3 Top Analytics Techniques Every Fundraiser Should Know, Part 3

• Pre-lapsed — 10-12 months with no gift
• Lapsed — last gift was within 13-24 and 25-36 months
• Long lapsed — last gift was 37+ months ago: “Don’t give up on long lapsed donors,” Terpstra said.

It’s not news that reactivating lapsed donors is less expensive than acquiring new ones, but did you also know that reactivated lapsed donors typically have a much higher long-term value? To illustrate that point, Terpstra provided a case study example of an organization he worked with that analyzed its reactivated lapsed donors versus new donors. The reactivated donors had a higher annual renewal rate and a much higher average gift, resulting in a lifetime value after five years that was more than double that of new donors.