How to run LYBUNT and SYBUNT reports

Running a successful nonprofit requires not only growing your supporter base but also retaining those supporters year after year. To do this, you need to convert audience members into first-time donors and keep them coming back.

Nonprofit leaders track two acronyms to measure donor retention: LYBUNT and SYBUNT. In this article, we will explain why LYBUNT and SYBUNT matter, how to track them, and the tools you need to gain insights into your supporter base.

What does LYBUNT AND SYBUNT mean?

• LYBUNT meaning (pronounced lie-bunt): LYBUNT stands for “Last year but unfortunately not this year,” and tracks donors who gave the previous year but did not give this fiscal year.
• SYBUNT meaning (pronounced sigh-bunt): SYBUNT stands for “Some year but unfortunately not this year,” and refers to audience members who donated at some point in the past but have not made a contribution this year.

Even though SYBUNT vs LYBUNT donors are slightly different, tracking both groups can help you better predict yearly donations and get closer to your annual fundraising goal.

Why do LYBUNT and SYBUNT matter, anyway?

Put simply, running LYBUNT and SYBUNT reports allows you to identify and target donors who have lapsed but are most likely to give again.

Visualize potential donors within a funnel. At the top of the funnel are those members who are just becoming familiar with your organization and mission. As you develop a deeper relationship with potential donors, they move down the funnel until you reach the point of conversion (donating to your cause).

Individuals within your LYBUNT and SYBUNT reports list are at the bottom of your funnel. Both groups have expressed interest and completed their first-time donation. Therefore, they likely still care about your mission. You just need to figure out why they stopped giving and determine the best outreach strategy to reconnect them to your cause.

While these contributions might not help you reach your year-end goals, targeting LYBUNT and SYBUNT lists can jumpstart your fundraising efforts for the upcoming calendar year.

6 tools you need to run SYBUNT and LYBUNT reports

As previously stated, to understand your SYBUNT and LYBUNT segments and engage lapsed donors, you’ll need a donor database or CRM system. Fortunately, Givebutter offers robust donor management tools and the world’s first free nonprofit CRM to help you better understand, track, and communicate with your audience.

To leverage Givebutter’s built-in CRM to push your LYBUNT and SYBUNT groups over the finish line, be sure to take advantage of these features:

1. Donor segments 🔎

To run a LYBUNT report, filter donor giving history by "last year." Then, compare those who gave last year to those who didn't give this year to create a LYBUNT segment. Your SYBUNT segment will include past donors who did not give this year or last year.

Givebutter's CRM comes with robust donor segmenting features and even includes LYBUNT and SYBUNT as preset donor segments. You can identify (and re-engage!) these groups with just the click of a button.

2. Advanced filtering 🔎

While Givebutter's reporting function includes LYBUNT and SYBUNT segments, you can create your own saved segments using advanced filtering to target donors even more precisely.

Organize donors into customized groups based on their contribution history, event attendance, contact tags, custom fields, or other contact details. You can then use these segments to generate donor reports, send targeted messages, and improve overall engagement and donor stewardship.

3. Targeted messages 📪

After saving your LYBUNT and SYBUNT segments, you can steward them through targeted messaging. Givebutter's built-in marketing automation tools allow you to re-engage lapsed donors and inspire them to make another gift to your organization.

You can send your audience free SMS messages, emails, or invitations to upcoming fundraising events to help move them further down the pipeline.

4. Automated thank yous 📩

One of the easiest ways to transform one-time supporters into recurring donors is by thanking them for their contribution.

Givebutter makes it easy to boost your donor retention rate by automatically sending donation receipts after every transaction, which can be customized with a quick “thank you” message and your organization’s branding.

⭐ Pro tip: Want an innovative way to express your gratitude? Leverage Givebutter’s integration with ThankView to create a thank-you video for new and recurring supporters.

5. DonorSearch 💪

Want to learn even more about the giving capacity of lapsed donors? Givebutter’s integration with DonorSearch allows you to uncover valuable wealth screening metrics about your audience.

That way, you can uncover potential major donors in your audience and tailor your SYBUNT or LYBUNT messaging strategy based on a donor’s giving capacity.

6. End-of-year reports 📆

Providing donors with a clear view of the impact of their previous donations can increase the likelihood of future donations. A SYBUNT or LYBUNT report is particularly useful for sharing this information with lapsed donors and influencing next year’s fundraising strategy.

Fortunately, Givebutter offers an easy way to generate end-of-year reports to share with your donors. You can run individual or household giving reports directly from your dashboard, share reports via PDF or a unique link, and even customize reports with your organization’s logo.

Run your LYBUNT and SYBUNT reports through Givebutter

To hit your fundraising goals, you need to know which supporters are most likely to give. There are two segments—LYBUNT and SYBUNT—that target groups that have given before and are more likely to give again with the right outreach strategy.

With Givebutter’s donor management tools and built-in CRM, you can store donor data, filter contacts by giving history, run year-end reports, and track LYBUNT and SYBUNT donors using built-in segments. Then, you can leverage Givebutter’s marketing tools to launch a donor stewardship strategy combining email automation, SMS messaging, social media, and more.

Ready to see how Givebutter’s all-in-one platform can help transform your fundraising? Set up your free account today.