Behaviours, and the audiences built from them

Built into Orbit no formula to write

Behaviours are built into Orbit. Pick a kind of record, like gifts or volunteer shifts, and Orbit works out a number or a date for every supporter the moment you look: when it happened, how many, or how much. The Field Guide uses 12 of them, and 20 saved audiences are built from those.

The 20+ audiences Learn it in the course

The 10+ Behaviours

Each one is a question Orbit answers for every supporter on the spot. The gift ones need only three columns: supporter, amount and date.

Gifts this yearHow many gifts the supporter has made this year, up to today. Orbit counts each supporter's gifts dated from 1 January to today. The building block for "gave this year". Pair it with Gifts last year to see who came back and who hasn't yet.
Gifts last yearHow many gifts the supporter made last year. Orbit counts each supporter's gifts dated last calendar year, 1 January to 31 December. The starting line for retention: everyone with 1 or more here is one of last year's donors. Retention asks how many of them gave again.
Gifts year before lastHow many gifts the supporter made in the year before last. Orbit counts each supporter's gifts dated in the calendar year before last. Compare two full years side by side, the way Donor Movement does.
Gifts before this yearHow many gifts the supporter made in any year before this one. Orbit counts each supporter's gifts dated before 1 January this year, as far back as your gift history goes. The wider win-back pool: anyone with 1 or more here who hasn't given yet this year is in the SYBNT audience.
Giving last yearTotal dollars the supporter gave last year. Orbit adds up each supporter's gifts dated last calendar year. See where last year's money came from. Take away Giving year before last to see who gave more and who gave less, the way the Donor Movement chart does.
Giving year before lastTotal dollars the supporter gave in the year before last. Orbit adds up each supporter's gifts dated in the calendar year before last. The baseline for Giving last year. The gap between the two is each supporter's change in giving.
First gift dateThe date of the supporter's first-ever gift. Orbit lines up each supporter's gifts by date and takes the earliest one. Find new donors by the year of their first gift. Chart new donors by the month of that first gift, so each one counts once.
Shifts this yearHow many timesheets (shifts) the supporter has this year, up to today. Orbit counts each supporter's volunteer timesheets dated from 1 January to today. It counts shifts that people worked, not roles at events. The building block for "volunteered this year". Count the people with 1 or more, and each volunteer counts once.
Shifts last yearHow many timesheets (shifts) the supporter had last year. Orbit counts each supporter's volunteer timesheets dated last calendar year. The starting line for volunteer retention: everyone with 1 or more here volunteered last year.
Shifts year before lastHow many timesheets (shifts) the supporter had in the year before last. Orbit counts each supporter's volunteer timesheets dated in the calendar year before last. Check who has volunteered two or three years running.
First shift dateThe date of the supporter's first-ever timesheet. Orbit lines up each supporter's timesheets by date and takes the earliest one. Find new volunteers by the year of their first shift, and chart recruitment year by year.
Last shift dateThe date of the supporter's most recent timesheet. Orbit lines up each supporter's timesheets by date and takes the latest one. Spot volunteers who have stopped coming: a last shift more than a year ago makes someone a lapsed volunteer.

The 20+ Behaviour audiences

A saved list Orbit keeps up to date by itself. Every dashboard tile that counts a list shows the same number, because they all read the same list.

