If you’ve been in fundraising for a while, you start to recognize the names, the gala captain who always brought friends, the monthly donor who replied to every newsletter, or the runner who raised big because a loved one was helped by your program. Then one day, you notice they haven’t given this year. Your stomach sinks. Where did they go?
The good news is they might not be gone for good. While lapsed donors happen for a whole spectrum of reasons, many of them could come back with the right re-engagement strategy. Plus, re-engaging them usually costs way less than finding brand new donors. In short, recovery beats replacement every time.
In this article, we’ll dive into why donors lapse, how to spot and prioritize who to reach out to first, what to say when you do, and how to create a multi-channel approach that won’t overwhelm your busy team.
Why Donors Lapse
It’s important to recognize that donors stop giving for all kinds of reasons; some are within your control, and some aren’t. Maybe their financial situation changed, they moved, or their priorities shifted. That’s life. But there are also reasons you can influence, like inconsistent communication, lack of acknowledgment, or a less-than-great experience with your organization.
While you can’t control everything, focusing on the things you can improve, like how you thank, follow up, and stay connected, can go a long way in keeping donors engaged and coming back.
Many nonprofits keep fewer than half their donors year to year. First timers? That number is even lower. Even though it’s inevitable that many donors will lapse, small improvements in retention or reactivation can add up to meaningful revenue.
Finding a brand new donor is up to 5x more expensive than keeping the ones you already have. So hanging on to people you’ve already built trust with really matters. When more donors stick around, they give more over their lifetime, which means steadier revenue and less scrambling to replace everyone who disappears.
That is why tracking donor behavior is step one. A CRM for nonprofits makes it simple by pulling gift history, email engagement, event attendance, and more into one place so you can spot when someone is slipping and jump in early–for their sake and yours!
Identifying Lapsed Donors
First things first: you can’t re-engage lapsed donors if you don’t know who they are. Start by deciding what “lapsed” means for your organization. A common benchmark is anyone who hasn’t given in the last 12 months. The key is to define it clearly and stick with it so everyone on your team uses the same language.
Once you’ve set your definition, it’s time to crunch some numbers. Look at the donors who gave last year and see how many haven’t given again this year. Divide that number by your original donor count to get your attrition rate. Flip it around and you’ve got your retention rate.
For example, say you have 1,000 donors that gave last fiscal year.
430 have already given again. 570 have not.
So retention is 43%, while attrition is 57%.
Now, here’s where your CRM can do the heavy lifting. For example, CauseVox’s CRM makes it simple to spot lapsed donors with saved filters and automatic tags. You can run a LYBUNT (Last Year But Unfortunately Not This) report to get a clear picture of who needs to be re-engaged. Save that list as a segment so you can easily send them an email, create a task, or just become aware of who is slipping through the cracks.
Qualifying Lapsed Donors (So You Spend Time Where It Matters)
As we’ve established, the average donor retention rate is less than 50%. You can’t (and shouldn’t!) give every lapsed donor the same amount of energy. Smart prioritization is the way to go here.
The best place to start is by using your CRM data to segment lapsed donors by things like gift size, last gift date, and campaign type. Once you’ve grouped them, you can decide which groups to prioritize first, who’s worth a personal touch, and who can go into an automated journey.
Some helpful segments for lapsed donors in your CRM include:
- Recency: How long has it been since their last gift? Start with the people who gave 14 months ago before chasing someone from five years back.
- Frequency: Did they give once or several times in a row? Habitual givers are easier to bring back than one-and-done donors.
- Amount: Were they low, mid, or major level? Even among smaller donors, you might spotlight anyone who gave more than your average first donation.
- Engagement Type: Were they a recurring donor, event attendee, peer-to-peer fundraiser, or volunteer? Match these to your campaigns. For example, if you’re planning a back-to-school drive, pull in people who supported education before.
Before you launch anything, clean up your data. Nothing hurts trust faster than emailing an address that’s been marked “do not contact” or pinging a deceased supporter. Use your CRM filters to weed out bounced emails and unsubscribed contacts.
Want to go one step further? Build a quick re-engagement score. No need for anything fancy, just a simple point system in your CRM or a spreadsheet. Give points for things like:
- Engagement history: Opened one of your last five emails, came to an event, or volunteered.
- Gift size: Above your average donation? More points.
- Lifetime gifts: The more often they’ve given, the better.
- Relationship strength: Has a personal connection to staff or board or responded to a survey.
Add up the points and tier your outreach. This could look like:
- High scores: Personal calls, handwritten notes, or tailored emails.
- Mid scores: A semi-personalized email series with a strong story.
- Low scores: An automated “We miss you” message.
When you let your data guide your time, you spend less energy guessing and more time reconnecting with people who’ve already raised their hand for your mission. CauseVox helps you see that data at a glance so you can act fast.
Download our free Complete Guide to Nonprofit CRMs:
Crafting the Right Message
Tone is everything when you’re reaching back out. Your goal isn’t to guilt anyone; it’s to reopen the door and convey, “We still need you, and you are creating meaningful change by supporting us.” Start with a heartfelt thank you. Remind them of the difference they helped make. Then invite them to be part of the next chapter.
Here are some win-back message ideas to get you started:
1. We Miss You Email Series (3 parts)
Start by thanking them for their past support and share a quick win that happened because of them. Next, show what’s happening now, maybe a short story about someone you’ve helped or a before-and-after stat that hits home. Finally, invite them back with a clear ask, like a small gift tied to a specific outcome they can feel good about.
