How to Recruit Donors to Join Your Monthly Giving Program

Whether your organization’s monthly giving program has been established for a while or it’s just getting started, it’s important to recruit new, recurring donors on a regular basis. By inviting donors to support your mission in a simple way, you are helping to establish and maintain a reliable revenue stream for your nonprofit. 

On average, nonprofits are retaining more than sixty percent of their monthly donors beyond the first year. This is a great reason to start recruiting new monthly donors, today! 

Here’s how you can recruit donors to support your growing monthly giving program. 

Ask current supporters to join your program

Start close to home. Your current supporters are passionate about your mission. They are attending your signature events, volunteering their time, and generously donating to your cause. Chances are, if you ask your dedicated supporters to contribute to your mission year-round, they will! 

Find out who your consistent donors are and start to cultivate them. Run reports in the database to see who has been donating to your organization for the last three years, as one example, and directly share with them how their donations have made an impact. When the time is right, ask these donors if they will consider making a monthly contribution. Be sure to share how recurring funds will support and sustain your programs and be clear about the process to build trust. 

Other groups you can ask to become monthly donors are current and past board members, staff, and volunteers.

Identify and engage prospective donors

While reaching out to those who know your organization very well, identify ways to recruit new donors to your organization. Your database may include lists of volunteers who have not donated or other prospective donors who need to be contacted. 

When reaching out to new prospects, your monthly giving program is an easy and affordable option for them to get plugged in to your mission right away. If your organization attends events in the community, print and pass out materials – or QR codes – as a way to market your monthly giving program. Also, get to know your prospects and how they communicate. Each generation may resonate with information and marketing materials differently. 

Advertise your monthly giving program online 

A strong marketing plan will help you raise awareness about your new and growing program. There are many ways that you can make your monthly giving program accessible to prospective donors online. Here are a few to get you started:

• Develop a web page specifically for your monthly giving program, explaining giving levels, impact points, and any benefits your organization might offer.
• Place your donate button prominently on your website and make sure your online donation form is current. 
• Share your monthly giving web page with prospective donors via social media, emails, and e-newsletters.
• Add a call to action to your email signature with a link to your website, such as: Become a monthly donor today. 

Promote your program as budget-friendly

When nonprofits establish a monthly giving program and promote it as easy to join, affordable, and impactful, donors will be incentivized to participate. Make your program easy to understand and accessible. 

Also, sometimes donors do not contribute because they do not know what amount to give and how it will make an impact. What’s great about monthly giving programs is that donation levels are often defined or suggested, providing donors with guidance on what to give. An average monthly donation is $25; setting your monthly giving program up at or around this amount will offer a simple and budget-friendly option for donors to consider. Some donors may not be able to make a one-time gift of $300 now, but they might be willing to spread it out over 12 months if the option is available.

Maximize your recruitment efforts as a team

Whether you are working in a one-person shop or are a part of a larger development team with competing priorities, recruiting new donors to support your monthly giving program does not have to be a lonely road! Asking staff, board members, and volunteers to join your monthly giving program is one way to recruit new donors. But, asking them to invite their family, friends, and colleagues to become monthly donors is another great way to maximize and potentially double your donor recruitment efforts. 

With DonorPerfect, you can use the Donor by Giving Levels Report to segment donors by giving level, which will help you identify who to contact and recruit to become monthly donors. 

While monthly giving programs have become a popular revenue stream for nonprofits, fundraisers are not always sure where to start when trying to recruit new donors. Lean on your team and utilize resources you already have to strategically plan your recruitment efforts. Check out our free Monthly Giving Success Kit for additional resources to help you connect with donors and achieve results for your sustainer program.