There I was, sitting on a plane on my way to a presentation. But when I landed, I found out the committee had just canceled the meeting. Not the end of the world, so I made the best of it, did a bit of sightseeing, practiced social distancing, and got caught up on some work and some books. Of course, it’s all about being safe and staying healthy. That’s the number one priority, and I totally understand. But it made me think about what happened...

OK — there’s no official monthly donor retention day (yet), but I think it’s time we started one. After all, with Daylight Savings Time, St. Patricks’ Day, World Wildlife Day and so many other special days on the calendar, why not create yet one more special day? Except, it should not be a special day! If you’re serious about your monthly donor program, every day should be a monthly donor retention day. When should that day be? Well, that...

Life is busy. Life is messy. Time can get away from us all — no matter how perfect we are at multitasking. Donors are no different. Especially donors with kids and/or grandkids. Having just spent the weekend with our grandkids (ages two, three and 11), I can totally relate. You can’t leave them alone one minute, and they love having you sit with them when they’re watching the next repeat of “Minions,” “Blaze” or “Umizoomi”! I had virtually no...

I recently traveled across several time zones, and it’s amazing how it impacts you — your body, your mood, your sleep pattern and your ability to concentrate. They say it takes one day to recuperate from a one-hour time change. So, with Daylight Savings Time around the corner, we’ll lose one whole hour, 60 minutes, 3,600 seconds. The good news is that the adjustment will be on a Sunday for most people, but the Monday morning after the clock...

As you know, I’ve been advocating for a while to make small changes to your overall fundraising program and to start including monthly giving wherever possible. I know that you simply may not be in the position to go after monthly donors in a big way, or you may be hesitant.  (For some reason I’m still puzzled about that, so I hope you don’t mind me continuing to motivate you to try it.) You probably also know that monthly giving takes a while...

Every year in February, my husband and I escape from the cold (and usually snow) and go to Phoenix for some sunshine, a little bit of golf and pickleball, and a drive-in movie. My husband is a private pilot, and he absolutely loves to fly. He is on cloud nine every time he goes for a flight. And every time we go on our trip, he realizes how people in some parts of the country are so lucky. They can fly (almost) 365 days a year and maybe miss...

I just wrote an ebook on how monthly donors provide important unrestricted revenue nonprofits need to support their operating costs. If you’re using terms like annual fund or annual appeals to identify your operating revenue, please realize that monthly gifts are typically part of this. Monthly donors support your annual fund. Monthly donors support your ongoing operating needs and your mission. One of the questions fundraisers immediately ask...

Sustainer programs have grown substantially over the past few years, especially for those organizations that took advantage of generating new donors before, during and after the 2016 elections. In this article, I’m going to address two questions: Why has sustainer giving become so popular? How can you create a winning sustainer program? Why Has Sustainer Giving Become Popular? It’s all around us: subscription programs, small amounts taken...

I’m sitting on a plane, thinking about the coronavirus and a movie I watched a while back called “Contagion.” Scary. Totally realistic now! We’ve become world travelers. We’re on planes, trains, boats, buses, Uber and Lyft rides, etc., all the time. For this most recent trip, I packed some masks and gloves, and I am wiping down everything possible, hoping to stay healthy. (Whenever I travel, I swear by Airborne, sanitary wipes and hand...

As you know, I do a ton of blogging and presenting on monthly giving. I talk to organizations about their monthly donor programs all the time. But I haven’t been able to solve the biggest monthly giving mystery: “What’s holding organizations back to start or grow their monthly donor program?” I’d love to find out from you what you think it is, because I’ve not yet been able to answer that question. I can guess at some of the reasons (or...

I still come across nonprofits that have virtually no sustainers. Why? Because they weren’t pushed to do it, or they didn’t know that they could do it. Sadly, some organizations had the bad luck of agencies and consultants not thinking that monthly giving was a “big deal.” Some worried it would take away from their direct mail numbers and revenue. It made me think of the movie “Pretty Woman.” Do you remember the scene where Julia Roberts needs...

Last week, I was talking to a prospect about how to best set priorities when it comes to monthly giving. She wanted to know how crucial it is to only focus on monthly giving compared to other activities. They had fewer than 5,000 donors to work with. They have a small staff and a separate communications department that’s not that fundraising focused, which, in my experience, is (sadly) very typical. A few months ago, I started talking to an...

To start the year and decade off right, I thought I’d share 20 ideas and intentions to help you grow your monthly donor program to the next level. No matter what your current number of monthly donors is, you can always use more. No matter what your current overall communication schedule is, you should be able to fit these into the mix. No matter how many donors you have, you can always apply these tips. Virtually, all of these are low in cost;...

As you’re going into the next decade, it might be a good time to take stock of some old ideas that can be new again. But how do you find those old ideas? Go back to some of your old packages and emails, and retest them. See what happens. When I worked at Reader’s Digest in Amsterdam several decades ago, we took two approaches that worked over and over again: We had a huge stock room of samples of prior campaigns. And every seven years or so,...

As you know, I’m always looking for statistics, especially on monthly giving. And as someone who has raised money internationally for a number of years, I’ve found that it’s always good to look at international fundraising trends. Yes, cultures and languages can be different. Yes, fundraising channels may be a bit different, but overall: What works in one country, typically works in another. Because you’re raising funds from individuals, and...

