This document is an example of a fundraising pyramid that is often used by fundraisers to map out how they will reach their campaign goal. The pyramid is designed to help you see how many donors you would need at various giving levels to reach a fundraising goal--in this case, $50,000. Typically, an organization or cause would have more donors at the lower levels on the pyramid--$25, $50, etc.--and fewer donors at higher levels. The pyramid is meant to be flexible; for example, if you received more gifts than you had planned for at the $1,000 level, that would alter the number of gifts you need to receive at other levels as well.

You can try creating a pyramid like this for any goal--$1,000, $10,000, or even $100,000. It's a good idea to plan to cultivate several prospects for every donor, so if your pyramid shows that you need one donor to make a gift of $1,000, think about cultivating at least three prospective donors who might be willing to give at that level.