EF averaged $10.82/head - not as good as this year (remember the financial crisis?), but back then it led cons above 1000 attendees. UK (e.g. ConFuzzled, ScotiaCon) and Commonwealth cons tended to do pretty well. Among larger cons, MFF stood out - it's historically benefited from relatively low running costs, but is alsoestablished with charitable goals, and exceeded projections (leading to surplus funds). Further Confusion is also run by a charity, but hasn't grown at the same rate and is in an expensive location. Anthrocon was also low per-head; but then, it's a private club, not a charity - its goal is a low cost of attendance.
Of course, it's been a few years since then and I wouldn't be surprised if things have changed, e.g. AC raised ~$5/person in 2017 and in 2018, which is ~50% of MFF's 2017 figure rather than the ~40% it was back in 2010-2012. But many of the factors will remain the same.
Conventions vary with respect to charitable giving per person due to culture, expense of location, differing goals, etc. A few years back I worked out which ones did "better" per head, at least from 2010-2012 (here's the data).
EF averaged $10.82/head - not as good as this year (remember the financial crisis?), but back then it led cons above 1000 attendees. UK (e.g. ConFuzzled, ScotiaCon) and Commonwealth cons tended to do pretty well. Among larger cons, MFF stood out - it's historically benefited from relatively low running costs, but is also established with charitable goals, and exceeded projections (leading to surplus funds). Further Confusion is also run by a charity, but hasn't grown at the same rate and is in an expensive location. Anthrocon was also low per-head; but then, it's a private club, not a charity - its goal is a low cost of attendance.
Of course, it's been a few years since then and I wouldn't be surprised if things have changed, e.g. AC raised ~$5/person in 2017 and in 2018, which is ~50% of MFF's 2017 figure rather than the ~40% it was back in 2010-2012. But many of the factors will remain the same.