Rethinking the cancellation flow in the Donor Portal

Personalized cancellation messaging reduced downgrades, but not cancellations.

What we tested

Keeping a recurring supporter is one of the most valuable things a nonprofit can do — a single retained monthly gift can be worth far more over time than a new one-time donation. So the moment a supporter starts to cancel is a sensitive one: handled well, it can be a chance to remind them why they gave in the first place.

When a recurring supporter starts to cancel their gift, the Donor Portal shows a short flow designed to give them a reason to stay. We updated that flow to feel warmer and more motivating: a softer label on the cancel button, more encouraging copy inside the retention modal, and for the 76% of recurring plans tied to a tribute, the tribute's name surfaced in the modal heading as a personal reminder of who the gift supports.

The goal was simple: see whether a more empathetic, personalized moment at the point of cancellation could nudge more supporters to keep their recurring gift active, without disrupting the rest of the portal experience.

Hypothesis

If we soften the cancel button, remind supporters of their tribute, and add more motivating copy to the cancellation flow, the rate at which supporters move from viewing the cancel button to actually canceling their recurring plan will fall by 5%, because a more empathetic, personal moment gives them a reason to stay.

Test setup

Duration	45 days
Timing	February–March 2025
Audience	~30,000 recurring donots reaching the cancellation flow in the Donor Portal (English-language only)
Group split	• 50% control (current cancel button and copy) • 50% test (softer button label, more motivating copy, tribute name in the heading)
Key metrics	• Conversion to cancel subscription • Conversion to reduce recurring plan amount • Conversion to a new donation • Average Revenue Per User (ARPU)

Key results

The updated cancellation experience did not significantly change supporter retention.

−9.4% decrease in supporters reducing their recurring gift amount
No statistically significant change in recurring gift cancellations
No statistically significant change in new donation conversion
No statistically significant change in ARPU

The primary goal of reducing cancellations was not achieved.

Segment insights

One interesting signal emerged among tribute donors, where personalized reminders may have influenced behavior. However, traffic in this segment was too low to draw reliable conclusions.

A dedicated follow-up test focused on tribute donors is being considered.

Conclusion

The hypothesis was not confirmed.

Making the cancellation flow more empathetic and personalized did not reduce recurring gift cancellations. While fewer supporters chose to reduce their donation amount, the test did not produce a measurable improvement in donor retention overall.

Because the primary objective was not achieved, we will not roll out this version of the cancellation experience.

However, the results suggest there may be value in exploring more targeted personalization for tribute donors, which we plan to investigate further.

What this means for you

Donor retention remains one of our highest priorities. Every recurring donor retained represents more sustainable revenue and a stronger long-term relationship with your organization.

This test is a good example of how we approach retention optimization. Even ideas that seem intuitively effective, such as more empathetic messaging or personal reminders, must prove their impact through real donor behavior before they're rolled out.

We'll continue testing new ways to help supporters stay connected to the causes they care about, reduce cancellations, and strengthen long-term donor relationships.

→ Explore how the Donor Portal helps you build lasting donor relationships