From Lost to Found: Turning Lapsed Donors into Loyal Supporters

Why do 57% of donors decide not to donate after their first contribution?

As somebody who worked in fundraising, this statistic stopped me in my tracks.

I remember how hard it was to attract and convert new donors. All the time creating content, crafting appeals, developing relationships, going to lunches, presenting to new audiences - just for them to give once and then ghost your organization? It makes me cringe!

In the world of fundraising, it can be disheartening to see once-dedicated contributors slip away. But fear not, because there is hope! With the right strategies and a well-executed plan, you can transform those lost donors into enthusiastic advocates for your cause.

In this article, we will explore proven techniques for rekindling the relationship with lapsed donors and getting them back on board. From personalized communication to compelling storytelling, we will uncover the secrets to reignite their passion and commitment.

Do you struggle to stand out on Giving Tuesday?  
Are you worried about donor fatigue at year-end?  
Are limited resources and technology hurdles holding your campaign back? 

As the Nonprofit Development Specialist at Carnegie Investment Counsel, I often hear these concerns. So when NXUnite reached out to me to be a panelist on their webinar, "The Final Push: Preparing for Giving Tuesday," I jumped at the opportunity!  

It was a great event where we shared strategies, trends, and innovative approaches that can help set your Giving Tuesday efforts up for success. I was joined by some seasoned development professionals who have been around the Giving Tuesday block many times: Laurie Hochman, Marketing Director from Auctria, and Kel Haney, Senior Consultant at Donorly. Along with our moderator, Colleen Carol from Nexus Marketing, we shared insights and ideas you can adapt to fit your campaign, including: 

• Effective Giving Tuesday campaign strategies. 
• Tech and tools to support your Giving Tuesday efforts. 
• How to measure impact and success after the day. 

But don’t worry if you missed it. You can watch the recording here or read on. In this article, I’ll share our insights so you can be ready for Giving Tuesday! 

In July of 2023, Carnegie Investment Counsel has added a team member dedicated to helping nonprofit clients maximize their development efforts. The company is proud to welcome Megan Lencoski as its new Nonprofit Development Specialist. With Lencoski on board, nonprofit clients of Carnegie Investment Counsel now have access to consulting on revenue growth and fundraising strategies to increase their impact. 

Are you a nonprofit looking to increase your funds and generate additional revenue? Investing or creating an endowment may be something you’ve considered, but you may not know where to start. If you’re asking “what is investment management for nonprofits?” it’s smart to learn more about maximizing your returns while maintaining your charitable mission. In this article, we dive into if nonprofits can invest, why effective nonprofit investment management is important and we offer four tips to help you manage your organization’s funds.

Are you a small nonprofit wondering if you're too small to establish an endowment fund? The truth is endowments are not only for large organizations. Small nonprofits can benefit greatly from setting up a nonprofit endowment fund. In this blog post, we discuss the misconceptions small nonprofits have about endowments and the benefits they can provide for financial stability, sustainability and attracting donors.

In our last post, we discussed what the great wealth transfer is and why your nonprofit should start preparing now. Here are five ways to prepare for the great wealth transfer so you can maximize your potential donations.

In the upcoming decades, older generations are expected to pass on the largest amount of wealth in history. This wealth will be left to younger generations, taxes and nonprofits, changing the landscape of philanthropy in more ways than one. If your nonprofit isn’t prepared for this shift in paradigm, you will find it more difficult to raise the funds you need. In this article, we discuss what the great wealth transfer is and why you should begin preparing now.

Last updated: February 6, 2026 with the most current data available.

Growing your nonprofit endowment is important for the long-term success of your organization. By providing sustainable funding, an endowment allows you to spend less time worrying about finances and more time accomplishing your mission.

Many organizations make the mistake of not utilizing their current fundraising campaigns to increase their nonprofit investment. Every special event, giving day, and year-end appeal should be used as a chance to increase the impact of your endowment.

Giving Tuesday is a great opportunity to educate and inspire your donors. They need to know they have the opportunity to give a gift now that will live on into perpetuity. No need to do all the work of a special endowment campaign! Here are a few tactics you can use to leverage Giving Tuesday to promote your nonprofit endowment.

Every year, many Americans are required by law to withdraw money they have no immediate need for. This leaves a great opportunity for nonprofits to increase their revenue by tapping into money already on the table.

In this article, we’ll explain what Qualified Charitable Distributions are, how they benefit your organization, and how to attract more of them. We’ll even share a free QCD Appeal Letter Template for you to send to your donors and raise more money!

You invest a lot of resources in acquiring new major donors: 

• Hosting events
• Implementing marketing campaigns and ads
• Spending immense amounts of time building relationships, meeting with donors, following up with them and engaging with them
• Creating and printing informative materials, such as brochures, website content, email nurture campaigns, success stories and so on
• Attending outreach events and community presentations

And the list goes on.

But once your hard work pays off and a person makes a donation, what happens next? Most organizations will send a form thank you letter on letterhead, or maybe a handwritten thank you card. However, once that thank you is sent, most organizations immediately direct their energy back on acquiring new donors. This results in the newly converted donor being left in the shadows, forgotten about and never engaged with again.