Use this as a quick reference for audiences, filters, and reports. It merges core definitions with field-by-field explanations. Where helpful, we include “When to use it.”
Core concepts
Constituent
A person with a record in your systems (donor, volunteer, subscriber, etc.). Not every constituent is a donor.
Donor
A constituent who has given at least one monetary gift your organization has received (“realized”).
Variants:
Active donor: Gave ≥1 gift in the current period.
Available donor: Has given at any time and is eligible to give in the current period.
Recurring donor: Gives on a cadence of at least monthly; non‑recurring gives less often than monthly.
Gift (aka Transaction)
In Avid, a gift is a transaction. On charts that show Gift count, the metric is the number of gifts—not revenue.
Donor lifecycle terms
New donor: First gift occurred in the current period.
Retained donor: Has given in more than one full, consecutive period.
Second‑year donor (2nd year): Retained from new last period.
Key multiyear donor: Gave in two or more full, consecutive periods.
Reactivated donor: Did not give in the previous period, but gave in the current period (moved from inactive/lapsed to active).
Reactivated — recently lapsed: Gave two periods ago, skipped the last period, gave in the current period.
Reactivated — long lapsed: Skipped the last two or more periods, gave in the current period.
Reactivated second‑year donor: Was inactive two periods ago, reactivated last period, and gave again this period.
Example: Jenny gave in 2020, skipped 2021, gave in 2022 → reactivated, recently lapsed. Paul gave in 2020, then again in 2024 → reactivated, long lapsed.
Common status abbreviations
LYBUNT: Last Year But Unfortunately Not This (year).
SYBUNT: Some Year But Unfortunately Not This (year).
Constituent (top‑level fields)
| Field | What it means | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Id | Unique identifier for a constituent record. | Export exact matches; dedupe and joins. |
| Created At | When the constituent record was first added. | Find newly added records. |
| Updated At | Most recent time the record changed. | Target recently updated records. |
| Max Overall Donation Date | Most recent gift date across all gifts on the record. | “Gave in the last X days” filters; recency logic. |
Tip: Max Overall Donation Date (across all gifts) differs from Last Gift Date in roll‑ups scoped by report context.
Contacts (per‑constituent profiles)
A constituent can have multiple contact records (e.g., personal and work). Fields may repeat across contacts.
| Field | What it means | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Contact ID | Unique identifier for a specific contact record. | Precise exports; dedupe. |
| First Name / Last Name / Full Name | Standard name fields. | Mail merges; personalization. |
| Email address for the contact. | Email targeting; domain filters (e.g., @gmail.com). | |
| Email Type | Label for email (primary, work, personal). | Prefer primary for official comms. |
| Phone | Phone number for the contact. | Call lists; SMS segments. |
| Phone Type | Label for phone (mobile, home, work). | Target mobile for SMS. |
| Address: Street / City / State / Zip / Country | Mailing address fields. | Direct mail; geo‑targeting. |
Giving Summary (roll‑up)
Snapshot of lifetime giving and current status at the constituent level.
| Field | What it means | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Total Giving | Lifetime total amount given. | Tier donors by cumulative impact. |
| Total Gifts | Lifetime number of gifts. | Identify frequent, smaller‑amount donors. |
| First Gift Date | Date of the first recorded gift. | Tenure cohorts. |
| Last Gift Date | Date of the most recent gift (per report scope). | Recency targeting. |
| Largest Gift Amount | Biggest single gift ever made. | Major donor identification. |
| Average Gift Amount | Average gift size. | Typical gift banding. |
| Giving Level | Your org’s donor tier name. | “Major Donor,” “Monthly Donor,” etc. |
| Donor Status | Current state: Active, Lapsed, LYBUNT, SYBUNT, etc. | Retention/reactivation workflows. |
| Months Since First Gift | Donor tenure in months. | New vs. established messaging. |
| Months Since Last Gift | Months since the most recent gift. | Recency segmentation (e.g., 0–3, 4–12, 13+). |
Transactions (gift records)
Each transaction is a single gift or gift‑related entry.