Gave this yearPeople who gave at least once this year, from 1 January to today. This year's donors so far. Leave them out of a "we miss you" appeal.
Gave last yearPeople who gave at least once last year. The bottom of the retention sum: donor retention divides by this audience.
Gave year before lastPeople who gave at least once in the year before last. Two years back, for comparing full years.
Retained donorsPeople who gave last year and have given again this year. These are your kept donors. Donor retention is this audience divided by Gave last year. Divide by last year's donors, not this year's.
Gave last year, not yet this year (LYBNT)People who gave last year but have not given yet this year. The same people as Gave Last Year But Not This Year (LYBUNT). Your year-end recovery list. It and Retained donors add up to everyone who gave last year.
Gave before, not yet this year (SYBNT)People who gave in any year before this one but have not given yet this year. The same people as Gave Some Year But Not This Year (SYBUNT). Your wider win-back pool. Leave out the LYBNT audience to find people who stopped longer ago. People who have never given can't get in.
New donors this yearPeople whose first-ever gift was this year. Welcome them. Chart them by the month of their first gift, so each new donor counts once.
New donors last yearPeople whose first-ever gift was last year. Last year's new donors: the bottom of the new donor retention sum.
New donors last year, retainedPeople whose first-ever gift was last year and who have given again this year. New donor retention is this audience divided by New donors last year. It uses calendar years, first gift last year and a gift this year, so each donor is counted in the right year.
Volunteered this yearPeople with at least one timesheet this year. Your volunteers this year, counted as people. Someone with ten shifts counts once.
Volunteered last yearPeople with at least one timesheet last year. The bottom of the volunteer retention sum.
Volunteered year before lastPeople with at least one timesheet in the year before last. The bottom of the "kept from the year before" sum.
Volunteered this year and last yearPeople with timesheets this year and last year. Volunteer retention is this audience divided by Volunteered last year.
Volunteered last year and year beforePeople with timesheets last year and the year before. Divide by Volunteered year before last to see how many of that year's volunteers stayed on.
Volunteered 3 years runningPeople with timesheets in all three years. Your steadiest volunteers. Thank them by name.
Volunteers lapsingPeople with a timesheet last year but none yet this year. Call them before the next event. It and Volunteered this year and last year add up to everyone who volunteered last year.
New volunteers this yearPeople whose first-ever timesheet was this year. Welcome them. Recruitment rate is this audience divided by Volunteered this year.
New volunteers last yearPeople whose first-ever timesheet was last year. Divide by Volunteered last year for last year's recruitment rate.
Lapsed volunteersPeople whose last timesheet was more than a year ago. A welcome-back list: what has changed since they last came, and an easy way to return.
Volunteered before this yearPeople whose first timesheet was before this year. Everyone who started before this year. With New volunteers this year, it adds up to everyone who has ever volunteered.

Their rules, as built in Orbit

Each list is one Behaviour with a value, and sometimes a second one to leave people out.

Behaviour - Gave this year · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: one rule under Includes, at least one gift this year, and nothing under Excludes. — **Behaviour - Gave this year · Audience rules** The rules tab: one rule under Includes, at least one gift this year, and nothing under Excludes. Fundraisers thank this year's donors with it, or leave them out of an appeal they already answered.

Behaviour - Gave last year · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: one rule under Includes, at least one gift last year, and nothing under Excludes. — **Behaviour - Gave last year · Audience rules** The rules tab: one rule under Includes, at least one gift last year, and nothing under Excludes. It is the starting list for seeing who came back this year and who has not yet.

Behaviour - Gave year before last · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: one rule under Includes, at least one gift in the year before last, and nothing under Excludes. — **Behaviour - Gave year before last · Audience rules** The rules tab: one rule under Includes, at least one gift in the year before last, and nothing under Excludes. Fundraisers compare it with later years to see how many donors they kept.

Behaviour - Retained donors · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: two rules under Includes, a gift last year and a gift this year, and nothing under Excludes. — **Behaviour - Retained donors · Audience rules** The rules tab: two rules under Includes, a gift last year and a gift this year, and nothing under Excludes. It gathers donors who came back, for thank-yous and for tracking how many donors are kept each year.

Behaviour - New donors this year · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: one rule under Includes, first gift date falls this year, and nothing under Excludes. — **Behaviour - New donors this year · Audience rules** The rules tab: one rule under Includes, first gift date falls this year, and nothing under Excludes. It feeds a welcome series that turns first-time givers into regular donors.

Behaviour - New donors last year · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: one rule under Includes, first gift date falls in last year, and nothing under Excludes. — **Behaviour - New donors last year · Audience rules** The rules tab: one rule under Includes, first gift date falls in last year, and nothing under Excludes. Fundraisers push for a second gift, since many first-time donors never give again.

Behaviour - New donors last year, retained · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: two rules under Includes, first gift last year and a gift again this year, and nothing under Excludes. — **Behaviour - New donors last year, retained · Audience rules** The rules tab: two rules under Includes, first gift last year and a gift again this year, and nothing under Excludes. It measures first-year retention and finds new donors to thank or invite into monthly giving.

Behaviour - Volunteered this year · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: one rule under Includes, at least one volunteer shift this year, and nothing under Excludes. — **Behaviour - Volunteered this year · Audience rules** The rules tab: one rule under Includes, at least one volunteer shift this year, and nothing under Excludes. Fundraisers thank these active volunteers and invite them to events or to give.

