Make Every Ask Count™
Donor Abacus™ is a methodical planning tool that quantifies expectations for major fundraising efforts, and related individual Asks specific to your organization. It is accurate and predictive for:
- Bold yet respectful 3-year pledge Asks and highly predictive Pledge Goals
- Donor pipeline valuation and prioritization
- Gift officer portfolio valuation, readiness, and management
Intuitive. Proven. Credible.
Abacus uses a methodical, intuitive, and proven process that normalizes philanthropic capacity estimates and computes bias-free donor data relevant to your organization. The result is guidance on your readiness to make a request, a credible 3-year pledge Ask amount, and a Pledge Goal you can expect.
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Validated by more than 400 advancement officers in case studies
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Used by private clients for over 5 years
Real-World Ask Outcomes
The Abacus aspirational Asks and expected Goals are credible, accurate, and predictive of Actual Pledge outcomes. It normalizes traditional wealth service philanthropic capacity estimates that often vary widely.
See Individual Ask Outcomes
Summary Results (n=22)
Summary results for Median Pledges from $10,000 to $1M
An Advanced Major Donor Pipeline Planning Tool
At the core of every successful advancement program is an intentional effort to build and prioritize a major donor pipeline and optimize major donor giving. The Calculator offers a powerful predictive tool to advancement offices for pipeline planning and gift conversation preparation.
Summary of Plans
Basic Ask
(Free Version)
Prepare for Bold Asks with Greater Readiness & Confidence
- Up to 3 profiles/month
- Basic Ask Results, Library, and Support
Pipeline Planner
Plan & Predict Major Donor
Outcomes Better
- Unlimited profiles
- Full Ask & Goal Results
- Full Planner Library
+Sectors
Even Greater Ask Confidence &
Giving Predictability
- Choose a sector with additional profile inputs for greater donor specificity
+Teams
Management Visibility For
Team Productivity
- Multiple users & locations
- Management View
- Team Training & Support
+Consultants
Ensure Client Success with a
Structured, Aligned Approach
- Multiple clients & sectors
- Management View
- Team Training & Support
Donor Abacus™ was created by Larry Raff, President of Copley Raff Inc. Larry has over 40 years of serving as a consultant and front-line advancement executive. He has worked with more than 200 stakeholder organizations and as counsel to campaigns from $2M to $200M. The Calculator was born out of Larry’s experience, research with gift officers and clients, and Copley Raff’s Master Gift Officer™ program, which improves the quality and professionalism of advancement executives and is credited with providing transformational insights that vastly improve major gift performance.
“Abacus, our major donor ask calculator, is the strategic architect of our philanthropic ambitions at the San Diego Food Bank. Much like the instrument it’s named after, Abacus systematically computes the optimal equations for meaningful contributions, turning aspirations into actionable plans. In the realm of fundraising, it becomes the silent partner, ensuring every ask is finely tuned, maximizing the support we garner, and empowering us to build a more resilient and well-fed community.” Ines Munguia, Development Services Supervisor, The Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank, CA
“Abacus is the solution that picks up where wealth estimates leave off, to give me Asks that I can count on.” Melissa Kogut, VP of Development, Riverside Community Care, MA
“Larry Raff has brought something to the field that will enable major gift officers and all involved in face-to-face solicitation to achieve at the top of their game. They will have confidence in an amount to request from a prospective donor for a cause in which they believe, a project about which they care, and a person for whom they have complete respect. This new technology, Abacus, enables people to ask the right person for the right cause and, above all, for the right amount. It is a winning combination!” David Mersky, Founding Partner, Mersky, Jaffey and Associates, MA
“I am not easily impressed; Abacus is incredibly accurate and amazing. I recommend it to anyone engaging in a campaign or working in major donor fundraising.” Lauren Dorn-Jones, Senior Development Officer, Cambridge Health Alliance Foundation, MA
“I am amazed! The wealth estimate was not particularly helpful in this situation, but Abacus literally suggested almost the exact 7-figure amount the donor gave to the Center.” Natalee Martin, VP of Development, Seacoast Science Center, NH
“At last, there is a reliable process for fundraisers to determine Asks and predict campaign feasibility! We are eager to use Abacus with our nonprofit clients to maximize their major donor fundraising and campaign outcomes.” David Garamella, Founder and CEO of The Giving Collaborative, CT
Abacus Now!
Press
Abacus in the news
Select stakeholder organizations and consultancies that Make Every Ask Count!
