{"id":84397,"date":"2026-02-13T13:01:01","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T13:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/?p=84397"},"modified":"2026-02-13T13:02:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T13:02:15","slug":"reengage-lapsed-donors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/us\/blog\/reengage-lapsed-donors\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Strategies to Reengage Lapsed Donors"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>New donors are a boost to morale and your nonprofit\u2019s finances. It\u2019s encouraging to engage with a new supporter who believes in your mission and is willing to donate. And, it can bring a sense of relief; you\u2019ve created a relationship you plan to cultivate for years to come, but the hard work of finding and winning a prospect over is done.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, however, gaining a new donor doesn\u2019t always mean gaining a recurring donor. Supporters may pause or cancel giving at any point, for reasons that you won\u2019t always know. But that doesn\u2019t mean you should give up. In this guide, we\u2019ll identify strategies for <a href=\"..\/..\/blog\/building-donor-loyalty-with-fundraising-events\/\">building donor loyalty<\/a> and reengaging lapsed donors.<\/p>\n<h2>Who are lapsed donors?<\/h2>\n<p>Lapsed donors are typically defined as <strong>donors who have not contributed in the last year or more<\/strong>. A few common reasons for why donors lapse are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Changes to the donor\u2019s financial or life situation<\/strong> : If a donor loses their job, that might inhibit their ability to give to your organization for a time. Another reason could be that the supporter has had a lifestyle change. For example, a donor who is also a parent may no longer participate in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abcfundraising.com\/fundraising-ideas\/school-fundraisers\">school fundraiser<\/a> once their child has left that school.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Poor donor experience: <\/strong>Perhaps the donor didn\u2019t feel appreciated previously, or they\u2019ve forgotten about your nonprofit because they didn\u2019t receive any follow-up communications.<\/li>\n<li><strong>No longer aligning with your mission: <\/strong>The donor might have found a different nonprofit that better aligns with their vision or is no longer prioritizing the same values as your nonprofit.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Administrative errors<\/strong>: Not all donor lapses are intentional. For example, if the card your donor had on file for a recurring monthly gift expired and they forgot to update it, that could cause a lapse.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While some donor lapses are impossible to prevent, a solid <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meyerpartners.com\/fundraising-blog\/donor-stewardship-matrix\">donor stewardship strategy<\/a> is vital for donor retention. For all of your current donors, ensure you have planned personalized touchpoints to demonstrate your nonprofit\u2019s impact and share your appreciation for their support.<\/p>\n<p>For donors who have lapsed, we\u2019ll cover three strategies for reengaging with them and reminding them of the importance of your mission. Let\u2019s dive in!<\/p>\n<h2>Engaging Fundraisers<\/h2>\n<p>Our first strategy for reengaging lapsed donors is to invite them to participate in a high-engagement fundraiser. Fundraisers can be a great way to give back to your supporters by offering them valuable products or experiences while raising funds at the same time. The most popular types of fundraisers are:<\/p>\n<h3>Product Fundraisers<\/h3>\n<p>Product fundraisers grab supporters&#8217; attention and provide an immediate and tangible exchange for their donation. Often, these are also peer-to-peer run fundraisers, with current supporters selling products on behalf of your organization, adding a personal touch to re-engagement.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the most popular ideas for product fundraisers include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abcfundraising.com\/discount-card-fundraiser\">Discount cards<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Flower bulbs<\/li>\n<li>Yummy snacks, like popcorn or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abcfundraising.com\/cookie-dough-fundraiser\">cookie dough<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Branded merchandise like travel mugs or t-shirts with your nonprofit\u2019s logo<\/li>\n<li>In-season fruit, like oranges or strawberries<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Event Fundraising<\/h3>\n<p>A <a href=\"..\/..\/blog\/nonprofit-event-examples\/\">fundraising event<\/a> is another high-engagement idea. By selling tickets to a gala or hosting an auction or fundraising raffle, your nonprofit can generate revenue and use the event as a touchpoint with lapsed donors.<\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re preparing for an upcoming fundraising event, include lapsed donors on the invite list. Take it a step further than a form email and personalize their invitation. If possible, give the lapsed donor a call to share how much you\u2019re looking forward to catching up with them at the event.<\/p>\n<p>During the event, it may be appropriate to share an update on your nonprofit\u2019s mission and annual fundraising goals with the entire gathering. This in-person presentation can serve as a reminder to the lapsed donor of all the good your organization is doing, inspiring them to rejoin you in your efforts.