Fundraising 101: 10 Things You Need to Know About Reactivating Lapsed Donors

4. Solicitation frequency
Target Analytics' research indicates that there often is an inverse relationship between the frequency of solicitation and donor retention or movement to ultimate giving potential. Many people recommend that you solicit for the second gift as you thank for the first, but what effect does that have on your retention rate? If your goal is to maximize the number of donors annually without fearing high attrition rates, that may be one strategy (not mine), but it is unlikely to result in donor growth and success in major and planned giving. Think before you ask over and over — it might not create the best image for your organization and flies in the face of donor-
centered fundraising. It is important to fully understand how your organization solicits through all channels — direct mail, telemarketing and e-mail/Internet — and investigate opportunities in order to reduce and simplify solicitation activity.