What Writing a Book About Monthly Giving Has Taught Me
You may know that I’ve been working in monthly giving for almost 30 years now.
I’ve now written two books on monthly giving. My second book, "Monthly Giving Made Easy," is due to hit Amazon and e-book outlets any minute.
All in all, I believe there are now six books in total on the topic of monthly or regular giving, as they call it in other countries. Much has changed since Harvey McKinnon wrote the book "Hidden Gold" in 1999 and since I wrote "Monthly Giving. The Sleeping Giant" in 2012.
Much more emphasis on social media. Much more use of email. Much more in paid digital approaches. Growing monthly donor programs for many. Yet, there’s still not enough attention on monthly donor retention. And monthly donor upgrade campaigns are still in short supply.
I personally continue to learn every day and I am grateful for fundraisers like you who are trying new things.
Who are willing to test new ideas without giving up on some of the proven old ones.
Who keep doing the basics. (Yes, thank you letters by mail are still really appreciated by donors!)
Who are trying to step up your efforts to build better relationships with your donors. That’s where monthly giving plays a key role.
It’s fundraisers like you who are working with payment processors and donor base CRMs to indicate what could be done better and what would make your life easier. Who are on the forefront of figuring out which payment methods resonate best with donors.
It’s fundraisers like you who talk to donors and ask them what would improve their giving experience and what would keep them giving even more and even longer till they give you their ultimate gift.
I could not possibly have written another book on monthly giving without the examples and case studies from other fundraisers, working in the trenches at wonderful nonprofits, every day. I could not possibly have done so without the experience and trials and errors from my clients and colleagues I love working with and learn from.
For that I am truly grateful. Happy Memorial Day!
- Categories:
- Monthly Giving
Erica Waasdorp is one of the leading experts on monthly giving. She is the president of A Direct Solution, a company serving nonprofit organizations with fundraising and direct marketing needs, with a focus on monthly giving and appeals. She authored "Monthly Giving: The Sleeping Giant" and "Monthly Giving Made Easy." She regularly blogs and presents on fundraising, appeals and monthly giving — in person and through webinars. She is happy to answer any questions you may have about this great way of improving retention rates for your donors.
Erica has over 30 years of experience in nonprofits and direct response. She helped the nonprofits she works with raise millions of dollars through monthly giving programs. She is also very actively supports organizations with annual fund planning and execution, ranging from copywriting, creative, lists, print and mail execution.
When she’s not working or writing, Erica can be found on the golf course (she’s a straight shooter) or quietly reading a book. And if there’s an event with a live band, she and her husband, Patrick, can be found on the dance floor. She also loves watching British drama on PBS. Erica and Patrick have two step sons and a cat, Mientje.
