Why Try Monthly Giving? 4 Reasons To Start A Recurring Donation Program

1. Retain more of your donors for many years – On average, participating DonorPerfect users report a 90% retention rate among their monthly donors.
2. Raise more money – Donors who give 12 times a year might give smaller amounts at first, but they often upgrade – or even double or triple – their gift amounts. Plus, they give 42% more annually, according to Nonprofits Source.
3. Worry less about cash flow and focus more on your mission – You can plan on the funds being there, so you’re less dependent on seasonal appeals, and you can focus on executing your programs.
4. Give your donors the convenience they’ll love – Donors feel good knowing they can make a significant contribution in affordable installments, and that their giving doesn’t stop with one gift. They also benefit at tax time by having one receipt at the end of the year – a figure they can easily track through online transaction receipts.

A monthly giving program can positively impact your fundraising goals through increased annual giving gift totals, regular, sustainable revenue, and improved donor retention.

Goal: Increase total annual giving

The latest findings show that the average monthly online donation is $52, for a total of $624 per year – nearly 5x the amount of the average one-time gift ($128). In general, monthly giving revenue has been on the rise, accounting for 28% of all online gifts.

Goal: Build sustainable revenue

Timely and predictable, monthly gifts empower your organization to accurately budget for the resources you need to accomplish specific tasks and goals. The more monthly donors you have, the more dollars you can confidently dedicate to both your current and forecasted initiatives.

Converting just a small percentage of your donors to a monthly giving program can have a significant impact. Calculate your revenue after the first year of monthly giving, and see the effect of converting 1%, 5% and 20% of your donors to monthly donors.

Try our Monthly Giving Calculator »

Goal: Improve your donor retention rate

As mentioned, organizations that create and manage their monthly giving programs through DonorPerfect have an average monthly donor retention rate of 90% – double the 45% average for all donors. So, having donors join your monthly giving program means you’ll have to spend less time acquiring new donors, as well.

Integrated payment processing – DonorPerfect Payment Services automatically process monthly gifts the day they are due, so those gifts immediately become revenue you can put to use. Gift data is available right in your donor’s record without the need for any imports.

Automatic credit card updates – DonorPerfect’s native Credit Card Updater integration updates your system when a donor’s payment information changes. No need to chase down expired credit cards!

Integrated online forms – DonorPerfect Online Forms offer unlimited Monthly Giving Forms that are optimized for better conversion rates. They also come with the highest level of fraud protection – DonorPerfect never stores sensitive credit card and bank information, so your supporter’s financial data is safe.

Whether you’re using software or spreadsheets, there are quick steps you can take to start building more reliable revenue through recurring gifts. No matter your comfort level with constituent relationship management software like DonorPerfect, you can learn how to start your program using our free guide, the Monthly Giving Success Kit, available for download below.