Why do donors lapse

This may work well for your organization, or it may be too simplistic. You may well find after analysis that your donors still consider themselves active 12, 18 or even 24 months between gifts. This is key. If you consider a donor lapsed and allow that donor to go dormant in your system, you could be missing out on vital support. If the majority of your donors give times per year, then you may identify a lapsed donor at six or nine months of inactivity and begin a reactivation process. For instance, do your major donors give once a year?

Privacy Overview We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Strictly Necessary Cookies Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. Enable or Disable Cookies. Find creative ways to say thank you, especially for the larger donations you receive. Continue to thank your donors regularly, even when making another ask.

Of course, some donations are used to pay for boring, ordinary things like electricity and trash service. But donors want to feel like their gift is accomplishing something for the cause they care about. In fact, some nonprofit voices have critiqued impact-per-dollar as a harmful way to measure nonprofit effectiveness.

Through every step of the fundraising process, be transparent with your donors about what and who their donations are supporting. There are a variety of communication mistakes, perceived or actual, you might make that may seem like no big deal but could cause your donor to lapse.

Maybe you made the wrong ask because you overestimated how much a donor could give. The ethics, legality and efficacy of purchasing lists is a topic for another day.

Regardless, the fact remains that if…. They represent low-hanging fruit primarily because they have already demonstrated a commitment to your cause. Indeed, someone who has funded your mission in the past is a logical constituent to keep in touch with.

Happy stewarding! Fundraising software that makes winning back lapsed donors a breeze. Searching for the perfect moves or donor management software for your nonprofit?

At Bloomerang, we take pride in our innovative features and reliable infrastructure. And our software is designed to make donor management a fast, easy, and streamlined process. Our donor database reviews and case studies will give you a sense of how much our customers mean to us. Read our reviews below and check out helpful case studies to see how real customers use Bloomerang every day.

But some donors who have stopped giving can come back. Download The Guide. About the Author. Watch A Video Demo Ready to win back your lapsed donors? Learn more about how Bloomerang donor management software makes it easy to manage and retain your donors. Social Services. Animal Welfare. Private Schools. Legal Aid. International Aid. Elder Care. Meals on Wheels. Habitat for Humanity. Humane Societies.

Food Banks.