LYBUNT & SYBUNT Reports

Quick answer: LYBUNT (Last Year But Unfortunately Not This year) and SYBUNT (Some Year But Unfortunately Not This year) reports identify donors who gave in a prior period but haven’t given in the current period — they power targeted win-back outreach and help you prioritize reengagement.

What is LYBUNT & SYBUNT Reports?

LYBUNT and SYBUNT reports are donor lists that flag supporters who gave in a previous timeframe but did not give during a current comparison period. LYBUNT usually means “gave last year but not this year,” while SYBUNT covers donors who gave in some past year but not the comparison year you’re running. These reports surface who to prioritize for win-back appeals, stewardship checks, and personalized outreach.

Fundraising teams, development officers, and database managers run LYBUNT/SYBUNT queries when reviewing annual giving, planning year-end and GivingTuesday campaigns, or preparing segmented appeals. The reports can be simple exported lists or dynamic segments in your CRM that include giving history, last gift date, gift amounts, and communication notes. Used regularly, LYBUNT and SYBUNT reports turn what looks like attrition into actionable opportunity: you can test messaging, timing, and channels to bring supporters back into the giving fold.

Why LYBUNT & SYBUNT Reports matters for nonprofits

Knowing which donors slipped away is practical and mission-focused. Instead of broad, wasteful appeals, LYBUNT and SYBUNT reporting points your outreach at people who already know and support your cause. That saves time, raises more predictable income, and protects relationships that took effort to build.

These reports are especially important during year-end and Q4 campaigns — including GivingTuesday — when donors review their charitable priorities and are most likely to reengage. Without clear LYBUNT/SYBUNT data, you risk missing timely opportunities to reconnect with warm prospects and misallocating limited fundraising resources. Run these reports regularly and you’ll shift from guessing who might give again to making confident, donor-centered asks that improve your retention and long-term revenue.

How LYBUNT & SYBUNT Reports work in practice

Scenario: The Lakeside Food Pantry, a mid-sized nonprofit with 1,800 supporters, wants to boost year-end income and reengage past donors. Their development officer runs two queries in the CRM:

1. LYBUNT list: donors who gave in 2024 but not in 2025.

1. SYBUNT list: donors who gave in any prior year but didn’t give in 2025.

Each record includes last gift date, last gift amount, preferred contact method, and recent communication notes. The team segments the LYBUNT list into high-, mid-, and low-dollar tiers. They send a personalized letter and an email to high-tier LYBUNTs referencing last year’s impact, a tailored email to mid-tier donors with a short update, and a re-engagement social post for low-dollar past supporters. They track responses and move reactivated donors into a stewardship track.

Running the reports before GivingTuesday and year-end appeals helped Lakeside target asks, reduce mail costs, and increase reactivation rates — turning lapsed donors into reliable supporters again.

LYBUNT & SYBUNT Reports: key metrics and benchmarks

• LYBUNT/SYBUNT count: Number of donors flagged in the query. Use year-over-year change as your primary baseline.

• Last gift recency: Time since the donor’s most recent gift; shorter recency usually predicts higher reactivation likelihood.

• Average gift of reactivated donors: Compare to your overall average gift to measure value of reengaged supporters.

• Response rate by channel: Email, direct mail, phone, and social will have different performance; track by segment.

Note: The overall donor retention rate in 2024 was estimated at 42.9%; use industry figures as directional only and verify them against your organization’s own data.

Related nonprofit terms

lapsed-donor A donor who gave in a prior period but hasn’t given within your organization’s defined “active” timeframe.

donor-retention The percentage of donors who give again to your organization from one period to the next.

donor-management-software A CRM built for nonprofits that stores donor records, giving history, and communications to support fundraising and stewardship.

donation-button An online call-to-action on your website or email that allows donors to give electronically.

How Bloomerang helps you identify and reengage LYBUNT & SYBUNT donors

Bloomerang CRM provides easy reporting and segmentation tools to identify LYBUNT and SYBUNT donors, track donor timelines and giving history, and build targeted lists for win-back appeals. Use donor profiles and communication tracking to personalize LYBUNT letters and automate follow-up outreach to reengage lapsed supporters.

Specifically, Bloomerang’s segmentation and reporting let you create dynamic LYBUNT/SYBUNT lists by date ranges and gift criteria, export tiered appeals, and log outreach so every team member sees the donor’s recent contacts and responses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between LYBUNT and SYBUNT?

LYBUNT typically refers to donors who gave last year but not this year. SYBUNT refers to donors who gave in some prior year(s) but not in the comparison period you’re running. LYBUNT is a subset of SYBUNT when the reference year is “last year.”

How do I build a LYBUNT list in my CRM?

Query donors by last gift date and exclude anyone who gave in the current comparison period. Include fields like last gift amount, contact preference, and recent notes to prioritize outreach. Save the query as a dynamic segment to reuse for future campaigns.

When should we run LYBUNT & SYBUNT reports?

Run them at least quarterly, and always before key fundraising moments like year-end and GivingTuesday. Monthly checks can catch recent lapses and let you test targeted re-engagement tactics more frequently.

Will LYBUNT appeals annoy donors who stopped giving for a reason?

Not if you personalize and respect preferences. Use giving history and notes to tailor messaging, offer easy ways to opt out of appeals, and focus on reconnection rather than guilt. Well-timed, value-driven outreach reopens conversation more often than it burns bridges.

How do I measure whether LYBUNT campaigns are working?

Track reactivation rate, average gift of reactivated donors, and long-term retention of those reengaged. Compare performance across channels and segments to refine who you ask, how you ask, and when.

The bottom line

LYBUNT & SYBUNT reports identify past donors who haven’t given in a chosen comparison period, making them your highest-potential targets for win-back outreach. They matter because reconnecting a known supporter is usually faster and cheaper than acquiring a new donor. Start by running a LYBUNT query, segmenting by gift size and recency, and sending a personalized re-engagement ask.