Join the waitlist

Fundraising Efficiency CalculatorCost to Raise a Dollar

What do these figures come to once the work is shown?

Fundraising expense per dollar of contributions, contributions raised per dollar spent and the net amount raised.

  • Runs in your browser
  • Nothing stored or sent
  • Free, no sign-up
Your figures
Example figuresIllustrative only. Type over them with your own.
Cost to raise one dollar
0.11
Fundraising expense per dollar of contributions
Contributions raised per dollar of fundraising expense
9.14
Net contributions after fundraising expense
$570,000
Drawn to one scale
Cost to raise one dollar0.11
Contributions raised per dollar of fundraising expense9.14
All results
MeasureResult
Cost to raise one dollar
Dollars of fundraising expense per dollar raised
0.11
Contributions raised per dollar of fundraising expense9.14
Net contributions after fundraising expense$570,000
Fundraising expense as a share of contributions10.94%
How this was worked out
Work shownrecomputed as you type
Cost to raise one dollar = fundraising expenses / contributions raised
Return per dollar spent = contributions raised / fundraising expenses
Net raised = contributions - fundraising expenses

Illustrative arithmetic on the figures you enter. Check the result against your firm's methodology before relying on it.

The formulas

  • Cost to raise one dollar = fundraising expenses / contributions raised
  • Return per dollar spent = contributions raised / fundraising expenses
  • Net raised = contributions - fundraising expenses

How it works

Column (D) of Form 990 Part IX holds the expenses of soliciting cash and noncash contributions, gifts and grants, including allocable overhead. Direct expenses of fundraising events go on Part VIII line 8b, not in column (D), so event-heavy organizations should decide whether to add those costs back before comparing.

Contributions on Part VIII line 1 include government grants. If you want the cost of raising private money only, remove government grants from the denominator and the cost of applying for them from the numerator.

Illustrative figures only. Check the result against your firm's methodology before relying on it.

Common questions

Why is my cost per dollar higher in a capital campaign year?

Campaign costs are expensed as incurred while pledges may be recognized in a different year, so match periods or use a multi-year average.

Should bequests count?

They are contributions on line 1. Many organizations show the ratio with and without large one-time gifts so a single bequest does not flatter the result.

Sources

Runs in your browser. The figures you type are not sent to CORAA or stored. Check the result against your firm's methodology before relying on it.

Related audit calculators

CalculatorNonprofit Operating Reserve Calculator: Months of Expenses CoveredMonths of cash operating expenses that available reserves cover, and the gap to a target number of months.CalculatorNet Assets Rollforward: With and Without Donor RestrictionsBeginning balances, revenue, expenses and releases from restriction rolled to ending net assets without and with donor restrictions.CalculatorDonor Restriction Release Calculator: Purpose and Time RestrictionsNet assets released from purpose restrictions by qualifying expenses, plus time restrictions that have lapsed, and the restricted balance that remains.
For US CPA firms

Join the CORAA waitlist

CORAA AI drafts audit working papers from your client’s QuickBooks books and does the first pass: lead schedules, tie-out, memos, draft notes and letters. CORAA Network reviewers clear every finding. Your firm reviews and signs.

  • First audit free, so you can judge the quality on a real file
  • Flat fee by entity size; messy books included
  • We work only with CPA firms, never their clients
See how it works →

* required