Higher Education, One Chart, One Decision

Stacked Area Chart – Gift Amount by Source

October 6, 2025

Allen Taylor

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Stacked area chart 2004–2008 shows Appeals dominate giving, peak near 2005, then decline; Donor Dinner spikes in 2007; all sources fall in 2008.

The Chart

This is a stacked area chart, which is useful when you want to see both the total amount of a variable and the mix inside that total over time. Each band represents a source (Appeal, Donor Dinner, Event, and Other/Unknown), so you can read both volume (overall height) and composition (band thickness) by year.

What It Answers

Are we overly dependent on one source, and where should we shift effort next year?

Start by scanning the overall height to spot peaks and dips in total giving. Then look at each band’s thickness to see how the portfolio mix changes. In this view, Appeals carry most of the total, peak around 2005, and trend down afterward. Donor Dinner shows a one-year spike in 2007 before dropping. A common pitfall is that stacking can hide the exact trend of a single source. If your goal is to compare sources across years, try a 100% stacked version to emphasize share changes.

Try it Yourself

You only need Academic Year, Gift Source, and Gift Amount. Aggregate to year × source, stack the sources in a consistent order, and start the axis at zero. Label either totals or % share on each year. For a quick variation, duplicate the view as 100% stacked to discuss the mix before you talk tactics or discuss future planning.

Allen Taylor

Senior Solutions Ambassador at Evisions | + posts

Allen Taylor is a self-proclaimed higher education and data science nerd. He currently serves as a Senior Solutions Ambassador at Evisions and is based out of Pennsylvania. With over 20 years of higher education experience at numerous public, private, small, and large institutions, Allen has successfully lead institution-wide initiatives in areas such as student success, enrollment management, advising, and technology and has presented at national and regional conferences on his experiences. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology from Western Carolina University, a Master of Science degree in College Student Personnel from The University of Tennessee, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Teaching, Learning, and Technology from Lehigh University. When he’s trying to avoid working on his dissertation, you can find him exploring the outdoors, traveling at home and abroad, or in the kitchen trying to coax an even better loaf of bread from the oven.