It started 10 years ago.
Back in 2015, I stumbled onto something that changed my life — and, I believe, the lives of thousands of fundraisers, consultants, and board members too.
It was called the Fundraising Fitness Test, a brilliant concept developed by Bill Levis, one of the key minds behind the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP). The idea was solid. With just 3 fields fundraisers could analyze their fundraising performance metrics. But the tech? Not so great. It was clunky and slow — making insights inaccessible. It often took hours or even days to get reports back. And most nonprofits simply didn’t have the time or technical expertise to make it work.
So I offered to help.
I wanted to help give fundraisers clarity. So I offered to have my engineering team at MarketSmart modernize the concept by rebuilding it from scratch. And, we gave it away — for free — for over eight years. We called it the Fundraising Report Card. Over the years, we analyzed more than 27,000 data files from nonprofit organizations around the world to help the sector raise more money at a lower cost.
We reported key metrics — like donor retention, lifetime value, and lapse rates.
The reviews were terrific (4.6 out of 5 starts on G2). But I knew we could do better.
Almost ready!
Now, the new version — Fundraising Report Card 2.0 — is just about ready for SmartIdeas readers (like you) to gain ‘Early Access’.
I think you’ll like what you see. It isn’t just faster and more user-friendly. Plus, it’s got powerful real-time benchmarking capabilities so you can compare your outcomes to organizations at the sector level (ie – Education), the subsector level (ie – private k – 12), by region, and by fundraising staff/team size.
There’s simply nowhere else you can go to get real-time, peer-level, comparative benchmarking data that’s up-to-date every single day.
Yet, there’s more.
A foundational piece of a much bigger vision.
At MarketSmart, we’ve been building something larger than a product. You might have tried our free DAFwidget so you can raise more money from people who have a donor-advised fund. You may have benefited from our free content. Or you might use our Engagement Fundraising System — the only ‘donor-driven’ way to help your wealthiest and most passionate supporters move themselves forward and book time on your calendar to meet thanks to our survey and automated cultivation duo.
But what might not be clear is that we’re building an ecosystem. One that helps fundraisers move away from guesswork… and toward insight-driven, donor-centered action.
To explain how the Fundraising Report Card fits into it, take a look at this:
It begins with a donor-driven mindset. At the center of everything we do is the donor. Around that donor, we’ve built a triangle:
On one corner: the Fundraising Report Card — where data enters, gets cleaned, and turns into insight.
On the other corner: MarketSmart — where those insights become action through personalized engagement journeys that inspire major, mid-level, and legacy giving.
And at the last corner: EFos — a strategic Engagement Fundraising ‘Operating System’ that keeps everything donor-driven and mission-aligned.
All of this floats within a sphere — powered from below by years of real fundraising data (donor behavior, survey responses, migration trends, bequest data, demographics)… and now, increasingly, shaped from above by AI that helps fundraisers know who to engage, when, why, and what to say.
This Is Bigger Than Just a Rebuild
The Fundraising Report Card isn’t just a tool — it’s a ‘clarity engine’. It’s how fundraisers can see clearly for the first time in years. It helps them get their bearings, uncover insights, and realize where they stand compared to their peers. Very soon we’ll deliver:
- Instant peer-level benchmarks
- Smarter visualizations with fewer distractions
- Streamlined onboarding and clearer dashboards
Most Importantly, You Deserve This.
Let’s be honest: Fundraisers are still flying blind, and that’s just not right. Too many boards and executive directors are making gut decisions based on bad metrics. And far too often, fundraisers are blamed when results don’t match expectations — even though the tools, data, and context were never there to support them in the first place.
That’s not fair. And it’s not productive.
That’s why this rebuild matters.
It’s why we’re investing in the Fundraising Report Card now — to be the foundation for better strategy, stronger relationships, and real accountability.
Want Early Access?
If you’ve used the Fundraising Report Card before, this will feel like a whole new world.
If you haven’t, now’s the perfect time to try it — especially because early access participants can shape the final design.
Click here to sign up for early access so you can help shape the future of fundraising intelligence. We are excited to hear what you think.
Related Resources: