Step 1 of 6 — Pre-loaded sample data
Organization Profile
Browse each section using the sidebar or Next buttons to see what a real diagnostic looks like. All data is pre-filled for Lighthouse Ministries International — a fictional $8.2M international missions organization.
Organization profile
Organization
Lighthouse Ministries International
Executive Director
David Carver
Mission area
International Missions
Years operating
27 years
Staff (FTE)
28
Board size
11 members
Geography
National donor base · Field ops: Kenya, Guatemala, Honduras · HQ Nashville, TN
ECFA Accreditation
Not currently pursuing
Annual Financial Audit
Annual independent CPA audit
Lighthouse is not an ECFA member despite operating for 27 years at $8M+ revenue — a credibility gap with major donors and institutional funders who use ECFA membership as a baseline due-diligence signal. The annual CPA audit meets ECFA Standard 3 and most foundation grant requirements.
Step 2 of 6
Financial Health
Six financial metrics benchmarked against Charity Navigator (Encompass), BBB Wise Giving Alliance, Nonprofit Finance Fund, AFP, and ECFA standards.
Revenue & expenses — FY December 31, 2024
Total revenue
$8,240,000
Total expenses
$8,050,000
Net income
+$190,000
Contributions
$7,100,000
Program expenses
$5,635,000
FR expenses
$1,207,000
Admin / G&A
$1,208,000
Unrestricted cash
$1,340,000
Net assets
$2,100,000
Metrics vs. benchmarks
Cash on hand
2.0 months
3–6 months (Nonprofit Finance Fund)
Below targetProgram expense ratio
70.0%
≥70% (Charity Navigator Encompass, 2023)
On trackFundraising efficiency
$0.17/$1
<$0.20 (BBB Wise Giving)
On trackOperating expense ratio
97.7%
<90% (Charity Navigator)
Below targetAdmin + FR % of revenue
29.3%
<25% (BBB Wise Giving)
WatchDonor retention rate
44%
45% avg / 60%+ best-in-class (AFP FEP)
WatchFinancial context
Expenses outpacing revenue 18 consecutive months. $400K bequest in FY2023 inflated prior year. $250K line of credit approved. ~$1.1M net assets restricted to Kenya projects. Whitmore Foundation = ~14% of contributions — unmanaged single-donor concentration risk.
Step 3 of 6
Revenue Channels
All revenue channels including Government / Public Funding and Program Fees / Earned Revenue. The tool automatically flags any channel exceeding 40% as a concentration risk.
| Channel | Annual amount | % of revenue | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Donations | $4,250,000 | 51.6% | Stable |
| Foundation Grants | $1,680,000 | 20.4% | Declining |
| Major Gifts | $980,000 | 11.9% | Growing |
| Conference / Events | $540,000 | 6.6% | Stable |
| Monthly / Recurring Giving | $410,000 | 5.0% | +22% YOY |
| Product Sales | $210,000 | 2.5% | Declining |
| Corporate Partnerships | $170,000 | 2.1% | New |
| Government / Public Funding | Not applicable | — | N/A |
| Program Fees / Earned Revenue | Not applicable | — | N/A |
| Endowment / Investment Income | Not applicable | — | N/A |
Revenue Concentration Alert: Individual Donations at 51.6% exceeds the 40% single-source ceiling (Nonprofit Finance Fund). Two multi-year grants ended 2023 with no replacements. Monthly giving +22% YOY is the bright spot.
Step 4 of 6
Fundraising & Donor Development
Qualitative maturity scores across 5 dimensions rated 1 (needs attention) to 5 (thriving). These drive the fundraising dimension score and gap analysis in the final report.
Program maturity scores (1–5)
Active donors
3,840
Retention rate
44% vs 45% avg (AFP FEP)
Monthly donors
287 of 500 goal
Major gift threshold
$2,500
ED-dependent — David personally manages top 20–30 donors with no documentation or backup. Dev team: 2.5 FTE. Raiser's Edge 2019 at <30% utilization. Annual fund Nov/Dec only. No planned giving despite 27-year track record.
Step 5 of 6
Marketing, Technology & Integration
The integration score — how well fundraising, marketing, and technology work as one unified strategy — is the single highest-impact item in this section.
The integration gap — the hidden performance killer
When fundraising, marketing, and technology operate as one unified strategy, nonprofits see higher donor retention, lower acquisition costs, and stronger revenue growth. Lighthouse scores 1/5 here — completely siloed.
Maturity scores (1–5)
Separate managers, no shared data between Mailchimp and Raiser's Edge, no coordinated campaigns. Email open rate 18% vs. 26% sector average (M+R Benchmarks). No paid digital. No acquisition campaign ever run. Donate button below fold on mobile.
Step 6 of 6
Strategic Planning & Change Readiness
Strategic planning maturity, board engagement, KPI discipline, and change readiness — including whether the current plan is actually driving operations.
Maturity scores (1–5)
Plan status
No current plan (last: 2021)
ED tenure
4–7 years · Succession: 3–5yr horizon
2021 goals: East Africa partial ✓ · 5K donors by 2024 not achieved (3,840) · 500 monthly donors in progress (287)
Board refresh approved at 2024 retreat — no owner, no timeline. 3 of 11 board members made a major gift in past 2 years. Dev committee not met in 8 months.
Board refresh approved at 2024 retreat — no owner, no timeline. 3 of 11 board members made a major gift in past 2 years. Dev committee not met in 8 months.
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Lighthouse Ministries International
Generates: Grey Matter Score, four dimension scores with narratives, financial benchmark table, 6 prioritized gaps, 3-phase engagement scope, and a printable PDF version.
Sample report
Grey Matter Diagnostic Results
Grey Matter Diagnostic — Sample Report
Lighthouse Ministries International
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out of 100
Financial Benchmark Detail
Lighthouse Ministries compared to published sector standards. Sources: Charity Navigator (Encompass), BBB Wise Giving, NFF, AFP FEP, ECFA.
| Metric | LMI number | Benchmark | Source | Status |
|---|
Grey Matter Analysis — Full Report
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A Grey Matter Diagnostic for your organization gives your leadership team and board a candid, benchmark-driven picture of exactly where you stand — and a prioritized roadmap to close the gaps.
About our benchmarks & methodology
Charity Navigator (Encompass)Rates 230,000+ nonprofits across four beacons. Program expense benchmark updated to 70%+ in 2023.Program ratio · Operating ratio
BBB Wise Giving AllianceStandards for Charity Accountability.FR efficiency · Admin + FR % revenue
Nonprofit Finance FundAnnual State of the Nonprofit Sector survey.Cash on hand · Revenue diversification
AFP Fundraising Effectiveness Project100M+ donor records analyzed annually.Donor retention rate
ECFA — Evangelical Council for Financial AccountabilityThe primary accreditation standard for faith-based nonprofits. 2,700+ member organizations. Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship grounded in biblical principles.Board governance · Financial oversight · FR integrity
M+R Benchmarks StudyAnnual study covering 200+ nonprofits.Email open rate · Digital performance
Bloomerang ResearchResearch across 20,000+ nonprofit customers.Monthly giving · Donor LTV