Engaged donors are the lifeblood of every nonprofit. When they lapse, mission impact suffers.
That was the challenge facing the American Lung Association (ALA)—a national leader in the fight for lung health—when years of declining engagement left their donor pipeline in crisis.
Over 75% of ALA’s donor base had gone inactive, and new donors were dropping off almost as quickly as they were acquired. To reverse this trend, ALA turned to Sequence Consulting to design a comprehensive strategy to win back lapsed donors, strengthen retention, and rebuild a sustainable base of support.
Diagnosing the Challenge: An Inactive and Disconnected Donor Base
ALA’s data revealed a troubling picture:
75% of donors had gone inactive, with minimal engagement for over a year.
Retention rates were falling, especially among first-time donors.
New donors churned rapidly, reflecting weak onboarding and low early engagement.
Without a strategic approach to reactivation, even the strongest fundraising campaigns would continue to fall short. The organization needed a data-driven plan—and the internal capability—to transform donor relationships at scale.
The Solution: A Unified Data Strategy for Engagement and Growth
Working closely with ALA’s marketing leadership, Sequence Consulting developed a clear roadmap to rebuild donor relationships through targeted, personalized communication and data-driven engagement.
Using ALA’s investment in Salesforce Marketing Cloud as a foundation, Sequence created a unified strategy that combined technology, data, and strategy to drive measurable results.
1. Closing Data Gaps
Sequence began by auditing and cleansing ALA’s donor data.
Clean, complete, and consistent data enabled accurate segmentation, targeted messaging, and reliable performance tracking.
2. Re-Engagement Roadmap
With data integrity restored, Sequence worked with ALA to create a full reactivation strategy:
Segmented audiences based on past giving, engagement, and motivation.
Crafted personalized, mission-driven campaigns for each donor type.
Defined clear performance metrics and success benchmarks.
3. Real-Time Performance Dashboard
Sequence designed an intuitive reporting dashboard that gave ALA leadership real-time visibility into donor engagement, response rates, and retention trends—empowering the team to make data-informed decisions at every step.
Engaging Donors with Personalized Campaigns
With the new data and strategy in place, Sequence helped ALA launch a suite of personalized digital campaigns designed to rebuild donor loyalty and inspire renewed commitment.
Welcome and Win-Back Journeys
A dynamic welcome stream engaged new donors immediately—gathering insights, reinforcing impact, and increasing early retention.
A lapsed donor reactivation campaign used behavioral data to tailor outreach, reconnecting donors to ALA’s mission and success stories.
Personalized Content and Drip Campaigns
Donors received targeted email sequences built around their history, interests, and engagement level. The result was stronger emotional connection, higher open and click rates, and a steady increase in repeat giving.
Building Capacity for Long-Term Success
Beyond the immediate campaigns, Sequence helped ALA build the internal systems and skills to sustain success:
Set achievable KPIs for reactivation, retention, and acquisition.
Trained ALA’s team to use Marketing Cloud strategically, ensuring continued success after the engagement.
Built a culture of data-driven decision-making, turning insights into action across the fundraising team.
“Years later, we are still benefiting from their work. Sequence helped us chart a strategic path that empowered our team and exceeded expectations.”
Julia Fitzgerald, CMO, American Lung Association
Results: A 50% Surge in Active Donors
The transformation was dramatic and measurable. Within two years, the American Lung Association achieved:
50% Growth in Active Donors — expanding the donor base and stabilizing long-term revenue.
8% Reactivation of Lapsed Donors — including supporters inactive for years.
Record Engagement Rates — email open and click-through rates reached new highs.
Stronger Retention — first-year and multi-year retention increased significantly.
Sustained Growth Pipeline — with 4,000 new donors joining every month, ALA built a reliable foundation for continued success.
The result: a revitalized, sustainable donor program that continues to deliver long-term impact.
Key Takeaways for Associations and Nonprofits
The American Lung Association’s story shows how data, technology, and strategy can reignite donor relationships and drive growth.
Key lessons:
Data drives engagement: Clean, organized data is the foundation of personalization and retention.
Personalization matters: Targeted, relevant messaging reconnects lapsed donors and inspires loyalty.
Empowered teams sustain success: Building internal capability ensures long-term impact beyond technology.
For nonprofits looking to re-engage lapsed donors or members, the ALA’s experience proves that strategic investments in data, segmentation, and tailored communication deliver powerful, lasting results.
To read more about how Sequence can help re-engage lapsed members, please see Baby, Come Back! How to Win Back Lapsed Members and Why You Should.
