6 Steps to Drive Online Donations Through Monthly Giving Programs

Did you know that you can drive online donations for your nonprofit though monthly giving programs? That's right. In fact, it's highly recommended, because according to Hubspot, 75% of your new donors will not donate next year. You're going to have to keep them engaged, thereby giving them a reason to come back.

Monthly giving programs offer many benefits for nonprofits that are looking for ways to nurture donors. These benefits include sustainability over a long term; a focus on donor retention; community development; growth of donations; and revenues that are predictable. There are, however, a few steps that go into building monthly giving programs.

6 Steps: Donations Through Monthly Giving Programs

Create a hub full of goodies for the program

Create a destination page that contains more than the generic information needed to sign up. Go the extra mile by providing videos, images, stories, and even recognition that would make the page more shareable for others on their social networks. Initially, that might sound like a lot of work, but it would ultimately make it easier for you to make updates.

Establish a strong support system

We're sure you know by now that with any initiative, it's important to have a strong base of supporters to help get it off the ground. In the case of recurring giving programs, it goes beyond a few hundred supporters screaming "Hurrah!" Turn to your most trusted and engaged fundraisers, donors, and volunteers for their honest feedback on programs before the initiatives become public. The idea of being in on exclusive information will simply make them feel extra special - which they are!

Give your support system the all star treatment

Your trusted group of supporters are going to help you pave the way to success. They are going to serve as brand ambassadors by convincing their networks of connections that your nonprofit is indeed worthy of support. As people who are helping to support your mission before knowledge of it becomes public, they deserve to be treated as investors, or founders even. Grant them access to pages and information that is not available to the public.

Offer a low price point

We understand your need to rake in as many donations as possible, but you wouldn't want to push potential donors away by asking for a large amount on a monthly basis. The workaround? Offer a few options, and start low. By starting with a lower price point, you will make yourself available to a much larger audience, including younger people who wouldn't normally be able to donate large amounts. Another benefit is that the right people would be willing to start small, and gradually increase and become major donors as time goes on. The option for larger donations will be there for corporations and major donors.

Talk about your nonprofit

Would you want to spend money on a mystery product or mystery cause? Of course not. This is exactly why your nonprofit should talk about the impact it makes. Let potential donors know exactly where their money is going, and why they should donate to your nonprofit. If you're going to create videos doing so, make sure they are short, informative, and very engaging.

Nurture relationships

Make your community feel special with an added dose of personalization. For example, you can send them personalized 'thank you' emails. You can also call them to express your gratitude, without asking for anything more. After thanking them, ask if they have any questions you could answer, or concerns that may need to be addressed. Reassure them that their contribution truly meant a lot, and you're so glad to have chatted with them. This is work that can easily be done by volunteers, and they will love it!