Earning (and Keeping) Monthly Donations: 6 Strategies

Your nonprofit organization needs funding for all the great things it does. From planning engaging events to hosting community programs, nonprofits are natural go-getters, but sometimes struggle to cover all their costs. Your nonprofit might be getting one-off donations here and there and fundraising every so often, but have you considered installing a monthly donation program?

Monthly giving gives your organization a predictable, steady income that can be used year-round to support your initiatives. To develop a healthy monthly giving program, you’ll need to add monthly donations as an option on your donation page. If you already have an option for monthly giving, you’re one step ahead! However, offering the option to give monthly isn’t enough; you’ll need to consistently engage supporters and strengthen your fundraising strategy so donors feel incentivized to give.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the ins and outs of monthly giving and how you can create a mutually beneficial giving experience for donors and your organization. Consider incorporating these best practices to develop your monthly donation program:

Set clear goals.
Offer a monthly giving option on your donation page.
Make your online donation page engaging.
Incentivize people to sign up.
Spread the word about your monthly giving program.
Give heartfelt thanks.

With a reliable revenue stream, your nonprofit can better meet its goals. Monthly giving can help you get there. Let’s begin.

Why is Monthly Giving Important?

Monthly giving is a form of recurring revenue that guarantees your nonprofit income. Once a month, a specified donation amount will automatically transfer from a donor’s bank account to your nonprofit. This will go on for as long as the donor wants, meaning you must prioritize donor engagement and building strong supporter relationships.

According to Double the Donation, monthly giving made up 17% of all online revenue last year, yet only 14% of nonprofits prompt donors to make their donation a recurring gift during the donation process. That means that most nonprofits aren’t taking advantage of this opportunity to bring in more funding—-which can end up being a huge influx in income.

There are a variety of benefits to adding monthly giving to your organization’s fundraising strategy:

Predictable revenue stream. Monthly donations can supplement your nonprofit’s budget year round. They can add extra financial support on top of digital fundraising campaigns and cover any unexpected expenses that may come up.
Donor convenience and flexibility. Donors can donate small amounts over time rather than one large amount upfront, making the giving process less financially straining. Plus, supporters won’t have to worry about pulling out their checkbooks every month—-the donations will automatically be taken out. Donors can also adjust their giving amount at any point.
Increased donor lifetime value. A higher donor lifetime value means that donors will support your organization on a long-term basis. You can expect a certain donation amount from them annually, creating a healthy and reliable revenue stream.
Stronger donor relations. Donors will feel more invested in your cause and be more likely to spread the word about your organization within their personal networks. A strong donor base means more opportunities for your organization to meet its goals.

With these benefits in mind, setting up monthly giving is a great way to boost your nonprofit’s revenue and strengthen donor relationships. However, there are a few steps your nonprofit has to take to make your monthly giving program a success. Let’s dive into best practices for sustaining a lively monthly giving program.

1. Set clear goals.

Before creating your monthly giving program, you’ll want to set ambitious, but reasonable goals that make sense for your nonprofit. These goals will help guide your strategies and improve outreach to increase donations.

Set yourself up for success and create concrete goals by considering the following:

The number of donors you hope will join your monthly giving program.
How much revenue you want to generate in a given time frame.
How you’ll market your monthly giving program.
Your ideal monthly donor retention rate.

Create these goals based on your current donor base. To start, take a close look at data and trends in donor behavior over the past year. This will help you identify prospective monthly donors. A good candidate for your monthly giving program has made at least two donations in the past year and is passionate about your cause. Once you identify prospective donors, reach out to them directly with information on how to get involved in monthly giving.

2. Offer a monthly giving option on your donation page.

On your online donation page, create an option to sign up for monthly giving. This prompt should be clear and straightforward so donors can easily find it. Suggest amounts that donors can give monthly, such as $5, $10, $20, etc. If you need help coming up with suggested amounts, take a look at your donation trends in the past and see what the average or most common donation was.

In addition to suggesting amounts, include a write-in box so donors can customize their monthly giving amount. This makes donating more inclusive and can increase the number of people who give. As a result, you’ll see an increase in your online giving.

You can also create a separate page on your website dedicated to monthly giving. This way, supporters can learn more about its impact and the benefits of monthly giving over one-time donations. Develop compelling contact with visuals to encourage people to join your monthly giving program.

