Donor Attrition

People who donate once are likely to do so again, but only if you keep them engaged. If a donor hasn't given in over a year, they may have lapsed or be at risk of lapsing. To determine whether a donor lapsed or is at risk of lapsing, review their giving history and when they last gave.

At-risk donors haven't given in 12-15 months. If a donor starts to lapse, review their giving history to determine whether infrequent giving is normal. To retain the donor:

  • Reach out with a friendly interaction to reconnect. As at-risk donors may still consider their giving as recent, carefully craft your message to not offend these loyal supporters.

  • Suggest a recurring gift for more regular giving.

Tip: To quickly view how many donors you manage as a fundraiser haven't given a gift or received a soft credit in over a year, select Overview in Fundraising, Work, and review the At-risk total under Portfolio. For more information, see Work Center Overview.

Lapsing donors haven't given in 15-24 months. To recapture a lapsing donor, review their giving history to see which current campaigns and appeals fits their interests and passions, and suggest a recurring gift for more regular giving.

Lapsed donors haven't given in two to five years. Review your relationship with them to determine why they stopped giving and decide whether to recapture them or mark them as inactive to focus on others.

Consider donors who haven't given in over five years as lost. To acquire these donors (again), treat them as new prospects, and promptly acknowledge new gifts with personal interactions and welcome packages. For more information, see Moves Management Best Practices.

To help gauge supporter engagement, analyze your donor attrition with tags or metrics.

  • On constituent lists or records, use tags to gauge attrition based on donors' giving, including soft credits. For more information, see Tags and Recommendations.

  • In Fundraising, Analyze or Reporting, use the Donor lifecycle metrics under Overview to gauge attrition based on only donors' personal giving — not soft credits. For more information, see Donor Lifecycle Analysis.

Donors lapse for many reasons, from simple oversight or lack of engagement, to economic hardship or a change in lifestyle. When you reach out to a lapsing or lapsing donor, consider these best practices to help give good reason for them to return to the fold.

To recognize the donor's personal contribution to your mission, mention them by name multiple times throughout the interaction or appeal. Thank the donor for their previous giving and remind them of what it helped you accomplish.

Look at the donor's interests and the campaigns and funds they gave to in the past, and suggest related efforts or goals they could help succeed with their continued giving. To create a sense of urgency, mention deadlines that an immediate gift could help your organization meet.

A donor who lapses due to lack of engagement or interest may be able to help identify areas to improve in your fundraising efforts. Ask for details — through a friendly inquiry or short survey — about why the donor hasn't given and how they view your mission and accomplishments. Listen to the donor's feedback and — most importantly — show that you value their opinion.

Tip: For best practices to help retain, recapture, or re-acquire donors, see Donor Acquisition and Retention.