<\/p>\n<h2>Volunteer Opportunities<\/h2>\n<p>If the donor lapsed due to financial reasons, they may still be open to engaging with your mission in other ways, such as through volunteering. When you reach out to the lapsed donor with this invitation, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.betterimpact.com\/en\/volunteer-recruitment\">Better Impact\u2019s guide to volunteer recruitment<\/a> recommends sharing clear role descriptions and making the sign-up form as simple as possible.<\/p>\n<p>Invitations to volunteer or other non-monetary engagement opportunities are effective for <a href=\"..\/..\/blog\/avoid-donor-fatigue\/\">overcoming donor fatigue<\/a> from current donors as well. Through sharing specific skills that benefit your organization, like pro bono legal work, construction, or landscape architecture, or donating their time to serve with one of your nonprofit\u2019s programs, volunteers bring immense value to your nonprofit. Share your appreciation for their efforts and remind them of the impact of their time often.<\/p>\n<h2>Segmented Communication Cadence<\/h2>\n<p>In addition to the invitations to engagement activities, like product fundraisers and volunteering, that we\u2019ve covered so far, we recommend developing a segmented communication cadence for lapsed donors.<\/p>\n<p>Your communication strategy can\u2014and should!\u2014include the touchpoints we\u2019ve already discussed, but it should also include informational updates on your work, like annual reports and requests for feedback. Hearing from lapsed donors about why they\u2019ve paused or canceled giving can be helpful information for shaping your future donor stewardship strategy.<\/p>\n<p>You should also include donation appeals in your communications. Outline what your financial needs are and how donations will support your mission. Be clear that your organization needs their support, and thank them for giving in the past.<\/p>\n<p>By segmenting lapsed donors and creating a tailored communications flow with personalized messages and their preferred communication channels, you have a much better chance of reengaging those supporters.<\/p>\n<p>The foundation for all donor engagement, whether that\u2019s welcoming a new supporter or reaching out to a lapsed donor, is building a relationship. Get to know your donors and let them know how much you appreciate them! A quick phone call to share your gratitude or an invitation to volunteer could be the difference between a one-time donor and a lifetime relationship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New donors are a boost to morale and your nonprofit\u2019s finances. It\u2019s encouraging to engage with a new supporter who believes in your mission and is willing to donate. And, it can bring a sense of relief; you\u2019ve created a relationship you plan to cultivate for years to come, but the hard work of finding [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":84398,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-84397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>3 Strategies to Reengage Lapsed Donors - Givergy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Lapsed donors are supporters who haven\u2019t donated in the last year. This guide shares three strategies for encouraging them to reengage with your nonprofit.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/us\/blog\/reengage-lapsed-donors\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"3 Strategies to Reengage Lapsed Donors - Givergy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Lapsed donors are supporters who haven\u2019t donated in the last year. This guide shares three strategies for encouraging them to reengage with your nonprofit.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/us\/blog\/reengage-lapsed-donors\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Givergy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-13T13:01:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-13T13:02:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/reengage-lapsed-donors_feature.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"667\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jordan Morris\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jordan Morris\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/us\/blog\/reengage-lapsed-donors\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/us\/blog\/reengage-lapsed-donors\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jordan Morris\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/us\/#\/schema\/person\/65ada8382eb7bb2a289ae5c2b110a26e\"},\"headline\":\"3 Strategies to Reengage Lapsed Donors\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-13T13:01:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-13T13:02:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/us\/blog\/reengage-lapsed-donors\/\"},\"wordCount\":999,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/us\/blog\/reengage-lapsed-donors\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/reengage-lapsed-donors_feature.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/us\/blog\/reengage-lapsed-donors\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/us\/blog\/reengage-lapsed-donors\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/us\/blog\/reengage-lapsed-donors\/\",\"name\":\"3 Strategies to Reengage Lapsed Donors - Givergy\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/us\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/us\/blog\/reengage-lapsed-donors\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/us\/blog\/reengage-lapsed-donors\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/reengage-lapsed-donors_feature.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-13T13:01:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-13T13:02:15+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.givergy.com\/us\/#\/schema\/person\/65ada8382eb7bb2a289ae5c2b110a26e\"},\"description\":\"Lapsed donors are supporters who haven\u2019t donated in the last year. 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