27 Keys to Monthly Giving Program Success, Part 2 (7-11)

[Editor's note: This is part 2 of a four-part series on the session "25 Proven Monthly Giving Tools & Ideas Packed in 50 Minutes" held at the 2012 Washington Nonprofit Conference. Click here for part 1.]

At the Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation's 2012 Washington Nonprofit Conference Thursday, five fundraising pros shared their secrets to implementing and running a monthly giving program in their session, "25 Proven Monthly Giving Tools & Ideas Packed in 50 Minutes." Here are tips 7-11 of the 25 — actually, 27 (two bonus tips!) — provided by the presenters: Mary Arnold, president of Mary Arnold Enterprises; David Glass, director of online marketing at World Wildlife Fund; Karen Kennedy Downs, direct marketing manager of monthly giving at CARE USA; Nicole Weidokal, vice president of client services at DCCi; and moderator Erica Waasdorp, senior fundraising consultant at DMW Direct.

7. Include a monthly giving ask in your welcome series
Right off the bat when you acquire a new donor, make him or her aware of your monthly giving program, Downs said.

"Making new donors aware of a monthly giving program by mail or phone is a great way to engage," she said. "CARE donors receive a monthly ask by phone and mail within 30 to 45 days of their first gift. Let them know that it exists."

8. Make monthly giving program membership special
Everyone likes to feel rewarded for his or her efforts, and incentives are a great way to get people on board. So treat monthly givers to something special. For example, offer them a premium, the opportunity for less mail, personal updates, access to specific micro sites or exclusive content on your website.

"Let donors know the benefits of being members up front, and remind them along the way," Downs said. "… Make it feel exclusive. Think of these donors as an audience to treat with special access."

CARE, for instance, offers a conference call with its president two or three times a year. These donors are very committed and loyal. Give them something special, Downs said.

9. Understand the organization's sustainer gift processing inside and out
You need to know as much as you possibly can about how you're going to communicate with monthly donors. Understanding the difference in processing by channel and method of payment is crucial to know where that donor came from and how you can cultivate the relationship. You also need to know when a sustainer is lapsing so you can act quickly. Upgrade processing is tough, Downs said, so you have to understand the different business rules of your process for monthly giving.

"Retention is so key; everyone knows that," she said. "Know the timing. Think about implementation. Encourage everyone to think about the work it takes to sustain monthly givers."

10. Sustainer coding in your database is crucial and challenging
"Define the timing of lapsed sustainers, and record where they go next. Know all of your if/then scenarios," Downs said. "You will need IT/operations team support. Sustainer coding can be really complex with lots of exceptions, so you always have to plan. If your data isn't clean, you can confuse your donors."

11. Always recognize monthly donors
Downs suggested using monthly program branded messaging to your sustainers, regardless of channel or tactic. Use language such as "as one of our loyal monthly donors" or "would you consider an extra gift this month?" It lets donors know you are aware of their existing commitment and makes them feel that this current appeal is worth extra to the organization.