Case Study: John Muir Land Trust achieves better fundraising forecasts with Palisade @RISK

John Muir Land Trust Uses @RISK to Fine-Tune Fundraising Efforts

John Muir Land Trust, a nonprofit in Martinez, California, works to permanently preserve lands in Alameda and Contra Costa counties and relies on two annual mail fundraising campaigns. Because each appeal supports different properties, its donation revenue was difficult to predict with the rough forecasting methods it used before adopting Palisade’s @RISK.

Using Palisade’s @RISK in Excel, John Muir Land Trust built a forecasting model based on historical campaign data to predict fundraising returns over time. The model helped the team gauge results earlier in the appeal cycle, and by around day 32 the forecast stabilized at roughly $150K, exceeding expectations and saving money by reducing planned mailings.

John Muir Land Trust

Jay Dean

Creative Strategy Director