Dormant donors: bringing them back with a phone call

Note: general recommendations only, not professional advice. You are responsible for checking before use. The full text is at the end.

Who this is for

For nonprofits that raise money by phone: a small phone team, a few regular volunteers, or a fundraising call center. For a development manager, a call center lead or a volunteer coordinator. No technical background needed. You need the donor database (the organization's CRM, or Excel or Google Sheets), a ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini account, and a phone.

This method is about calls that people from the organization make to existing donors, people who have already given. It is not about automated dialing, recorded messages or reaching out to people who never knew the organization.

The problem in three lines

A donor who gave once and disappeared never got a call asking what happened. They just dropped off the list. When someone does call, the call opens with an ask, and the donor feels remembered only when money is needed. And after a round of calls nobody knows who answered, who asked not to be called, and who said "call me next month".

The method in 7 steps

Step 1: Define "dormant" and pull the list

What to do: Decide as an organization when a donor counts as dormant, and pull one list from the database by that definition.

How:

• Set one definition and write it down. For example: no gift in the last 12 to 18 months, but at least one gift before that. Or: had a standing order that ended or failed (an expired card, a returned charge) and was not renewed.
• Pull only the columns you need: donor ID, last gift date, last gift amount, how they gave, how they first joined, whether there was a standing order and what happened to it, and phone.
• Every row gets a fixed donor ID (for example T-0412). That ID follows the donor through every sheet and every piece of AI work.
• Save the list as a separate file, with the date in the file name.

Common mistake: Defining "dormant" as anyone who hasn't given since forever, including someone who gave once seven years ago. Start with the more recently dormant. They still remember the organization.

Step 2: Segment into groups that get different calls

What to do: Split the list into a few groups, so each group gets an opening and an ask that fit it.

How: Add a column called "Group". Groups worth starting with:

Two more columns that help: "How they joined" (an event, a campaign, a friend who brought them, the memory of someone) and "What they supported" (a specific program, if known).

Common mistake: Putting all dormant donors in one basket. A donor whose card simply expired needs a two-minute call. A donor who cancelled after five years needs to be listened to.

Step 3: Clean the list and respect anyone who asked not to be contacted

What to do: Before anyone picks up the phone, remove the people who shouldn't be called.

How:

• Remove anyone who asked in the past not to be called, in any channel they asked about. If you don't have such a list, open a "Do not contact" sheet now and connect every source to it: notes in the database, emails, previous calls.
• Remove donors who have passed away, as far as you know. A call like that hurts the family and the organization.
• Merge duplicates: the same person with two IDs, or partners who gave separately.
• Check that the phone number looks valid, and mark numbers that came back wrong before.
• Ask yourselves about each group: did these donors give us their phone number so we could call them back? If it isn't clear, that's a question for the lawyer before you start.

Common mistake: Thinking "they gave to us, so anything goes". A removal request is honoured immediately and for good, even if it came years ago and through another channel.

Step 4: A call that opens with thanks, not an ask

What to do: Build a call with four parts, in this order: thanks, a short update, a question, and a soft ask that fits the group.

How:

1. Thanks: Introduce yourself and the organization, and thank them for the gift they gave. If you know why they gave, mention it.
2. A short update: A sentence or two on what has happened since, from facts the organization has approved. Not slogans.
3. A question: "What has changed for you?" or "We wanted to hear how you see us today". Then stop talking and listen.
4. A soft ask: Only if the call fits. For example, renewing a standing order at a small amount, updating an expired card, or a one-time gift to a program they already knew.

Rules for everyone making calls:

• Listen more than you talk. A good call here is short, and doesn't always end with a gift.
• If the donor says "no", thank them and end warmly. Don't push a second time.
• Never record a call without the donor knowing, and don't record at all before checking with a lawyer what the rules are and what you need to say at the start of the call.
• Don't take credit card details over the phone unless the organization has a proper, secure procedure for it. Send a link through the organization's usual means.

Common mistake: Opening with "we're calling because we're running a campaign". The donor hears an ask right away, and listens only to find a way to end the call.

Step 5: A short script with branches

What to do: Write one basic script, and a short version for each group. The script has a ready answer for each of five situations: yes, not now, no, angry, asked to be removed.

How:

• The script is in the "Templates" section below. It's a starting point. Callers say it in their own words.
• AI helps tailor the opening and the ask to each group (prompt 1), and draft update lines from the facts the organization approved (prompt 2).
• Before you start, run a half-hour rehearsal: each caller plays a donor, and you practice mostly "no" and "angry".
• Every caller knows what to do with a removal request: mark it in the sheet that same moment, and never call again.

