Lapsed Donors: How to Write a Fundraising Letter That Wins Them Back

Your definition may differ, but I define a lapsed donor as someone who has not donated to your organization within the last year, two years or three years. Donors who have not sent you a gift in over three years are not lapsed donors. They are former donors.

Lapsed donors are valuable. Unlike strangers, they have supported you before. And they believe in your mission enough to have sent you a gift (or gifts). That means they are worth mailing to. You can expect to receive an 11 percent response rate from a mailing to lapsed donors if your results are typical, says fundraising expert Kent Dove (Conducting a Successful Fundraising Program. Jossey-Bass, 2001).

Here are some tips on writing an appeal letter that will win them back. In the fund development profession, the letter you write is called a recovery letter because it aims to recover donors who have lapsed.

1. Write to one person
You will likely not know why each donor has lapsed. Donors stop giving for any number of reasons. Some forget. Some lose interest. Some get distracted with the arrival of children-or grandchildren. Others decide they do not like your new executive director's ties. Each donor is an individual, and the way to win each one back is to send a warm, sincere, personal letter from your heart to theirs.

2. Say "we miss you"
What you are trying to communicate in your letter is that you miss the donor more than their donations, which should always be true. You have lost a supporter first, and a source of support second. So write your letter in such a way that you show your concern for the person. Here are some lines to use:

  • We have not heard from you since March 2004. 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.

    • 3. Invite the donor to come back
    Provide a tangible way for the donor to renew support. Ask for a gift toward a particular project. Offer a subscription to your free newsletter. Do something to involve the donor and make them take action.

    4. Customize your appeal
    Whenever possible, customize your recovery letter to the unique circumstances of each lapsed donor. For example, if you know from your database that a donor only sent a gift once a year at Christmas, mention that in your letter. Or if another donor supported only one area of your work, mention that. The more that your letter appeals to the interests of your donors, the more likely you are to recover them. Here's an example:

    "The last time we heard from you, you had generously responded to the humanitarian crisis in Honduras. You sent us a gift that helped us meet the immediate needs of that emergency. Today, I am writing to you because I think you can help us overcome another crisis."

    5. Match your language to the length of lapse
    Statistically speaking, the longer you've had to wait for a gift, the less likely you are to receive one. That means you should segment your database into groups of 12-, 24- and 36-month lapsed donors (or another criteria that you use), and send each group a slightly different appeal. To a donor who has not given in a year, for example, you can say, "We miss you." To the donor who has not sent a gift in three years, you can say, "You have supported us in the past. Your gifts made a difference. I urge you to renew your commitment by sending a gift today." The idea is to be casual with the new lapsed donors and progressively more vigorous with donors who have not given in two or more years. Some examples:

    12-month lapsed
    "Your financial support in 2001 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."

    24-month 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 . . ."

    36-month 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."

    6. Tailor your ask
    Some of your lapsed donors will have given once and never again. Others will have given faithfully each month for years. Each donor demands a different letter. The more faithful your donor has been, the more that donor requires a personalized letter with a personalized ask amount. In other words, don't take the easy way out and ask a one-time donor and a 10-year supporter for the same amount, treating each one the same way. You could ask the one-time donor for a gift that's the same size as their last one. And you could ask the long-time supporter for a gift that's the same size as their smallest one, or their average gift over time, or their last one, and so on. I'll leave the decision to you.

    7. Win back their hearts and minds
    Lapsed donors need to be persuaded again to support your mission. You'll need to re-state your case for support, and address any reasons you know of for donors stopping their support.

    The two most important things to say in a recovery letter are that you miss the donor and that their support made a big difference in the lives of the people your organization serves. "A carefully crafted appeal that lets past donors know they are important, appreciated and missed almost always produces a net income," says Stanley Weinstein (The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management).

    © 2005 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the "About the author" message).

    Alan Sharpe is a professional fundraising letter writer who helps non-profits raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors using creative fundraising letters. Learn more about his services, view free sample fundraising letters, and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.fundraisingletters.org.

    In The News:

    pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    Five Keys To Leaner and Meaner Copywriting

    Grab 'em and don't lose 'em. Every marketer knows that... Read More

    Five Tips for Writing Eyeball-Grabbing Headlines

    If you made it this far, the headline for this... Read More

    Killer Business Headline Templates - So How Do You Write Killer Headlines in Minutes? You Cheat!

    According to Branding and Advertising legend, David Ogilvy: 5 times... Read More

    How You Can Find Freelance Copy Editing Jobs

    Even for those with the skills needed, finding copy editing... Read More

    How to Write Profitable Ads

    Regardless of how you look at it, the most important... Read More

    How To Find Freelance Copywriting Jobs

    Your goal is to land a few nice, secure freelance... Read More

    Headline Writing Can Lead To Fortunes: Here Are The Basics Of Writing Headlines

    Headlines attract attention. Headlines generate interest. The time spent writing... Read More

    Content is King

    IntroductionA pencil. Yes, a pencil. In my opinion, every great... Read More

    Do You Make These 5 Mistakes When Writing Sales Copy?

    Writing copy has sometimes been compared to an "art." While... Read More

    Better Copy: The Interview is the Key

    Most of us spend our days persuading others to buy... Read More

    Freelance Writers: Double Your Income

    Freelance writers are a strange group of people when it... Read More

    How You Can Find Freelance Children?s Writing Positions That Will Last

    Freelance children's writing positions are always advertised. Rather, the schooling... Read More

    Creative Copywriting?

    There is a difference between creative writing and copywriting. It... Read More

    19 Secrets to Making Your Ad Copy More Effective

    The sales letter is the key; the sales letter is... Read More

    Professional Copywriting Services - How to Provide Your Own

    Just because you're running a small business doesn't mean you... Read More

    Is Your Content Provider Selling You Ripped Content?

    Ripped content: well the term itself is self explanatory. Content... Read More

    11 Reasons Not to Hire a Freelance Copywriter (and Why Theyre All Poor Excuses)

    Think you can take the Copywriting Challenge on your own?... Read More

    Sticky Homepage Copy in 30 Seconds

    Yes indeed, that's all you've got, 30 seconds to make... Read More

    Writing Online In Two Syllables or Less

    About once a month I fly off somewhere to give... Read More

    On Copying and Stealing Designs

    The notion on the great artist, Pablo Picasso's quote, "Bad... Read More

    Sowing the Seeds of Opportunity: How to Multiply Your Freelance (Writing) Work

    You can turn your $200 fee to write a press... Read More

    Dont Forget The Copywriting

    Copywriting And Content CreationOne of the most important, but often... Read More

    Hooks, Lines & Sinkers

    Hands up if the title to this article made you... Read More

    Dont Be Satisfied With Your First Draft

    Sometimes it's a struggle to figure out what's the best... Read More

    How To Be Creative

    Network marketing is an art as much as it is... Read More

    SEO Copywriting: 7 Tips

    So you finally built a website for your home-based business.... Read More

    Who is Your Customer?

    When you want to sell something?anything? you need to first... Read More

    How to Get Instant Attention

    Most of us have seen a heckler at a baseball... Read More

    10 Keys to Copy That Sells!

    Whether you're selling a product or service, the 10 tips... Read More

    Kick-Starting Body Copy

    Several correspondents to our newsletter, AdBriefing, say that they are... Read More

    Copywriter Rates, Getting The Facts Beforehand

    Have you ever had the experience of hiring a freelance... Read More

    5 Critical Mistakes Most Freelance Copywriters Make

    Think you have what it takes to be a freelance... Read More

    Copywriting Makeover: Making An Emotional Connection - Part 2 of 2

    In part one of this article series we began looking... Read More