How is the donor count calculated / can a donor make multiple gifts?

Donor Count Calculation

The number of donors shown at the top of your campaign page represents unique donors. A donor making multiple gifts with the same exact 'email address' and 'name' counts as one donor.

When Multiple Donors Are Counted

However, if the name is changed in any way (e.g., adding a middle initial) or a different name is used with the same email, it counts as an additional donor. This setup allows donors to give on behalf of others, which is common in campaigns like senior gifts.

Example scenarios that create multiple donor counts:

• Same email address with "John Smith" and "John A. Smith" = 2 donors
• Same email address with "Mary Johnson" and "Mary Johnson-Williams" = 2 donors
• Same email address used by a parent giving for different children = multiple donors

If a donor has given multiple times using different emails or names, you can adjust the donor count on the Offline Gifts page. In the Adjust Overall Donor/Dollar Count section (which may also appear as Adjust Overall Donor/Dollar & Affiliation Counts), enter a negative number (for example, "-1") in the # of Donors field. Navigate there via Online Giving > Campaign Manage Donations > Offline Gifts.

Joint Gifts Count as Two Donors

If your campaign has the Joint Gift field enabled, any gift where a spouse or partner’s name is entered in that field counts as 2 donors — one for the primary donor and one for the joint donor. This adjustment affects both the leaderboards and the overall donor count.