Lapsed or Dormant? Leveraging Statistical Analysis in Fundraising

[Editor's note: This article is based on the session "Lapsed or Dormant? The Impact of Fundraising Efforts on Donation Activity" held Friday at the 2011 Washington Nonprofit Conference.]

Bob hasn’t made a donation to a particular nonprofit organization in three years, while Mary last contributed to the organization five years ago. On the surface, it might seem that Bob is a better prospect for future donations, since he has contributed more recently. On the other hand, perhaps the organization could spark Mary’s interest again and get her to re-engage after her five-year absence. So, which of the organization’s donors should be the focus of its development efforts?