Focused Skills Lab:
Basic Pivot Tables in Excel
Learn why pivot tables are so powerful, when to use them, and how to create and use one.
You’re drowning in spreadsheets of donor data, but extracting meaningful insights feels like solving a puzzle without the picture on the box.
Every time leadership asks for campaign totals, fund breakdowns, or donor segmentation, you’re manually sorting through rows and columns, hoping you didn’t miss anything. It’s time-consuming, error-prone, and frustrating—especially when you know Excel should be able to do this automatically.
You need to quickly summarize giving data by campaign, fund, donor type, or any other category your organization tracks. But without knowing how to use pivot tables, you’re stuck doing it the hard way.
This focused skills lab teaches you exactly how to create and use pivot tables—Excel’s most powerful tool for summarizing data.
You’ll learn practical, nonprofit-focused examples that show you how to:
- Transform raw donor data into meaningful summaries with just a few clicks
- Create subtotals by campaign, fund, donor segment, or any field you need
- Build data cubes for multi-dimensional analysis
- Update your summaries automatically when new data arrives
- Answer leadership questions in minutes instead of hours
Master the techniques that turn pivot tables from intimidating to indispensable.
Your Instructor
For over 20 years, Greg Duke has worked in fundraising organizations in the United States and the United Kingdom, working primarily in database management and prospect research.
Duke helps Raiser’s Edge clients to optimize their database by implementing data clean-up techniques and creating reporting structures, including dashboards and SQL queries. He also facilitates data imports into Raiser’s Edge and database administration.
Duke has worked at the University of Oxford, Niagara University, Florida International University, and the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has lectured at several APRA International and regional conferences, and previously taught a fundraising course at Niagara University. Duke earned a D.Phil in modern history from Jesus College, University of Oxford.
Course Curriculum
Basic Pivot Tables: Create and Use a Pivot Table
- Video Lecture, Outline, and notes (55:45)
Learn why pivot tables are so powerful, when to use them, and how to create and use one.
Summarizing giving and other data can be done in Excel, including getting sums by campaign, fund, or other subtotals that your organization needs for good strategy.
Enjoy this recorded lecture on creating pivot tables—Excel’s tool for summarizing data, including using subtotals and making cubes. To make the illustrations relevant to your work, the course content is focused on the nonprofit sector.
$59.00
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course – you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like – across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.