Fundraisers thanking people for their support, whether on the phone or letter/note, or considering the prospect for an appeal might appreciate knowing a couple more things in the Giving Summary Box.  Right now the "giving" box says X years giving with x years consecutive.  There is no definition to clarify what "x years of giving " means and for about a year I was thinking it was since their first gift, and I was wrong.

Example, we have a donor who has given since 1988, 31 years ago, and has given 25 out of the 31 years since they made their first gift, and 18 consecutive years.

Can we reword this so it is clearer?  For example:

First gift was 31 years ago.

Gave 25 out of the 31 years, and has given 18 consecutive years.

First Gift May, 1988; Last Gift May, 2019

Lifetime giving: $4,910

In some cases, I will personalize my notes and letters to let the donor's know of our gratitude for their heartfelt support over the past three decades or something that makes sense.  By demonstrating that our records are good and reliable, it can help strengthen repeat giving, or sustained giving.  We all want to avoid having a donor fall off because they think they are just a number and we won't miss them.  (all of this is unique to each organization and each donor will respond differently; however, giving the fundraiser more easy information is helpful in the long-run)

Many thanks for your time and thoughts.

Mark