Recurring Gifts: The Key to Sustainability

We all have certain seasons, or months, with lower cash flow than other times of the year. Imagine if that were no longer a concern. Imagine if there were a way to guarantee contributed income without the additional effort of events or multiple campaigns.

A monthly, or recurring, gifts program provides the regular income you can depend on. The steady cash flow that comes in from your recurring donors supports your organization’s vital operational expenses—the ones you need to cover in order to continue the good work you do in the community.

Why Monthly Giving?

The time saved by these automatic, recurring donations frees you up to prospect and nurture more donors. Monthly giving is also the best prevention against lapsed donors. Someone who commits to a monthly gift to your organization is with you for the long haul. This steady influx of donations:

• Boosts your monthly revenue.
• Decreases your fundraising expenses.
• Builds a community of loyal, engaged donors.

A recurring gifts program also lets your donors continually support your mission over time. Monthly donors often:

• Give more over time.
• Donate at higher levels.
• Remain committed donors longer than annual donors.
• Give additional gifts throughout the year.
• Actively participate or volunteer.

Impact of Monthly Gifts

According to M+R’s Benchmarks Study for 2018, monthly giving revenue increased by 40 percent. The impact of these recurring gifts—on both your organization and your donors—is tangible.

On Your Organization

It’s simple, really. Recurring gifts allow you to plan ahead. Just like you plan your personal bill payments, grocery shopping, and entertainment around your individual paycheck; monthly gifts allow you to plan out your nonprofit’s financial resources.

These gifts add up over time. If a donor’s monthly recurring gift is $50, that’s $600 a year. Suddenly that individual is a midlevel donor! Even lower level gifts make a difference. A monthly gift of just $10 adds up to $120 over the course of a year.

A monthly gifts program also frees you up to build additional fundraising efforts into your plan. Both the recurring gift and its corresponding thank you email or letter happen automatically; essentially giving you back time to focus your efforts on acquiring new donors or cultivating existing ones. 

On Your Donors

Monthly gifts help donors fit charitable giving into their budgets. It allows them to see that being more generous is possible. If donors feel like they can’t give enough to make a difference, they may not give at all.

A one-time donation of $600 may seem impossible to your donor and scare them away. But break it down to $50 per month, and they can now comfortably support their favorite nonprofit. Plus, as recurring donors grow more comfortable with monthly giving, many increase their regular annual contribution, give additional donations for specific programs or events, and feel a heightened connection to an organization.

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