Want to enable your donors to give more and stop asking them for money all the time? Would your nonprofit benefit from a dependable stream of contributions? Working to convert annual donors into monthly donors is one of the smartest things you can do as a fundraiser. Imagine thanking people every month instead of hitting them up for a donation every month. (Sounds pretty great, right?)
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The good news is you can easily set the stage to make donors more likely to commit to a monthly gift:
1. Make It Easy
Many donors prefer to give online because it’s easy and convenient. Giving a recurring gift through your online donation form should also be easy for your donor – they select their donation amount and can automatically give throughout the year without coming back to make a new donation.
Make sure your donation form asks the donor right away to consider a monthly gift. When a donor is deciding on a donation amount, ask "Would you like to make this a monthly gift?" Wherever you ask for donations on your website, try asking for a monthly pledge, instead of just a onetime gift. (Need an online donation processing service that offers recurring gifts? Find out more about Network for Good’s DonateNow branded donation pages.)
2. Frame Your Ask
When you ask donors for money, how are you asking them? Instead of only asking supporters to give their year-end gifts in a year-end campaign, recommend they sign up to give every month next year, and make the ask. This is clearly a win for them and a win for you. It's a win for your donors because it's convenient – it’s not one big hit to their pocketbooks at the end of the year when some of us are short on funds. It’s also great for you because it's steady support you can budget for and it will help people all year long. Bonus: In some cases, a donor may give more in total than they would as a onetime gift, since it’s easier to spread it out over time.
3. Offer an Appealing Package
Package your recurring giving program in an exciting way. Describe the good that you do in a way that relates to a monthly gift. Show a tangible tie to the idea of giving every month. The Liz Logelin Foundation encourages donors to give "$7 on the 7th" to help widows and widowers with young families. With this campaign, they help donors realize it’s possible to create a big impact for a small amount each month.
Consider giving your recurring donors a special status. Give monthly donors a special name and recognize them in a unique way on your site. Reserve special perks for these loyal supporters, such as a sneak peek to your newsletter, first dibs on event tickets, or invitations to an open house.
All donors are important to nonprofits, but an increase recurring, monthly gifts is a reliable blessing that many organizations would be thrilled to have.
To do:
- Ensure your donation form allows for a monthly gift.
- Audit your appeals: make sure you ask donors to consider giving a monthly contribution.
- Think of creative ways to illustrate a monthly gift’s impact.
- Reward monthly donors with special recognition or perks.