Behaviour - Volunteered last year · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: one rule under Includes, at least one volunteer shift last year, and nothing under Excludes. — **Behaviour - Volunteered last year · Audience rules** The rules tab: one rule under Includes, at least one volunteer shift last year, and nothing under Excludes. Fundraisers see which of last year's volunteers have come back, and who to invite again.

Behaviour - Volunteered year before last · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: one rule under Includes, at least one volunteer shift in the year before last, and nothing under Excludes. — **Behaviour - Volunteered year before last · Audience rules** The rules tab: one rule under Includes, at least one volunteer shift in the year before last, and nothing under Excludes. Fundraisers compare volunteer numbers across years and find past helpers to invite back.

Behaviour - Volunteered this year and last year · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: two rules under Includes, a shift this year and a shift last year. — **Behaviour - Volunteered this year and last year · Audience rules** The rules tab: two rules under Includes, a shift this year and a shift last year. These volunteers came back for a second year, so they deserve thanks and recognition.

Behaviour - Volunteered last year and year before · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: two rules under Includes, a shift last year and a shift the year before last. — **Behaviour - Volunteered last year and year before · Audience rules** The rules tab: two rules under Includes, a shift last year and a shift the year before last. These steady helpers are the ones to check on this year and invite back.

Behaviour - Volunteered 3 years running · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: three rules under Includes, a volunteer shift this year, last year and the year before. — **Behaviour - Volunteered 3 years running · Audience rules** The rules tab: three rules under Includes, a volunteer shift this year, last year and the year before. These are the most loyal volunteers, who deserve a special thank-you and an invitation to lead.

Behaviour - Volunteers lapsing · Audience rules, part 1 of 2, in Apteco Orbit: The first half of the rules: the Includes box, which lets in everyone with a volunteer shift last year. — **Behaviour - Volunteers lapsing · Audience rules, part 1 of 2** The first half of the rules: the Includes box, which lets in everyone with a volunteer shift last year. The second half takes out this year's volunteers, leaving those who have not come back yet.

Behaviour - Volunteers lapsing · Audience rules, part 2 of 2, in Apteco Orbit: The second half of the rules: the Excludes box, which takes out anyone with a shift this year. — **Behaviour - Volunteers lapsing · Audience rules, part 2 of 2** The second half of the rules: the Excludes box, which takes out anyone with a shift this year. What is left is last year's volunteers who have not returned, so they can be invited back before they drift away.

Behaviour - New volunteers this year · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: one rule under Includes, first volunteer shift falls this year, and nothing under Excludes. — **Behaviour - New volunteers this year · Audience rules** The rules tab: one rule under Includes, first volunteer shift falls this year, and nothing under Excludes. Fundraisers welcome these new volunteers and help them feel part of the team.

Behaviour - New volunteers last year · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: one rule under Includes, first volunteer shift falls in last year, and nothing under Excludes. — **Behaviour - New volunteers last year · Audience rules** The rules tab: one rule under Includes, first volunteer shift falls in last year, and nothing under Excludes. Fundraisers check in with last year's newcomers and ask them back for a second year.

Behaviour - Lapsed volunteers · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: one rule under Includes, last volunteer shift more than a year ago, and nothing under Excludes. — **Behaviour - Lapsed volunteers · Audience rules** The rules tab: one rule under Includes, last volunteer shift more than a year ago, and nothing under Excludes. Fundraisers invite these past volunteers back, or ask them for a gift instead.

Behaviour - Volunteered before this year · Audience rules, in Apteco Orbit: The rules tab: one rule under Includes, first volunteer shift falls before this year, and nothing under Excludes. — **Behaviour - Volunteered before this year · Audience rules** The rules tab: one rule under Includes, first volunteer shift falls before this year, and nothing under Excludes. It finds experienced volunteers who can help or mentor this year's newcomers.

Questions people ask

What is a Behaviour in Apteco Orbit?

A question Orbit answers for every supporter the moment you look, from the records you pick: when did it last happen (Recency), how many times (Frequency), how much (Value). There is no formula to write and no new field to set up first.

How is a Behaviour audience different from an insight?

An insight is a field worked out ahead of time and stored on each supporter. A Behaviour audience is a saved list worked out when you look, so it is always current, and every tile that counts it agrees.

How do I build one?

Open Audiences, start a new audience, add a Behaviour and set its value. Behaviours: answers on the spot walks you through it.

Learn Mission is a free course. Part 3 is Behaviours: four short stops.

Learn it yourself

The stops that teach Behaviours, in order.

Start the course