Sustainer Giving: Ready, Set, Go!
How many monthly donors do you have? Is it 10% of your donors? Less? Would you like it to be more?
I think we can all agree no matter what percent of donors give monthly, we always want it to be more. That’s because monthly donors, also known as sustainers, can prove to be the life-blood of your organization. They are faithful supporters who can be relied upon in times of uncertainty. They are committed to your mission and the work you do.
Providing an opportunity for individuals to opt into a monthly giving program is a good idea. Many donors prefer to give this way. In addition to honoring their preference, you’ll lift their retention rates and long-term value.
However, launching an effort like this might seem a bit overwhelming. Here are a few ideas to help you get ready, get set, and go!
Ready
Perhaps one of the most important steps in launching and maintaining a successful monthly giving program is assigning a staff member to own the entire process. This won’t take a lot of time on a daily basis, but someone needs to have this special group of donors “top of mind” at all times.
This individual should have time every month to review reporting, make thank you phone calls, send special emails, write personal notes, and connect with donors when their credit card expires.
In addition, it’s important to have buy in from the full fundraising team. Launching a sustainer program will involve changes to your website giving page, special care at the point of gift entry, a shift in financial reporting to evaluate program effectiveness, and adjustments to direct mail reply devices and appeal frequency. The list goes on. Everyone needs to be onboard. This is a team effort!
Once everyone is on board with the launch, gather for an hour or so and name the program. Do some brainstorming, and pick a name for this special group. It doesn’t need to take a long time. And it doesn’t need to be fancy.
I give monthly to four different nonprofits. My gift does not depend on the title of the sustainer group. I give to support their mission and impact my community. As a matter of fact, only one of those four nonprofits I mentioned has a name for their sustainers! However, naming this special group will help you with external marketing efforts and internal discussions.
Set
Now that the team is on board, it’s time to start preparing to invite donors to participate. These three simple steps will put you on the path to success:
Set a goal. You need to know what you’re aiming for. Take a look at how many donors are giving monthly. Think strategically about a reasonable growth goal for the year. Think in terms of annual revenue from this group. Where are you now? Where might you like to be this year? Next year? In five years? A long-term participation goal of 10-15% of your active donor file is reasonable. You won’t get there overnight. But – eventually you could.
Build a Communication Plan. Look at your existing communication activities and fundraising events. How can sustainers be incorporated into these efforts? Can email and direct mail communications include variable text? Should sustainers be included in special event invitations? How will these faithful supporters be thanked? Is a special gift appropriate? Consider adding a Monthly Giving Month into the mix.
Create first impressions. Take a look at your online giving page. Does it include a monthly giving option? Does this group merit a stand-alone giving page for better tracking and unique ask arrays? What will the new donor welcome experience be like? Once someone becomes a monthly donor, how will your Donor Management System handle gift processing? Receipting? Reminders? Credit Card expiration? Think through the gift entry process and any attributes or mail preferences that need to be noted.
This time of preparation might take a few weeks. That’s okay. It’s important to think about these things ahead of time. Be sure you understand the donor experience before the invitation is sent. A good first impression will go a long way towards donor retention!
Go!
You’ve taken the time to prepare. Now it’s time to ask!
Your commitment to monthly giving should permeate every part of your fundraising strategy. It should be mentioned and included everywhere. Special attention should be given to it on your website. A check box should appear on every direct mail reply device. And a few times each year, a special direct mail and digital invitation should be given (January, July, and September are good options).
As you think through special invitations through direct mail and digital channels there are a few groups of people who should be top of mind. First, every new donor welcome letter should include a monthly giving invitation. Second, donors who have made two or more gifts in the past six months at a level between $15 and $99.99 should be included as well. Finally, pay close attention to credit card donors. Donors already giving to you by credit card are even more likely to convert.
Because you are targeting individuals with an average gift between $15-$100, monthly ask amounts should start small. Take a look at your average gift and gift frequency. Use this as a guide in determining a benchmark for annual donor value. Think annual value. Not single gift value. Based on this, determine an appropriate minimum monthly ask for you (remember, $10/month equates to $120/annual).
The sustainer invitation process needs to be multi-channel and story-driven. Donors will respond out of passion for your mission and the lives you are changing. They want to be part of the story. Yes, they want the ease that monthly giving provides – but they also want to make a difference. Think through a variety of ways to invite donors to participate:
Direct mail campaign
Email campaign
Social media campaign
New donor welcome process
Telemarketing
Donor survey
Special event pledge form
The list goes on – and you’ll surely think of ideas I haven’t mentioned!
If you take the time to build a plan, involve your entire team, set goals, and invite the right people, you’ll be off to a great start! Monthly giving continues long after the invitation is made. I’ll be writing more about maintaining a healthy program along with donor retention and upgrades in Sustainer Giving: It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint.
By Jennifer Bivens
Bivens is a Senior Strategist & Vice President with MDM Fundraising. She has been with MDM since 2018 and has a decade of direct marketing expertise in Rescue Mission fundraising. Having served as Development Director for two large Missions, she understands the daily demands of leading an effective team to reach revenue goals. Bivens holds a Masters of Public Administration with an emphasis on Nonprofit Management. She is passionate about raising funds to equip ministries throughout the U.S. as they fight the root causes of hunger and homelessness. Jen can be reached at jbivens@mdmfundraising.com.