You remember their name. You shook their hand at the gala. They gave generously that year—and then, nothing.

Every university or non-profit has a list of LYBUNTS (“Last Year But Unfortunately Not This Year”) and SYBUNTS (“Some Year But Unfortunately Not This”) like this. Former donors who once felt deeply connected but haven’t responded in years. These aren’t cold leads. These are your people. The question isn’t why they left—it’s how you bring them back.

The Quiet Crisis of Dormant Donors

It’s more common than you think. According to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (2023), the average donor retention rate across nonprofits is just 42.6%. For first-time donors, it’s even lower—only 20.3% give again.

According to Bloomerang and Nonprofit Source:

• 53% stopped giving because the organization didn’t seem to need them.
• 36% felt they weren’t connected to the mission anymore.
• 13% said they were never thanked.

And yet, many of these donors haven’t truly disengaged. They’ve simply changed—and your data hasn’t kept up.

What If You Could See Them Clearly—Today?

Imagine being able to spot:

• An alum who just became partner at a top law firm.
• A former donor who moved to a new city with rising philanthropic circles.
• A lapsed supporter who’s now in a new income tier, looking to give back.

“We hadn’t heard from him in five years. After updating our data, we found out he just made partner. That one email? Turned into a $25K gift.”

This is what BRD helps make possible.

From Dormant to Dynamic: How BRD Reignites Relationships

BRD turns outdated donor lists into living, breathing profiles—so your outreach is based on who someone is now, not who they were.

1. Enrich with Context

We pull from verified third-party data sources to enhance your records with:

• Current profession and seniority
• Wealth indicators and giving potential
• Updated contact and location details
• Recent career milestones and affiliations

2. Segment with Strategy

Once enriched, BRD helps you build actionable, insight-driven segments like:

• “Alumni in Private Equity under 40”
• “Healthcare professionals in top metro areas”
• “Lapsed donors with newly increased wealth”

3. Engage with Meaning

Forget mass emails. These segments enable campaigns that resonate:

• Mission-matching: Connect causes to their evolving values.
• Affinity-based asks: Target professional or regional pride.
• Personalized storytelling: Reflect their journey and impact.

Dormant ≠ Disconnected

Most donors don’t remember the moment they stopped giving. But they’ll remember the moment they felt seen again.

That’s the moment BRD helps you create.

At BRD, we help institutions clean up their records and maximize their fundraising, engagement, and career services impact.

Want to see how clean data can transform your institution’s success? Let’s chat.