Review the lapsed donor record before reopening the conversation

Before launching a lapsed donor reactivation campaign, check that the donor has actually stopped giving and that outreach is appropriate. Then choose a message that leaves room for their reason. A missing gift tells you about the records you have; it does not tell you whether someone lost interest, changed circumstances, gave elsewhere, or was recorded under another contact.

The immediate decision is how to reopen a conversation. Start with an accurate account of the relationship and a useful invitation, rather than telling the donor what their absence means.

Define the outreach window for this campaign

Choose the giving period you are reviewing and the people you intend to contact. Base it on the program's actual giving pattern. An annual supporter, a one-time emergency donor, and a monthly donor who asked to cancel should not automatically enter the same message.

Record the rule so another colleague can reproduce the list. The term “lapsed” is a campaign selection label here, not a permanent judgment about a person.

Your donor-retention calculation can measure a defined cohort. It does not explain each person's motivation or tell your team which outreach message is appropriate.

Check the relationship before using the list

Review recent payments and related records before contacting someone about a missing gift. A second email address, household-linked donation, organization payment, or pending payment may change what you should say.

Check current communication preferences and any reason your organization has recorded for stopping outreach. Remove people from this campaign when contact would be inappropriate, rather than trying to force every historical donor into a reactivation sequence.

Use these checks to prepare the list:

• The reviewed period and gift records support the selection.
• Related records do not contradict the proposed message.
• The chosen channel is appropriate for this contact.
• Staff can handle a reply or a request to stop.
• The message does not assume a reason for the lapse.

If you cannot establish the first point, resolve the record before sending a “we haven't heard from you” message. An avoidable data mistake should not become the opening of a donor conversation.

Give people a reason to reconnect

Share a relevant, verified update about work the donor previously supported. Explain what has changed since their last interaction. Offer a way to ask a question, hear more, or reconnect that does not require making a gift immediately.

Candid's gratitude guidance recommends including lapsed donors in appreciation communications before sending fundraising appeals. Apply that sequence to the actual relationship instead of using gratitude as a thin introduction to the same urgent ask.

Write in terms your records support. “You supported the campaign last year” is appropriate only if the campaign and period are correct. Avoid guilt about the length of time since a donation, assumptions about a donor's finances, or language implying they owe another gift.

If you ask for feedback, make the question short and voluntary. Choose an owner who can use the answer. Do not request sensitive personal explanations your team does not need to continue the relationship.

Decide what each response changes

A donor may request a different channel, ask about results, explain a concern, or say they do not want further contact. Record the practical next action and fulfill it.

If the response concerns your work, route it to someone who can answer accurately. Do not treat every reply as permission to make a fundraising ask. If the donor opts out, use your communication-preference workflow to carry that choice into the relevant systems.

For no response, choose a bounded follow-up policy before beginning the campaign. A silent contact should not enter an indefinite cycle of escalating messages. Review whether another contact has a clear purpose and remains appropriate.

Evaluate reconnection separately from a new gift

Track responses, requested changes, useful conversations, and completed follow-ups alongside any subsequent gifts. A corrected preference or resolved question is an operational result even if no donation follows.

Do not report a conversation as reactivated giving. Use the actual received gift record for that measure and keep the outreach history distinct.

Before releasing this campaign, read one proposed message against one reviewed donor record. Remove any sentence that claims to know why the person stopped giving. Leave an accurate invitation and a response your team is ready to handle.