ROI means Return On Investment. This calculation shows the number of dollars raised compared to the amount spent. LAPA recommends that every nonprofit take this important performance measure seriously. According to the Maryland Association of Non-Profits' "Standards for Excellence" and other credible sources, a standard ROI benchmark for high-efficiency non-profits is three to one, or $3 dollars raised for every $1 spent on fundraising.

To our knowledge, we're the only fundraising firm that tracks and publicly reports our ROI for each client. For every dollar that clients spend with us, we calculate--and publish--what they have received in return. This process allows us to make sure our strategies are working.

We are proud to report that we meet or outpace the three-to-one ROI benchmark for every client with whom we work.

LAPA focuses on your bottom line. For every dollar that clients have spent with LAPA, they have received an average ROI of:

  • $4.25 from private grants
  • $21 from government grants
  • $8 from campaigns

Finally, we also measure improvements to your fundraising process and related work, including long-range planning, executive coaching, and development committee functioning--all necessary steps in advancing your development program that are not mathematically reflected in ROI.