Following an intensive fundraising campaign, it is common to experience a slower period in donor engagement, particularly if outreach efforts have been intentionally paused to give supporters a break after weeks of consistent appeals. During these quieter months, organizations often feel the impact of not having a Sustaining Donor program in place, as recurring contributions provide the stability and continuity that one-time campaigns cannot.
Developing dependable revenue through recurring donations requires time and cultivation. While it is a long-term investment, steady and incremental progress will position your Sustaining Donor program as a cornerstone of financial stability within your fundraising strategy.
If you aren’t seeing much success or if you have yet to start, here are my tips to ensure a successful Sustaining Donor program.
Put a Donation Form on your website
It’s important to minimize the number of steps for someone to donate. Put a donation form right on your website’s donation page. By incorporating this, you eliminate two common extra steps, which can be obstacles for supporters: (1) clicking a button to go to load another page and (2) logging in to an account, or creating an account.
If your website still requires donors to climb over these two obstacles before they can send you a donation, you’re likey missing out on donations and new donors — and monthly giving!
In addition to making it as easy as possible to donate, a donation form hosted by a fundraising application can intentionally highlight and encourage the option to give monthly.
Create a Specialized Membership or Club
In order to create a specialized membership or club, you must be able to put donation forms on your website using a fundraising application. A program allows you to be creative with themes and levels that give incentives to supporters who sign up. What parts of your mission are meaningful areas that need funding? What programs can be highlighted? Are there specific services or areas of need that donors often request their donations be directed to? The answer to all these questions can help you develop the theme of our club/membership.
To encourage sign-ups, I highly encourage incentives. And they don’t have to cost you anything! Offer a way to say thank you to your donors for choosing to sign up to give monthly. It can simply be a digital certificate or e-card, or it could also be a discount for online merchandise or ticketed events. Reciprocating generosity to your donors who decide to give an ongoing commitment as a recurring donor is important and key to a successful program.
Dedicate a Month to your Sustaining Donors
It’s important to celebrate your recurring donors! They’re helping your organization build a solid foundation of reserves, which hopefully gives you peace of mind and some stress relief during the slower months.
A dedicated month to Sustaining Donors can include highlighting testimonials or sharing photos and videos, if donors consent. If you can hold an in-person event or a special video gathering just for sustaining donors, do so!! Make the effort during this dedicated month to show your appreciation. Show them how their monthly giving has contributed to your organization’s success. Send gifts or handwritten cards if you can to your monthly donors. And share publicly your celebration to encourage new sign-ups!
Hold Membership Drives
We want your number of recurring donations to steadily grow. Choose one or more months out of the year for dedicated campaigns to recruit new monthly donors. If you have several Sustaining Donor Programs, you can dedicate a membership drive for each program or need. You can also offer special incentives for new donors who sign up during the drive. A donation match can be highly encouraging to a potential donor! Have a goal number and express this in your campaign promotions. Incorporate a progress meter visible on your website, social media, and newsletters and give your drive a deadline to reach this goal.
I hope my advice is encouraging! I guarantee that your organization will see a return on investment if you do any of these recommendations. And as always, I am here to help you get started or improve your efforts.