As a fundraiser, you may feel pressure to raise more, connect with more donors, and increase the amount of support coming in the door each month. Raising more money with limited staff and time can seem impossible, but a monthly recurring giving program is the answer.
Statistics indicate that 57% of donors have already enrolled in a recurring giving program. Even though your nonprofit may not have a monthly giving program, donors are primed and ready for this option.
Many donors already give monthly to their church, university, or favorite nonprofit. Don’t miss the opportunity to receive this support too.
You may wonder why recurring gifts are so vital for nonprofit organizations. Recurring donors give more and are less likely to lapse, both big wins for any fundraising effort.
Prenger Solutions Group found that the biggest lesson learned around monthly giving programs is to build upon what you already have. There is no need to start fresh, take the things that are already working with direct mail appeals and online gifts and add to it.
You can easily add monthly or recurring giving program options to direct mail pledge cards and online donation forms. Fundraising automation can assist with gift processing to save time and make the process painless for database administrators.
Why every nonprofit needs a monthly giving program
The average monthly giver gives $52 a month or $624 annually, while the average donor who gives a one-time donation gives $128. This difference can dramatically impact the amount raised for any nonprofit mission each year.
More than half of all donors are already giving a monthly recurring gift and are accustomed to this type of giving through monthly giving programs. In the subscription-based world we live in, prospective donors who aren’t already giving to a recurring gift program are likely participating in programs they pay for each month.
With the population already prepared for monthly giving, nonprofit organizations can quickly take what is already working and build upon that. Starting a monthly recurring giving program does not have to be time-intensive, especially for nonprofits with successful direct mail fundraising campaigns.
How to start a monthly giving program
Many nonprofit organizations already have direct mail appeal letters that go to prospective donors one or more times a year, so adding a recurring gift option is straightforward. To give donors a monthly gift option, add an additional line of ask strings to the pledge card as monthly gift amounts.
Include monthly gift options for direct mail campaigns on the pledge card and donation pages. Pledge cards and online giving forms should give donors the option for one-time and monthly gifts.
Ensure that the pledge card is easy to complete and that the online donation page makes giving by credit cards simple. Provide a way for donors to reach a staff member if necessary.
If you need help with pledge card design and best practices, check out The Ultimate Guide to Fundraising Pledge Cards. This guide offers a downloadable template for additional help with pledge card design. Remember, pledge cards should be easy for the donor to fill out and designed for easy data entry for your team.
Personalize the pledge card for each donor with specific ask amounts customized for them for both one-time and monthly gifts. Ask strings work best for most donors; the exception is major donors.
The little check boxes can be off-putting for major donors, so it is best to segment donors and present major donor prospects with a line to fill in the amount of their gift. The pledge card should also contain a link or QR code to point donors to customized online donation pages.
New donors are 44% more likely to give online, and 31% of online donors make recurring gifts. Additionally, online recurring donors gave more than offline donors. Since donors who give monthly contributions are less likely to lapse, this strategy can help with long-term donor retention.
Customizing the direct mail letter, pledge card, and donation pages for specific donor segments is best. These might include first-time donors, major donors, and donors who are giving club members.
Additional tips and tools for a stellar recurring gifts program
Use technology for the most successful monthly giving program. Technology is constantly changing, and tools exist to help elevate your monthly giving program and direct mail fundraising campaigns. Consider using a tool like AskGenius to customize ask amounts for every donor and receive more monthly donations.
Or use automation tools like AutomateGenius to automate things like database clean-up for your direct mail list or gift alerts for improved donor stewardship. For additional tools, Blackbaud users can check out the Blackbaud Community Power Platform template showcase – Microsoft Integrations. The templates can help those who have a Blackbaud recurring gifts program.
Those new to automation can also learn about the possibilities through Microsoft Power Automate.
Social media and personal phone calls can be used to promote monthly giving and invite donors to join your monthly giving club. Use a multichannel approach to reach your donor base and communicate about recurring donation options.
Starting a monthly giving program and asking donors for recurring gifts doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It can be one of your best-performing fundraising strategies.
Learn more about setting up a recurring gift program by watching Setting Up the World’s Greatest Recurring Gift Program. The team at Prenger Solutions Group discusses all their best advice and additional tools to improve your nonprofit fundraising efforts today.
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