Scorecard: Forecasting and Planning Using the "What If..." Tool

The Challenge: Budget Planning with Long-Term Impact

If you’ve been in fundraising leadership for any amount of time, you’ve likely faced tough decisions about where to cut costs and where to invest.

But how do you determine the long-term impact of those choices? If you reduce your acquisition budget by 20%, what will that mean for the overall health of your program?

That’s where the Avid Scorecard comes in.

Not only does it provide a snapshot of what’s happening now, but it also includes the "What If..." Tool—a simple yet powerful way to model the future impact of different strategic choices.

Understanding the Scorecard’s Projections

Within the Scorecard, you’ll find two critical projections:

• Current Fiscal Year Projection – Based on real-time data, Avid forecasts your revenue, donor count, and average revenue per donor for the current year.

• Three-Year Projection – This forecasts where your organization will be in three years based on current trends and historical patterns.

For example, your scorecard might show a that you're on track to hit your revenue target for the year. However, just because you're on track for this year's budget doesn't mean that there isn't work to do to ensure your organization's health in the years to come.

The Power of the "What If..." Tool

The "What If..." Tool lets you adjust key fundraising metrics—like donor acquisition and retention—to see how changes will impact your program over time.

Example: Improving Acquisition & Retention

Let’s say you notice that donor acquisition is declining by 29% this year. Instead of accepting this trend, you use the "What If..." Tool to test different scenarios:

• Scenario 1: Reducing the decline to only 10%. This small improvement starts to slow donor loss and stabilizes revenue.

• Scenario 2: Improving both acquisition and retention by just a few percentage points. Suddenly, instead of a projected three-year loss, your organization could gain $1.8 million in additional revenue—funds that can be reinvested into your mission.

Why This Matters

With the "What If..." Tool, you’re not just making short-term budget decisions—you’re creating a roadmap for sustainable growth. Instead of focusing solely on hitting a 12-month target, you can confidently plan for the long-term success of your mission.

Take Action

Head to the Scorecard in Avid, navigate to the "What If..." Tool, and start modeling different scenarios. Even small adjustments in donor acquisition and retention can dramatically shift your program’s trajectory.

The insights you gain could be the key to making smarter, more strategic investments—helping you maximize impact and ensure a financially healthy future for your organization.

Ready to Keep Learning? Check out the next article on Scorecard: Filtering Your Scorecard to Your Area of Focus »