3. Make your online donation page engaging.

In order to compel people to donate, you need an engaging donation page. Your donation page should tell your organization’s story and why it’s important to give. Here are some key ways you can improve your giving page:

Brand your donation page. Customize your donation page based on your brand’s color scheme and font. This will give your page a more professional feel and help supporters better connect with your nonprofit.
Add visuals that show your nonprofit’s impact. Include an image (or a few!) that shows your volunteers in action or a person that your nonprofit has positively impacted. You want to appeal to people’s emotions—after all, a picture is worth a thousand words! Choose images that create an emotional response so donors feel more compelled to give.
Highlight the impact of specific donation amounts. Use short bullets to explain how specific donation amounts will help your nonprofit better achieve its mission. For example, if you’re an animal welfare organization, highlight how many cans of cat food you can buy with a $25 donation. Donors will trust your organization more if they know exactly how the funds will be used.
Make your donation page accessible. Your donation page should be easy to navigate on computers and mobile devices. Optimizing your donation page for mobile users will help your nonprofit reach more people. Be sure to use text that is easy to read and format images appropriately to make your donation page more accessible.

To make your donation page even more user-friendly, Donately recommends incorporating online giving tools like text-to-give and a safe payment processor. Your donors will appreciate the ability to give through multiple channels. Plus, knowing that their transaction is secure will make them more likely to donate.

4. Incentivize people to sign up.

To bring attention to your monthly giving program, offer exclusive benefits. For instance, you can give donors branded merchandise, access to a private event, or spotlight them on your website or social media.

Decide when and how you want to give these incentives. For instance, you might want to offer them to donors who have been enrolled in your monthly giving program for six months or longer. Or, you might want to offer gifts based on a certain monthly contribution, such as to people giving over $25 a month.

People want to feel appreciated for their contributions, so this is a great way to show that your organization values donors. However, don’t feel like you need to break the bank to give them something extravagant! Even a small gift can go a long way in making donors feel more connected to your nonprofit.

5. Spread the word about your monthly giving program.

Once you have your monthly giving program up and running, you’ll need to attract as many donors as possible. Create a strong marketing strategy to get the word out about monthly giving. Consider using the following channels:

Email or text message updates. Contact donors directly to let them know that monthly giving is an option. You’ll especially want to reach out to recurring donors since they would be good monthly giving candidates. Make sure to explain the rewards of monthly giving and why it would be impactful for your organization.
Website. Create a new blog post about monthly giving and how people can sign up. Alternatively, make a website alert or pop-up notifying people about this giving opportunity. Be sure to include a link to your donation page so they can easily find it.
Social media. Amplify your reach by posting about monthly giving on social media. Consider your target audience and where people are spending the most amount of time (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc.). Once you determine where you’d like to post, create engaging videos or graphics that bring attention to monthly giving and how people can get involved.

Make sure to articulate to donors why monthly giving would be a huge help to your nonprofit. Be specific and highlight the key ways these donations support your mission. Also, emphasize donor benefits like convenient automatic donations and flexible payments.

6. Give heartfelt thanks.

Your donors want to feel confident that they gave to a worthy cause. So, why not show them how much you value their monthly donation with a thank-you note?

By reaching out to your monthly donors directly and thanking them, they’ll feel more passionate about your cause. People appreciate human connection, so make your thank-you personal. Use the donor’s name and specify how their donation will help your nonprofit meet its goals. If you have the time and manpower, have your staff call monthly donors directly or write handwritten letters. Alternatively, a more convenient option might be to send emails.

Whichever method of communication you choose, express your gratitude! This will help boost your monthly donor retention rate so people are more likely to stick around. As a result, you’ll have a sustainable monthly giving program that will support your nonprofit for years to come.

Monthly giving offers a wide variety of benefits for your donors and your organization. Once you have it set up, strategize how you’ll get donors to sign up and stick with your monthly giving program. With more support, you’ll have more opportunities to accomplish your nonprofit’s goals!

Jacob Spencer, Customer Success / Account Manager, Donately

I strive to make every step of our customer journey as enjoyable as possible. My goal is to turn everyone that trusts Donately into a raving fan! Raising funds can be daunting, but we know that with the right tools, it can and should be easy. Throughout my career, I've been able to help sales and success teams tackle new markets, grow and expand. Leading with empathy, listening to actually solve problems, and remembering that we are all human are the key elements to growing any business in a meaningful way. When I'm not working you can find me spending time with my wife, 2 boys and our Border Collie, Abbie. Family>Everything.