Lapsed Donor Re-Engagement

New Prompt chain

Quickly turn a portfolio-wide list of donors who stopped giving into a clear next step for one of them: a giving summary, a likely reason they lapsed, outreach ready to send, and a scheduled follow-up.

This workflow turns a portfolio-wide retention signal into concrete action for one donor, so you're not stuck deciding who to prioritize or juggling separate tools to follow through. A few things make it work well:

  • Open the specific donor's record before asking for the giving summary or the email. Chat for Blackbaud AI reasons from that donor's actual data, so the response is noticeably sharper with a record open than with just a name typed in.

  • The giving history question can sometimes come back more general than expected, since Chat for Blackbaud AI sticks closely to recorded data. If that happens, frame the "why did they lapse" question around patterns, like a gap in giving, an ended campaign, or fewer event visits, rather than expecting one definitive cause. Chat for Blackbaud AI reasons from what's on file, not from information outside the record.

Note: The re-engagement email doesn't map to one dedicated content type behind the scenes, so tone and structure can vary between drafts; ask for a revision if it doesn't match your voice.

Tip iconTip: If you're planning to reach out to more than one lapsed donor, repeat this chain for each one individually rather than asking about several at once. The giving-summary and draft-email steps are built to focus on a single donor's record at a time.

Prompt

Show me LYBUNT donors in my portfolio.

Open and review the list. Decide which constituent you want to focus on.

For [NAME], summarize their giving history and likely reasons they lapsed.

Once you have a clear picture of why the donor lapsed, turn that insight into action.

Draft a re-engagement email for [NAME].

After reviewing the draft, ask for the follow-up call as a separate request.

Create a follow-up call action for [NAME] for next week.

Now you're ready to reach out and keep the relationship moving forward.

Sample Response

Prompt 1

Prompt 2

Emily Erickson has given consistently over three consecutive years, with a first gift of $5,000 on 5/19/2023 and a latest gift of $9,000 on 5/19/2025. Her lifetime giving is $21,000, all received, and her largest gift is also $9,000.

The record doesn’t state a specific reason for the lapse, but it does show she is tagged as an undergiving prospect and at-risk donor, which suggests she may be giving below her potential or may need renewed stewardship. Her giving likelihood is still Excellent, so there’s a strong opportunity to re-engage her thoughtfully and move her back into active support.

Prompt 3

Emily has shown meaningful commitment with 3 consecutive years of giving and $21,000 in lifetime giving, including a last gift of $9,000 on 5/19/2025. Her open opportunities also suggest interest in larger, mission-centered support, with asks around $21,900–$22,000 and expected support at $10,000. That makes this a strong moment to re-engage with appreciation, impact, and a clear invitation to reconnect.

[Draft of Email re-engagement message]

Prompt 4