🌟 From the Weekly Spark, my weekly email with one useful idea for nonprofit fundraisers. Subscribe here.
When I asked Weekly Spark readers about their biggest monthly giving headache, more than half said getting new monthly donors. Failed cards came in second, so I’ll come back to that one.
You already know the basics, like putting monthly giving on your donation form, so let’s skip the usual advice. Here’s where your next monthly donors are probably hiding:
🌟 Donors who already act like monthly donors
Pull a list of everyone who gave three or more times in the last year. They’re doing the work of a monthly donor without the convenience. The ask can be simple: “You’ve given three times this year. Want to make it automatic?” (If your CRM can’t pull that list pretty quickly, then we should talk.) 😉
🌟 The folks who always show up
Volunteers, event attendees, peer-to-peer fundraisers, members. They’ve already given you their time, which is a bigger commitment than $20 a month. A lot of them have never been asked to give monthly because they live in a different bucket in your database.
🌟 Your current monthly donors
Hear me out. Call or email five of them and ask one question: “What made you decide to give monthly?” Their answers will be better copy for an appeal than anything your team could sit down and write. Use their exact words in your next email. And, by the way, they will LOVE being asked.
Most of your future monthly donors already know you. They’re really just waiting for you to ask.
