A food pantry’s revenue doubled thanks to smart, sustainable mid-level donor program

A metropolitan soup kitchen and food pantry serves thousands of meals every day and provides critical social service support and workshops that help those in need work toward improved health, housing, and jobs. For more than 40 years, its mission is to be a source of sustenance, nourishment, and hope for individuals and families.  

The Situation

Federal funding cuts to food assistance programs, including the Temporary Emergency Assistance Program (TEFAP) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), led to greater demand, higher supply costs, and increased stress on food bank operations. The impact of these 2025 cuts was immediate – even though they weren’t directly funding food banks. 

The organization needed a clear strategy to grow and strengthen their mid-level donor program ($1,000-$4,999), including how to prioritize up to 900 mid-level supporters and communicate with them effectively. The goal was to increase revenue by upgrading general donors, increase major gift prospects, and build a sustainable, long-term mid-level fundraising stream.  

The Work

Although the organization had already been using GivingDNA and Windfall, it lacked a clear roadmap for turning insight into impact. By using AGP’s Mid-Level Accelerator, staff were able to identify the top 100 mid-level donors most likely to retain, upgrade, and deepen their relationship with the organization.

In addition, AGP created timing-based segments, including donors at risk of lapsing and those who had recently given, to ensure outreach was both relevant and well-timed. To keep the segments accurate, we integrated GivingDNA with Salesforce, creating an automated data refresh.

Key Deliverables:

• Priority mid-level donor segments
• Ongoing timing-based mid-level segments
• Moves Management business rules
• Strategic call and outreach guides
• Monthly strategy sessions
• Performance and progress reporting

The Results

In one calendar year, the food pantry’s newly prioritized mid-level donors delivered transformational growth – doubling expectations.

• Total giving increased 45% year-over-year
• Average gift size grew by 61%
• 71% of targeted donors were retained – compared to a historical retention rate of 45-53%.

The result? A smarter, more sustainable mid-level program built to grow donor value and relationships today and fuel tomorrow’s major gift pipeline.