12 Tips for Setting up a Monthly Giving Program
Monthly giving programs make it easier to measure donation amounts and they are great way to donors involved with your cause.
Is your nonprofit trying to find ways to maintain a steady predictable amount of donations? If so, it may be time to implement a monthly giving program. A monthly giving program sets a structured amount for donors to give on a month-to-month basis. Monthly giving programs make it easier to measure donation amounts and they are great way to donors involved with your cause.
To set up a monthly giving program for your nonprofit you need commitment from both your donors and your staff. A giving program takes time to build and a dedicated staff to maintain it. Your program will start slow, but don’t let that discourage you because it will gain a following over time. Below are a few tips on setting up a monthly giving program, from Gail Perry, of Fired Up Fundraising.
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Get your organization’s commitment. It takes some infrastructure and staff time to set up and maintain a recurring giving program, so make sure everyone is on board and supportive.
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Settle in for the long term. Your monthly giving program will build up over time. Don’t get discouraged and give up too soon.
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Put one person in charge and let them OWN the program. Someone needs to be in charge. Recurring giving isn’t difficult but it takes care and consistency to grow.
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Get a seamless back end system in place. How will you handle expired cards, denied charges, credit card payments and electronic funds transfer?
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Identify and reach out to your most likely monthly giving prospects. Those are your most loyal donors and those who’ve given for three or more consecutive years.
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Use multiple channels to spread the word. Mail, phone, online, your home page, volunteers, and newsletters all work.
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Give a catchy name to your monthly giving program and then promote it like crazy. Some examples of good names are ” Dream Makers” (Boston Children’s Hospital) and “Field Partners” (Doctors Without Borders).
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Show donors how their monthly gift buys something specific, or funds a specific need. Good examples of this are the programs that support a specific child or animal. The Salvation Army’s Bed & Bread Club provides just that, a meal and a bed to sleep in for a needy person.
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Create special communications for your program. Find special ways to thank monthly donors. Develop thanking policies that appreciate your donors enough but don’t irritate them. For instance, will you send a welcome package when they first sign up? Should you send an email receipt each time they give or just at the end of the year?
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Make monthly donors feel special. Consider a monthly phone chat with monthly donors to keep them up to date, or provide a special phone number if they have questions. A small special event or an offer of a tour might work.
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If you have a young donor base, get someone young to write your appeal. Young people often like monthly giving, because it works for their budget. But be sure to communicate in their language.
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Bring the monthly program into the board room. Recalcitrant board members might find monthly giving a solution to their giving obligation.
Find out how GivingTrax can help your Nonprofit reach more donors and the local businesses in your community that likely to GIVE to your cause at https://www.givingtrax.com.
GivingTrax is a social purpose company based in Seattle, WA that helps companies leverage the power of giving to engage employees, foster customer loyalty and support corporate values. GivingTrax offers innovative technology to help manage, measure, and multiply giving activity with a new, simple to use, platform to fit any corporate environment. GivingTrax expands corporate giving from a transactional event into an engaging activity that involves both employees and customers. Learn more about GivingTrax at https://www.givingtrax.com.
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