Monthly Giving

As you may know, I love hearing from nonprofits. That’s how I learn. And that’s how I believe we all learn together. And I’m always amazed, especially at how small nonprofits keep growing and doing more — even with few resources. I think the biggest asset they have is the conviction, the belief that they can do it.

We're not alone in experiencing food, gas and other prices going up. And, as fundraisers, we should be concerned about the impact on giving. 

Monthly giving is the holy grail of fundraising, but many nonprofit leaders are frustrated when their programs are stagnant and not growing faster. So, how do you elevate your monthly giving program to its full potential?

I’m baffled that board members still need to be convinced that monthly giving is a thing, and that monthly giving is a great way to provide ongoing sustainable revenue for the organization.

Earlier this week, a copywriter friend of mine asked a great question. And I’m sure many of you are struggling with this same predicament. Often a strategy calls for including so many offers in one direct mail fundraising appeal, so how can you include a sustainer recruitment effort as well?

When I heard about a wonderful new study from Neon One, called “Donors: Understanding the Future of Individual Giving,” I was so excited. It pulls together a bunch of other studies into one easy-to-read document, with lots of graphs, charts and insights from fundraisers and thought leaders in the industry.

Recently, I presented at the Faith and Fundraising Conference in Milwaukee for about 400 in-person attendees. It was so wonderful to see people I hadn’t seen in a few years.

It’s not about the size of the monthly gift amount. It’s about the fact that you’re giving your donors the opportunity to make a difference in an amount they can afford. You might say, aren’t you worried that donors will only give those tiny amounts and you’ll never be able to move the needle?

One of the ways Aldi can keep its prices low is by using a quarter in a very special way. If you’ve shopped at one of its stores, you already know what I mean.

Here’s the thing: One snowflake on its own is tiny. It takes more of these tiny flakes to make a major storm. That’s similar to what happens with monthly gifts.