> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.upstackdata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Cost per Donate: Measure Donation Acquisition Efficiency

> Calculate cost per donate event to measure how efficiently your ad spend generates charitable donations. Track donation campaign efficiency with formula and tips.

<Tip>
  Average ad spend per donation event tracked by the Upstack pixel.
</Tip>

## Formula

<Info>
  **Cost per Donate** = [**Channel Spend**](/reference/metrics/advertising/blended/blended-spend) ÷ **Donates**
</Info>

### Formula Components

| Metric                                                                    | Definition                                                              |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [**Channel Spend**](/reference/metrics/advertising/blended/blended-spend) | Total advertising spend across connected ad platforms                   |
| **Donates**                                                               | Total donate events (charitable donations) tracked by the Upstack pixel |

| Metadata        |                         |
| --------------- | ----------------------- |
| **Type**        | Currency                |
| **Data Source** | [Upstack Pixel](/pixel) |
| **Aggregation** | Ratio                   |

***

## Example

Your nonprofit spent **\$5,000** on ads last month and generated **250 donations**:

| Channel   | Spend       | Donates | Cost per Donate |
| --------- | ----------- | ------- | --------------- |
| Meta      | \$3,000     | 150     | \$20.00         |
| Google    | \$1,500     | 75      | \$20.00         |
| TikTok    | \$500       | 25      | \$20.00         |
| **Total** | **\$5,000** | **250** | **\$20.00**     |

***

## How It Works

Cost per Donate divides your total advertising spend by the number of donate events captured by the Upstack pixel. These events fire when visitors complete a charitable donation action on your site. Lower values indicate more efficient donor acquisition—you're paying less for each new donation.

***

## When to Use

| Scenario                       | Action                                                           |
| ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Fundraising campaign budgeting | Estimate spend needed to hit donation targets                    |
| Channel efficiency comparison  | Identify which platforms acquire donors most cost-effectively    |
| Donor acquisition analysis     | Compare donation acquisition cost against average donation value |
| Campaign optimization          | Reallocate budget toward channels with lower cost per donate     |

***

## Related Metrics

| Metric                                                                         | Relationship                                      |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------- |
| [Cost per Lead](/reference/metrics/funnel/conversions/cost-per-lead)           | Similar efficiency metric for lead capture events |
| [Cost per Subscribe](/reference/metrics/funnel/conversions/cost-per-subscribe) | Similar efficiency metric for subscription events |
| [Blended Spend](/reference/metrics/advertising/blended/blended-spend)          | Total ad spend used in the cost calculation       |

[See all Attributed Conversions metrics →](/reference/metrics/funnel/conversions)