How do I segment and list my supporters?

Split supporters into groups such as recent, lapsed and volunteer donors. Smart lists refill themselves from filters in your CRM.

You segment supporters by splitting your database into groups that share something useful: they gave recently, gave monthly, lapsed, volunteer, or live nearby. Each group then gets a message that fits. In WeGlow CRM you do this with smart lists: a filter such as "gave in the last six months" that refills itself, so you never rebuild a list by hand.

Why segment at all?

A first-time donor, a ten-year member and a company sponsor should not receive the same message. When everyone gets everything, many people tune out. Segments let you thank, ask and update in a way that matches the relationship. They also save time: one well-built list replaces a monthly afternoon of copy-pasting.

Which segments are worth building first?

Start with a handful. Each one answers a question you ask yourself every month.

Recent donors. Gave in the last 30 or 90 days. Use it for thank-you calls and impact updates.
Lapsed donors. Gave twelve to twenty-four months ago, not since. A gentle "we miss you" is worth a try.
First-time donors. Your best chance to turn one gift into a habit.
Monthly or recurring givers. They deserve a different tone, more like insiders than prospects.
Bigger givers. A short list for personal contact by a board member or director.
Donors who also volunteer. Often your most loyal supporters.

The thresholds are yours to choose. What counts as "bigger" depends on your organisation, so look at your own gift sizes rather than copying a rule from elsewhere.

How do smart lists work in WeGlow CRM?

In the Lists section you create a list from filters. WeGlow lists support filters on donation period, tags and custom fields. Because the list is evaluated from the filter, people move in and out as their data changes. Someone who gave yesterday appears in "recent donors"; in six months they drop out without anyone touching a spreadsheet.

System lists come ready-made, so you do not start with a blank page.
Hidden lists keep your overview tidy when you build lists for one-off use.
Bulk actions let you act on everyone in a list at once, for example adding a tag.
Snapshots record the size of a list over time, so you can see whether your group of recent donors is growing.

Tags and custom fields: the raw material

Lists are only as good as the data behind them. Tags are the quickest tool: "gala 2026", "walked for us", "board contact". Custom fields hold structured facts that are specific to your cause, such as a school year or a preferred language. A good habit is to tag people at the moment something happens, instead of cleaning up months later.

Can Glowie help?

Glowie, WeGlow's mascot assistant, shows suggestions for lists you might want to create. You see the suggestion, decide whether it makes sense for your organisation and confirm it. Nothing is created without your say-so.

A small plan you can finish this week

Import your supporter file (see our article on moving from Excel to a CRM).
Create three lists: recent donors, lapsed donors, and donors who also volunteer.
Write down one action for each: a thank-you call, a reactivation message, a volunteer appreciation note.
Look at the snapshots after a month and adjust the filters.

What does it cost?

WeGlow CRM starts from €29 per month (excl. VAT) for up to 1,000 contacts, with €59 for up to 5,000, €89 for up to 10,000 and €149 for up to 25,000. Check the current prices in your dashboard, then try building your first smart list.

Common segmentation mistakes

The first mistake is building lists nobody uses. The second is building a list with no action behind it: a segment only helps if you know what you will do with it.

The third is forgetting that people change. A lapsed donor who gave again last week should not receive your reactivation message. Smart lists solve that last one automatically, because they are recalculated from the filter each time. Also check now and then that your tags still mean what you think they mean.

How many segments is too many?

If you cannot say in one sentence what a list is for, you do not need it. Three to six active lists are plenty for most small non-profits.

Can I segment people who have no email address?

Yes. A contact can exist without an email address, and filters on gifts, tags or custom fields do not depend on it. Of course you cannot email them.

Is it allowed to segment donors under the GDPR?

Grouping your own supporters for relevant messages is common practice, but you still need a lawful basis for each type of contact and must honour objections to direct marketing (in Dutch). This is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

EUR-Lex: GDPR: lawful basis and the right to object to direct marketing (Articles 6 and 21) (checked on 2 October 2026).
European Commission: legal grounds for processing data (checked on 3 October 2026).
Belgian Data Protection Authority: the right to object: for direct marketing a person can always object without giving reasons, in Dutch (checked on 3 October 2026).
WeGlow CRM feature overview and dashboard prices (checked on 2 October 2026).