2. Impact Update with a Soft Ask
Send an update letter or video from your program staff. At the end, gently add something like: “If you’d like to renew your support, here’s an easy way to do that.”
3. Quick Survey or “Tell Us About You”
Ask why they gave in the first place, what they care about now, and how they want to hear from you. People who respond are saying they want to stay connected so be sure to follow up quickly.
4. Event or Volunteer Invite
No pressure, no ask, just an invite to a low-key event, a virtual Q&A, or a volunteer shift. These kinds of opportunities can rekindle that emotional connection and remind them why they cared to give in the first place.
5. Small, Specific Needs
For lapsed donors who gave smaller amounts, create a mini donation form with tiny asks they can easily say yes to. For lower-level donors, offer simple, specific asks like “$15 feeds a family for a week” to make giving feel easy and meaningful. For mid- and major-level donors, tailor asks to reflect their past gifts with suggested amounts or upgrade options tied to programs they care about, showing them you remember and appreciate their support.
Multi-Channel Outreach Strategies
The more thoughtful touchpoints you have (without going overboard) the better your chances of reconnecting with your lapsed donors.
Using your CRM to coordinate outreach makes all the difference. It helps you blend emails, phone calls, direct mail, and even social media retargeting into one smooth, well-timed plan so supporters don’t feel overwhelmed or forgotten.
Your CRM also lets you automate reminders and follow-up tasks for your development team, so no one falls through the cracks. This can help you focus on retention before a donor even lapses, or catch them before too much time has passed. Plus, by tapping into donor preferences and communication history stored in the system, you can respect how each person wants to hear from you, making every message feel thoughtful and personal.
Easily assign tasks and update donor communication preferences with CauseVox’s CRM
Tracking What Works
Track your results so you can understand what truly connects with your lapsed donors and brings them back. Some important metrics to watch include things like:
- How your win-back emails perform: Which segments are opening, clicking, replying, and actually donating?
- Who’s coming back: Track the percent of lapsed donors who’ve given again.
- Gift size changes: Are their new gifts bigger, smaller, or about the same as before?
- Channel boost: Do donors who get both an email and a call respond better than those who just get one touchpoint?
- Speed of return: How long does it take from your first outreach to their next gift?
One of the best ways to improve your outreach is to test different approaches. With A/B testing, you can try out two different subject lines or messages on small groups of your donors and see which one gets more opens or clicks. Maybe one email feels more personal, or one headline sparks more curiosity. This kind of experimenting helps you learn what your audience responds to best, so you’re not just guessing.
As you gather data, build simple reports in your CRM showing trends in re-engaged donors like who’s coming back, when, and through which channels. Over time, these insights become your playbook for future campaigns, helping you spend your time and resources on strategies that really move the needle.
Remember, tracking what works is a cycle, not a one-time thing. The more you pay attention and adjust, the better you get at nurturing your supporters and keeping them engaged for the long haul.
Preventing Future Lapses (Your Best Money Saver)
Stopping donors from slipping away in the first place is your best money saver. Sure, reactivating lapsed donors can work, but building retention systems that keep them engaged long before they drift off? That’s where the magic happens.
Start by mapping out a simple donor journey. Say thanks right away, then follow up with an impact story around 30 days later, share a short update or story at 90 days, send a quick survey at 6 months, and a gentle renewal reminder before the year’s up.
Make your thank-you emails and receipts feel warm and personal. Consider adding a quick video from your team; people love to see the faces behind the work. Whenever you can, send impact stories tied to what they gave last time.
Use your CRM to automatically flag donors who might be slipping away, like when their first gift anniversary is coming up but no new donation has arrived. And set up personalized stewardship streams: recurring donors get special updates, peer-to-peer fundraisers earn community prizes, and everyone feels like part of the family.
Download our free Donor Engagement and Retention Guide:
How CauseVox’s CRM Makes It Easier
All the topics we covered today get way easier when your data lives in one spot and your tools work together smoothly. That’s where CauseVox’s CRM really shines, it helps you bring lapsed donors back (and execute a donor retention strategy to prevent more lapses in the first place) without wearing out your team.
CauseVox’s CRM allows you to easily tag and segment your donors. For example, it can create a list of everyone who hasn’t given in over a year and keep it updated in real time. Need a quick report? You can pull a LYBUNT list and slice it by gift size or campaign, then send emails straight from the platform.
Easily tag and segment donors with CauseVox’s CRM
You can set up personalized email series that pull in details like past gift amounts or the specific program they supported, so your messages feel relevant and thoughtful. Plus, you can assign contacts and follow-up tasks to staff, and the system sends reminders so no one forgets to reach out.
Real-time reporting gives you a clear view of what’s working (and what’s not), so you can adjust your strategy on the fly and improve results.
Best of all, CauseVox is built for small teams, so you don’t need a whole data department to run smart, effective re-engagement campaigns.
Your Next Step
Lapsed donors are telling you something. They cared once and they stopped giving for a reason. With a little structure, smart data use, and genuine appreciation, you can welcome them back and strengthen long-term support in the process.
Ready to reconnect with lapsed donors? Sign up for a free demo to see how CauseVox’s CRM helps you personalize outreach, track results, and build donor relationships that last.
