Why it matters
A reactivated donor is worth treating like a new one. They have just told you they still care, but the habit is fragile. Thank them quickly and personally, mention that you noticed they came back, and plan a second touch.
Reactivation works best when it is specific. Name the last gift, say what it did, and tell them what is different now. Asking every lapsed donor the same way, every year, teaches them to ignore you.
How Steward shows it
When a donor at the Lapsed stage gives again, Steward moves them out of Lapsed automatically and logs that move on their timeline, so the team can see who just came back and thank them properly.
Related terms
- Lapsed donor A lapsed donor is someone who gave to your organization in the past but has not given within the period you expect, most often twelve months or more.
- 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.
- Stewardship Stewardship is everything a nonprofit does after a gift arrives: thanking the donor, showing them what the gift did, and keeping the relationship warm so they choose to give again.
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.