Recurring donations are one of the smartest ways to create steady funding for your nonprofit. They give you predictable income, help you plan, and build more profound relationships with your most loyal donors.
Steps to build a successful recurring donation program:
Set Clear Goals
Before making any plan, be clear on what you want to achieve with the program. These goals will guide every decision you make and help you measure success.
Ask yourself:
- How many monthly donors do we want to gain this year?
- What retention rate would we like for our monthly donors?
- Is there a monthly revenue goal we’re aiming for?
With these answers, you’ll know what to track and how to adjust as your program grows. Once you have your goals, the next step is making it easy for donors to join.
Set It Up
How do you want donors to access your recurring donation program? Set up an access point that will be easy for donors to sign up through. You can use any of the following options:
- Set up an online donation form on your website
- Create a landing page for recurring donation
- Print paper forms for people to sign up through
Tip: The best method depends on what your donors are most comfortable with. If they’re tech-savvy, lean on online forms and landing pages. If they prefer in-person or mailed options, make them available too.
Choose a Fundraising Platform
Some nonprofits don’t use fundraising platforms which is not the best. You need a fundraising platform to track and analyse everything you’re doing. The fundraising platform you choose will also determine the success of your program. You want a platform that makes recurring giving simple and secure for you and your donors.
Look for a platform that has:
- Secure payment processing
- Easy setup for recurring donations
- A way for donors to manage their donations anytime
- Tracking and CRM capabilities
Lamp Fundraising CRM is a platform with all these features:
- Safe, secure payments through Stripe
- Simple recurring giving setup
- Built-in tools to engage and thank donors
- Clear insights into donor behavior and campaign success
Offer Flexible Donation Amounts
Don’t force your donors to pay a certain amount monthly. Suggest an amount based on your typical giving patterns, but also let them enter any amount they prefer.
Spread the Word
Creating your recurring donation program doesn’t mean donors will immediately sign up for it. Nobody will sign up for something they don’t know about. The next step is to create a steady plan to promote it.
Consider using:
- Email newsletters — Share the benefits of monthly giving and success stories.
- Social media — Highlight impact updates and personal donor stories.
- Events or virtual campaigns — Offer “Join as a monthly donor” as a giving option.
- Your website — Feature recurring giving prominently on your donation page.
Tip: Ensure you include a way donors can sign up every time you talk about your program with your target audience.
Track, Analyze, and Improve
This is where using a fundraising platform pays off. The platform allows you to track and analyze your set up.
- How many recurring donors you’ve gained
- Your retention rate
- The average gift size
- Feedback from donors
Review the metrics and adjust your strategy as needed. Your goal is always to make giving easy and rewarding.
Nurture Your Recurring Donors
Recurring giving provides nonprofits with sustainable funds, which makes these donors especially valuable. Treat them well through gratitude and care.
Here’s how:
- Send heartfelt thank-you messages
- Share regular updates
- Invite them to community events
- Offer small perks like early event access, exclusive stories, or behind-the-scenes updates.
- Recognize them publicly. For example, feature a “Recurring Donor of the Year” on your website or newsletter.
When donors feel valued and connected, they will stay. Recurring donors have an average lifetime of 8 years so they’re important assets to your organization.
A successful recurring donation program is built on clear goals, simple tools, promotion, and strong donor care.
Do you need a reliable tool for your recurring donation program? Lamp Fundraising CRM software is easy to launch, manage, and is perfect for your recurring donation program.