Common mistake: A long script read off the page. The donor can hear they're being read to, and the call turns into a speech. A good script fits on half a page.

Step 6: Log every call in one sheet, and follow up within 24 hours

What to do: Every call attempt is logged in one sheet, with a status from a fixed list. And after every call that turned into a real conversation, a follow-up goes out within a day.

How: The call sheet has columns: donor ID, group, date, caller, status, amount agreed (if any), short note, follow-up sent (yes or no), and call-back date.

A fixed list of statuses, as a dropdown:

• No answer
• Wrong number
• Talked, renewed or gave
• Talked, not now (with a call-back date)
• Talked, no
• Asked not to be contacted (moves immediately to the "Do not contact" sheet)
• Passed away or not relevant

Follow-up within 24 hours:

• For those who renewed or gave: a thank-you message, and a payment link if needed, through the means the organization already uses.
• For those who said "not now": a short message thanking them for the call, with no ask, and a calendar reminder for the agreed date.
• For those who said "no": a short thank-you for the call is fine. Nothing more.
• Before sending WhatsApp, SMS or email messages, check with a lawyer whether the message counts as "advertising" (דבר פרסומת) under Israel's Communications Law, and whether you have suitable consent from the donor. A message the donor asked for on the call (a payment link, for example) is different from a message sent to the whole list, and it's worth asking about both.

AI helps here with two things: turning a caller's quick notes into a tidy row in the sheet (prompt 3), and drafting the follow-up message (prompt 4).

Common mistake: Logging on sticky notes, in a personal WhatsApp or from memory. A week later nobody knows who asked to be removed, and someone calls them again.

Step 7: A weekly rhythm and simple metrics

What to do: Set a fixed calling window each week, and once a week look at the numbers by group.

How:

• A fixed window, for example two evenings a week, at hours when people answer. Check for yourselves which hours work for you.
• Every week: pull the people due for a call-back, continue down the list, and update the "Do not contact" sheet.
• Once a week, calculate five metrics from the sheet, separately for each group:
  • Reach rate: how many answered, out of how many you tried.
  • Conversation rate: how many real conversations there were, out of those who answered.
  • Renewal rate: how many renewed or gave, out of the conversations.
  • Average gift: among those who gave.
  • Removals: how many asked not to be contacted.
• Compare groups, not callers. If one group brings in a lot of removal requests, change its opening or stop calling it.
• AI writes a weekly summary from the numbers (prompt 6), and you check every number against the sheet.

Common mistake: Measuring only money. If the removal rate goes up, something in the call is wrong, even if the weekly total looks good.

Templates

Replace whatever is in square brackets. These are starting points: adapt them to the organization's voice and to the group.

Opening:
Hi [first name], this is [name] from [organization name]. Do you have two minutes?
(If not: "Of course, when would be a good time to call back?" Note it, and end.)

Thanks:
I'm calling first of all to say thank you. You gave to us [roughly when] for [what, if known], and it helped.

Update:
I wanted to tell you briefly what has happened since: [one or two sentences from the approved facts].

Question:
And how about you? What has changed for you since then?
(Listen. Don't interrupt.)

Soft ask (only if it fits):
[By group, see below]

Failed standing order:
We noticed the monthly charge stopped, probably because of [an expired card or a bank change]. Would you like us to send you a link to update it?

Cancelled standing order:
If it suits you, you could come back at a smaller amount, for example [small amount]. And if not, that's completely fine, we just wanted to say thank you.

One-time donors:
If you'd like to join [program] again, I'd be happy to send a link. No commitment at all.

Yes:
Thank you so much. I'm sending you [link or details] now by [channel the donor chose]. We'll update you in [when].

Not now:
Completely understood. When would be a good time to get back to you, if at all?
(Note a date. If there's no date, don't set one.)

No:
Thank you for your time, and thank you for what you gave in the past. Have a good day.

Angry:
I can hear this is upsetting you, and I'm sorry. [Listen, don't argue.] Would you like me to pass this on to [name of person in charge]?
(If the anger is about the call itself, move to removal.)

Asked to be removed:
Of course. I'm removing you from our phone list right now. Sorry for the interruption, and thank you.
(Mark "Asked not to be contacted" that same moment.)

