especially when the names align with your mission or community identity.

A standout real-world lesson comes from Julia’s local public radio example: a tiny, smart monthly ask (“just $5 more”) designed to move sustainers up a level. The business takeaway? When tiers are built on data and paired with clear value, you can create predictable pathways for donors to grow with you—without making it feel heavy or salesy.

00:00:00 Welcome to today’s topic donor tiers
00:01:10 Who Julia Patrick and Tony Beall are
00:01:42 The Architecture of Fundraising book and why it helps
00:03:48 Why donor tiers matter personalization and bandwidth
00:06:33 Build tiers from your own giving data
00:07:10 Donor tiers are not donor grades
00:08:37 How many tiers is too many three to six
00:09:16 Donors vs members and tier differences
00:10:16 Monthly sustaining donors as a unique tier

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