A lapsed donor can be defined as a donor who has not made a contribution to your organization with in the last 1-3 years, while those who haven’t contributed in 3 years can be classified as former donors. There is value in pursuing lapsed donors because they are not unfamiliar with your organization’s mission – they cared enough about it to donate at one time, after all. Kent Dove, author of Conducting a Successful Fundraising Program, says that the typical rate of response from mailing to lapsed donors is 11%. As you are creating your appeal letter to recapture their attention (it’s known as a “recovery letter” in the fund development profession), there are a few keys to keep in mind:
· You probably do not know why any one donor has stopped giving. Possible causes include forgetfulness, loss of interest, distractions, or opposition to some aspect of your organization. The most likely way to rebuild a connection with lapsed donors, whatever their reasons may be, is to write to them in a personal, sincere way.
· The point that you want to make in your letter is that you miss the donor, not just their donation. The following are some possible wordings of this point:
-- “We have not heard from you since ________. We miss you! We are counting on your renewed support this year for . . .”
--“We miss you. We miss your moral support, and we miss your financial support.”
--“We sure have missed hearing from you these last few years.”
- Encourage the donor to renew their support by citing a specific project that you need help with. Get them engaged by offering a subscription to your free newsletter.
- If you can, make the letter customized to the individual. If you know that the donor gave at certain times of the year or supported a specific aspect of your work, include that in your letter. Appeal to their interests and let them know that they are more to you than a name.
- Statistics show that the longer the donor has lapsed, the less likely they are to come back. It could be helpful to section out your database into segments of 1-, 2-, and 3-year lapsed donors and send each group a different appeal, with language tailored to their lapse. With newly lapsed donors, the wording can be more relaxed, but with those who have not given for 2 or 3 years, your language should be markedly more forceful. Here are some examples:
1-year lapsed
“Your financial support in ____ made a difference. Your gift at the end of this year will have a positive impact on the people, which in turn will lead to better health, hope and confidence for humanity."
2-year lapsed
"Your financial support in recent years was a great help to us. Now I'd like you to renew your support by joining with me and the volunteers at . . ."
3-year lapsed
"We have not heard from you for quite sometime and yet your past support has made a difference for populations in danger. I think you can help us overcome this crisis."
· Some individuals will have been one-time donors, and some will have been faithful givers – you can’t address both groups the same way. Each donor needs a different letter with different language. If a donor was once faithful, they need a more individualized letter with a more personal ask amount. With one-time donors, you could request the specific amount they gave before. For a longtime donor, you could ask for the same amount as their smallest or average gift.
· Remind lapsed donors of your mission. Address any reasons you know of for their lapse. The most important thing is that you let the donor know that you miss them and that their support made a difference. Stanley Weinstein, author of The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management, sums it up this way: “A carefully crafted appeal that lets past donors know they are important, appreciated and missed almost always produces a net income."
Information taken from www.fundraising123.org
--Kelsey Luffman is a Research Assistant at Christian Foundation Grants (www.christianfoundationgrants.com) which is subscription database of foundations that provide grants to faith based organizations. iDonate.com is a website (www.iDonate.com) that allows ministries to receive non cash gifts online.