Monthly giving is especially great for small nonprofit organizations. It provides reliable, recurring income, and monthly donors have upwards of 90% retention rates.
But let’s get a few things straight. Monthly giving is not a simple “if you build it, they will come” option. And it’s so much more than a tick box on your response device or the opportunity on your online donate form. For a smaller nonprofit, we often recommend 3-5 (or more) monthly giving campaigns a year, depending on the organization. You might want to experiment with a small direct mail monthly giving ask to a handful of your most loyal donors. You could also test a monthly giving ask by including one in your new donor welcome pack. It’s could be great step to take after that important first gift is made. Consider including 2-3 monthly giving email campaigns each year.Here’s a monthly giving email campaign from Intervale Center. This one involved a series of five emails spaced out over the month of August.
Mandy Fisher, Development and Special Projects Director over at Intervale, told me:
Our August campaign actually managed to convert a few folks to monthly donors! But more importantly, it was just very well received. I heard from more donors as a result of the August campaign than I ever have before.
In spotlighting some of their donors, there’s a terrific emphasis on storytelling. Each of the stories is compelling, especially because they’re told by the supporters who lived them. Sharing firsthand experiences is a powerful thing. The account involving Libby and Tim, a couple who used Intervale Center as their wedding venue, was not only touching but showed how IC has positively impacted lives in a meaningful and unique way. Great storytelling has the capacity to accomplish so much. In the case of this email campaign, storytelling helped to create a convincing case for why Intervale’s donors should give on the monthly, and they responded positively to it.
Check out Intervale’s monthly giving email campaign by clicking below…
View Pamela Grow's profile
I can’t wait to meet with you personally.
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