Why it matters
Lapsed donors already know you, which makes them easier to reach than strangers. Many will give again if someone asks them personally and tells them what has happened since their last gift.
Sort your lapsed list by how recently each person gave and how much. A donor who lapsed last spring after five years of giving is a phone call. A donor who gave once, eight years ago, is a light-touch letter at most. Spend your time where the relationship is warmest.
How Steward shows it
Steward moves a donor who has stopped giving to the Lapsed stage on its own and logs the move. It skips anyone with an open ask or anyone an officer moved forward since their last gift. A view on the Donors list gathers your lapsed donors, and the LYBUNT and SYBUNT reports list them with their history.
Related terms
- Donor lapse Donor lapse is the moment a donor stops giving for longer than you would expect, usually a full year or more without a gift. The donor is then called lapsed.
- Reactivation Reactivation is when a lapsed donor gives again after a gap, usually a year or more. It also names the outreach you do to make that second start happen.
- SYBUNT SYBUNT stands for "some year but unfortunately not this year." It is a donor who gave in some past year, but not last year and not yet this year.
The free Lost & Found audit reads a giving export in your browser and shows your lapsing donors and what they used to give. Nothing is uploaded. Then bring the same file to a 20-minute demo.