Creating a Recurring Gifts Program

Recurring, or monthly, gifts programs provide the regular income you can depend on, while simultaneously building your donor base. Monthly gifts add a boost to your monthly revenue that can also free you up to tackle additional fundraising efforts. But what’s the best way to create one for your organization?

Monthly gifts have never been easier—or more convenient—for your donors. The rise in popularity of auto-bill pay and direct deposit has made us all more comfortable with automatic online banking.

Plus! A compelling monthly giving campaign gives your nonprofit a new offer to promote and can become a signature program for your organization.

Build Your Monthly Gifts Program

Map out how your organization will interact with recurring donors. Communicating more frequently is easier if you’re following a thoughtful approach and process.

Before You Begin

Set aside sometime before you launch your monthly giving program to plot out your communication strategy. A few key questions to answer before you launch include:

• Who will you invite to become a monthly donor?
• How and when will you contact them?
• What are the benefits of your recurring gifts program?

Lay the Foundation

Like any other successful campaign, the easier it is for someone to make a recurring gift, the more likely they are to do so. Make sure the whole experience is as easy as possible for your donors (and your staff).

• Identify your prospects for recurring gifts. This may be previous event attendees, smaller one-time donors, or individuals that have been impacted by your work.
• Create an online monthly giving option on your website’s donation page. Include impact labels to show what a recurring donation provides.
• Make sure website visitors can easily find your donation button so they can quickly give.
• Consider setting up a separate page that is specific to monthly giving to further personalize the experience.
• Feature monthly giving options in a prominent place on your website, and in all fundraising messaging.
• Allow donors to easily update their information and become a monthly donor.
• Set up automatic receipts.
• Use your donor management system to segment your donors to specifically contact monthly donors, track your progress, and report on the impact of their gifts.

Promote Your Program

Once your infrastructure is in place, the key to securing monthly gifts is communication. Let donors know how their monthly gift will sustain your organization—and how easy it is to participate.

Launch

You can start your monthly giving program any time. Using a particular theme or program start date can help to provide context for getting it off the ground.

Inform

Let your donors know why monthly gifts are a win-win. Smaller, automatic gifts have less of an impact on their monthly budget. Recurring donations give your cause a steady stream of support.

Remind

Sending out one email or letter at launch-time will not create a program. Make it a regular habit to ask for a monthly pledge.

Download “A Quick-Start Guide to Monthly Giving” to implement an effective monthly giving program into your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts today.