Every weekend, I go through my mail from the week before. It’s also when I create a swipe file of direct mail packs and ideas I like. I scan in what I like and toss the rest. This past week, I had a bunch of holiday cards. Some recognized my ongoing monthly gifts; others did not. If you have a holiday card on your direct mail production schedule, I highly recommend to include your monthly donors this time of the year. It’s a good time to say an...

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving! It’s a great time to reflect on the small and large people and things in your life. I always find myself making my resolutions for the new year early. Why? Because there’s never a moment to waste. Because there’s something magical about resolutions. It helps you be better prepared for the next phase in whatever it is you’re looking to be prepared for. Just think about it: Giving Tuesday is tomorrow, and you...

You’ve most likely read that giving days/year-end/holidays are a really good time to ask your monthly donors for an extra gift.  It’s true, especially with that special personal touch. But that brings up the next question: Should you send a thank-you letter to your monthly donors for that extra gift? You’re most likely not sending thank-you letters for their ongoing monthly gifts now. My recommendation is an unequivocal YES. Do send a thank-you...

As we’re getting ready for Thanksgiving, I wanted to talk about something not often talked about:  how nonprofit clients move from one fundraising agency or consultant to another, and how this can be a smooth transition or a difficult one. I’m very fortunate that I was recently asked to start working with an organization where its “old” agency was extremely gracious, supportive and forthcoming with any and all information. It made the...

I’m not going to write about monthly donors for a change. Instead, now is the time to get as many one-time gifts, which will help feed your monthly donor program next year. The year-end appeal season is here. The clock is ticking… The mail pile is growing… The inbox is overflowing… The question is: How do you stand out from the crowd? The second question is: Must you stand out from the crowd, or is it more important you get my attention at the...

During a recent webinar, someone asked me: “Does the timing of the launch of your monthly giving program make a difference? Are there certain times of the year that are better to start a monthly giving program?” My answer is twofold: If your organization is really gung-ho about monthly giving — as in, you almost care more about generating sustainers than one-time gifts — then by all means, go for it! There is really no bad time to launch your...

Fundraisers are fascinating. Sometimes, they want to try something new and forget about proven approaches and channels. Other times, they are too afraid to even consider something new. I get it. If you’re worried that you’re not going to make your goals, you’ll put on the brakes. If you think that your donors might get upset about what you’re trying to do, you’ll walk on eggshells. Most times, you’re scared because someone who doesn’t...

Last week was a tough week. My father-in-law passed away after five days in hospice care and three weeks of going in and out of the hospital with an infection. Before that, he was quite healthy and very much with us. He told the most amazing stories of his World War II fighter pilot flights in Germany and France, especially as a young airman. He lived to be 95 — a very full and incredible life — serving our country for more than 40 years. And...

This is one of those recurring questions I get whenever I present on monthly giving, so it may be time to address it again.  Organizations often “agonize” about the name for a monthly giving program. Many are holding up the launch of it. Do yourself a favor: Don’t delay. You can always recognize donors later! Before you start thinking about names (and possibly stalling the start of the program), consider this: On your online form, your...

By Erica Waasdorp , Paul Tavatgis and Sherry Bell Retention. It’s something every single one of us struggles with. And no matter how a new sustainer came on board (digitally, direct mail, telephone, face-to-face, TV or other), the first three months after sign-up are critical to retaining new sustainers. But when it comes to recurring donors acquired via face-to-face (also referred as F2F, street, canvassing, door), retention becomes even more...

As you’re getting ready for Giving Tuesday — or the campaign season starting before Thanksgiving — this question comes up often: Should I include my monthly donors in my Giving Tuesday campaign?  My answer is: Yes! Absolutely, BUT… Why do I recommend including your monthly donors? Because this is an exciting time to give, and you’ll leave money on the table if you don’t ask. Many Giving Tuesday (or Giving Day) campaigns have a match challenge...

Spoiler alert: It’s not by doing more social media. It’s not by running more events. It’s by focusing on asking your donors to upgrade, to make monthly gifts and leave gifts through their will. It’s all about asking your donors to give more money, more often, ongoing. It’s getting long term results by doing things now. Why is this important? Because the latest trend reports are here and donor numbers are down once again. Donors down -5.8%...

You probably know by now that monthly giving is not a one-shot deal. It’s a matter of “chipping” away at it. And if you’re a golfer, you know, it’s those chip shots that can make all the difference. With monthly giving, it’s all about consistency. It’s about a continued and committed focus. It’s about finding ways to build in a monthly giving ask wherever you possibly can. There are numerous (almost endless) online opportunities, but don’t...

As a monthly donor, I support many organizations. Frankly, until I sit down at the end of the year to prepare for my taxes, I don’t even know how many great nonprofits I give monthly to. Organizations I support fall into the categories of animal welfare, environmental advocacy, human services and religion. I have a hard time remembering why I started supporting every individual organization, but I know it was for a good reason and the...

As I’m getting ready for my second cataract surgery this week, it has started to dawn on me the tremendous eye-opening results I’ve already experienced from the first one. For me, going to the beach and swimming in the ocean was never an option, because I wouldn’t be able to find my spot unless there was nobody else there. Snorkeling was not possible, because I simply wouldn’t see anything. Now hopefully all that will be possible. I may have...