Each month the workflow pulls donors who gave last year (or some year) but not this year, segments them by last gift and interest, and drafts a short personal note for each segment, with a direct ask to renew. Staff approve the drafts, then they send from the CRM or email tool with a follow-up if there's no response.
Tools used
Bloomerang, Little Green Light or DonorPerfect (LYBUNT/SYBUNT reports)
Mailchimp or Constant Contact
Zapier or Make
ChatGPT or Claude
Expected outcome · Typical goal
Typical goal: more of last year's donors renew before December, and staff stop sending one generic 'we miss you' blast to everyone.
Setup notes
Start from the CRM's LYBUNT/SYBUNT report and segment by recency (13-24 months vs. older), last gift size and program interest. 3-5 segments is plenty.
Exclude anyone with an active pledge, recurring gift, do-not-solicit flag or recent complaint before drafting.
Two touches max per cycle: a personal-sounding email, then a short reminder 10-14 days later. Higher-value lapsed donors get a call task instead.
Email rules: CAN-SPAM technically covers commercial messages, but follow its basics anyway (accurate From line, physical address, working unsubscribe) and keep marketing opt-outs synced between your CRM and email tool.
Charitable solicitation: North Carolina generally requires a license from the NC Secretary of State Charities Division before soliciting (with an exemption for organizations under $50,000 in annual contributions that pay no officers or fundraisers, which still requires an exemption letter). South Carolina requires annual registration with the SC Secretary of State unless exempt. Confirm status before an AI-assisted appeal goes to donors in either state.
Donor privacy: send only the fields the AI needs (first name, gift amount/date, designation). Don't paste full donor lists, notes on health or family situations, or payment details into a consumer chatbot; use a business/API plan that doesn't train on your data, and honor any donor request not to be shared or contacted.
Prompt / agent config
Replace the {placeholders} with your own details.
You are drafting a re-engagement email for {Org} in {city}. Segment: donors who last gave {timeframe}, typical gift {range}, interest {program}. Write (1) a subject line under 45 characters, (2) a 90-120 word email that thanks them for past support, shares ONE concrete update from these facts: {update_facts}, and asks them to renew with a gift of {suggested_amount} at {link}. Personal, not guilt-driven, no 'we noticed you stopped giving'. Merge fields: {first_name}, {last_gift_year}. Then write a 50-word follow-up for non-responders. Don't invent statistics or beneficiary stories.
Last reviewed October 16, 2026. Tool names and features change; check vendor docs before you build.
Where I set this up
I build this for businesses across the Charlotte metro and nearby NC/SC towns, remote or in person by appointment:
AI helps turn one core year-end story into segmented versions (first-time donors, monthly donors, lapsed, mid-level, volunteers) for email, letter and social, plus a GivingTuesday schedule. Every version pulls from facts staff supply, and merge fields handle personalization in the email tool.
The workflow spots one-time donors who give repeatedly and invites them to go monthly, and asks steady monthly donors to make a modest increase around their giving anniversary. It also catches failed card payments and sends a polite update-your-card note before the gift lapses.
Every online or offline gift triggers a personalized thank-you email within a day, with the required receipt language built in. Gifts above a threshold you set also create a task for a board member or the ED to call or handwrite a note. AI drafts the personal line; the receipt wording comes from a fixed template.
Non-profits · low complexity
One practical AI use case a month, for Charlotte-area businesses.