| Field | What it means | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction ID | Unique identifier for the gift record. | Exports; reconciliation. |
| Date | Gift date. | Time‑based reporting and filters. |
| Amount | Gift amount for the transaction. | Build ranges (e.g., $100–$249). |
| Channel | Where the gift came from (Online, Direct Mail, Phone, etc.). | Channel attribution; channel‑specific segments. |
| Campaign | Named initiative the gift is tied to. | Campaign roll‑ups; ROI analysis. |
| Appeal Code | Specific solicitation/creative code. | A/B test roll‑ups; response analysis. |
| Gift Type | Kind of gift (Cash, Stock, Pledge Payment, In‑Kind, etc.). | Finance alignment; stewardship nuances. |
| Designation | Fund or purpose supported. | Restricted vs. unrestricted segmentation. |
| Recurring Status | One‑Time, Recurring, or Pledge. | Identify sustainers; pledge workflows. |
| Is Donation | Whether the record is a donation vs. non‑donation activity. | Keep financial views clean. |
| Is Recurring | Indicates a recurring gift instance. | Identify active sustainers. |
| Is Pledge Payment | Payment that fulfills a pledge. | Pledge progress tracking. |
Time Period (within transactions)
Some reports group gifts into fiscal or calendar periods.
| Field | What it means | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Year Type | Period framework: Fiscal Year to Date, Calendar Year, Trailing 12 Months. | Match your org’s reporting standard. |
| Periods Back | 1 = current period, 2 = prior period, etc. | Compare current vs. prior periods. |
| Fiscal Year / Calendar Year / Quarter / Month | Period identifiers. | Time slicing trends and comparisons. |
Giving History (milestones)
Key “first/last/largest” events to understand a donor’s journey.
| Milestone | What it means |
|---|---|
| First Gift (Date/Amount/Channel) | The donor’s entry point. |
| Second Gift (Date/Amount) | Early retention signal. |
| Last Gift (Date/Amount/Channel) | Most recent contribution. |
| Largest Gift (Date/Amount) | Peak giving moment. |
| First Recurring (Date/Amount) | Start of a sustaining relationship. |
| Last Recurring (Date/Amount) | Most recent recurring gift. |
| First Mid‑Level (Date/Amount) | First gift meeting your mid‑level threshold. |
| First Major (Date/Amount) | First gift meeting your major threshold. |
| Last Major (Date/Amount) | Most recent major gift. |
Note: Milestones may also include Time Period fields to align to fiscal or calendar frames.
Fiscal Year Summary (one row per FY)
| Field | What it means |
|---|---|
| Fiscal Year | The fiscal year label. |
| Total Giving / Total Gifts | Sum and count for that year. |
| First Gift Date / Last Gift Date | Bookends for the year. |
| Largest Gift | Biggest single gift in the year. |
| Channels | Channels used that year. |
Custom calculations (org‑specific)
Values and formulas vary by organization.
| Example | What it means |
|---|---|
| Lifetime Value Score (LTV Score) | Relative estimate of long‑term value. |
| Engagement Score | Composite of recent interactions. |
| Propensity to Give | Likelihood to donate soon. |
What you won’t see in standard filters
Some items are used for reporting or internal logic and may not appear as filterable fields (e.g., some activity details, fiscal year summaries, streak metrics). If you can’t locate a field in Filters, check Reports or Giving History, or use the Transactions section instead.
Quick picks (use these when in doubt)
Find recent donors: Max Overall Donation Date and Months Since Last Gift.
Identify sustainers: Recurring Status = “Recurring” or Is Recurring = true.
Tier by value: Total Giving, Largest Gift Amount, Average Gift Amount.
Re‑engage lapsed: Donor Status = “Lapsed” or Months Since Last Gift ≥ your threshold.
Channel follow‑ups: Segment by Channel (or channel‑based activity cohorts).