Hi [first name],
Thank you for the call today, and thank you for coming back to be with us.
[If needed: here is the link to update or to give: [link from the organization's system]]
We'll update you in [when] about [the program].
[Signer's name], [role], [organization name]

Hi [first name],
Thank you for the call today. It was good to hear from you.
As we agreed, we'll get back to you in [when]. And if you'd rather we didn't, just write to us.
[Signer's name], [organization name]

Ready-made prompts

Replace whatever is in square brackets. Don't paste full names, phone numbers, ID numbers or payment details. Work with donor IDs only.

Here is our basic call script for dormant donors: [paste script].
Here is the group: [group name and short description, for example "standing order cancelled by the donor"].
Adapt the opening, the question and the soft ask to this group. The call opens with thanks, not an ask.
Up to 150 words, in plain spoken language. Don't add data or promises I didn't give you. Don't write pressure lines.

Here is a list of facts the organization has approved for use with donors: [paste].
Write eight short update lines for a phone call, each up to 20 words, starting with what happened rather than with "we".
Use only facts from the list. Don't round numbers and don't add descriptions. Next to each line, note which fact it came from.

Here are my quick notes from today's calls, by donor ID: [paste, with no names and no phone numbers].
Turn each note into a row with the columns: donor ID, status, amount agreed, short note (up to 12 words), call-back date.
The status must be one of these only: No answer, Wrong number, Talked renewed or gave, Talked not now, Talked no, Asked not to be contacted, Passed away or not relevant.
If the status isn't clear, write [to check]. Return it as a table I can paste into Google Sheets.

Here is our template for a message after [a renewal / "not now"]: [paste template].
Here are the details for each donor: ID, first name only, what was agreed on the call, and one detail that came up in the call: [paste].
Write a message for each donor following the template, up to 70 words. No further ask, no details I didn't give you.
Leave the payment link as [link], I'll add it.

One of our callers got stuck on a call. This is what the donor said, with no identifying details: [short description].
This is what the caller answered: [description].
Suggest two better answers, each up to 3 sentences, that respect the donor and don't push. If the donor asked not to be contacted, the only answer is to confirm the removal and end the call.

Here is this week's summary table from the call sheet, by group: attempts, answered, real conversations, renewed or gave, total amount, removal requests: [paste].
Calculate for each group: reach rate, conversation rate, renewal rate, average gift and removals.
Write a summary of up to 150 words: what worked, where there's a problem, and two changes for next week. Use only the numbers I gave you, and show the calculation.

Here is our script: [paste].
Check: does the call open with thanks? Is there a line that sounds like pressure or guilt? Is there a promise or a number that may not be accurate? Is it clear what to do when the donor asks to be removed?
Suggest short fixes only.

One-page checklist

Setup (once)

• A written definition of "dormant donor"
• A sorted list with a donor ID on every row
• "Group", "How they joined" and "What they supported" columns
• A "Do not contact" sheet updated from every source
• Duplicates merged, deceased donors and wrong numbers removed
• A basic script and a version for each group
• A rehearsal with the callers, including "no", "angry" and "removal"
• A call sheet with a fixed list of statuses
• Questions for the lawyer asked: recording, messages, consent

Every week

• A fixed calling window in the calendar
• Every call logged in the sheet the same day
• Removal requests moved immediately to "Do not contact"
• Follow-up sent within 24 hours
• The five metrics calculated for each group
• Only donor IDs pasted into AI, no full names or phone numbers

How you know it's working

Record your starting point before the first round, and measure from it. You measure the numbers in your own organization. There is no "right number" here to reach.

• Renewals: how many dormant donors came back to giving, in each group, after one month and after three months.
• Standing orders: how many failed or cancelled standing orders were renewed, and how many of them are still active a few months later.
• Removal requests: stay low and steady. A rise is a signal to check the opening and the group.
• Order in the sheet: every call attempt has a status, and every "not now" has a date or a decision not to call back.
• Time to follow-up: how many of the calls got a follow-up within 24 hours.
• What donors say: the reasons that come up again and again in calls ("I moved", "I never heard from you") are information worth more than the money from the round. Write them down.

Disclaimer

This content is general recommendations only, not professional, legal, accounting or tax advice. Every organization is different. You are responsible for checking that it fits your situation, and for checking the templates, scripts and prompts before use. The method here is about calls that people from the organization make to existing donors. For questions about automated dialing, recorded calls, call recording, SMS, WhatsApp and email messages, "advertising" under Israel's Communications Law, donor consent, using donor data and removal requests, consult a lawyer before you start. Outside tools and terms of service change, so check them at the source.