One-off donations are lovely. Regular gifts are what keep the lights on.
A monthly donor gives you something one-off gifts can't: income you can plan around. And you don't need a big team or a big budget to start. Here's how to get a regular giving programme off the ground.
Why regular giving matters
· Predictable income. You can plan services, staff and projects with more confidence.
· Higher lifetime value. A £10 monthly gift kept for three years is £360, plus Gift Aid.
· Deeper relationships. Regular donors tend to feel more connected, and are more likely to leave a gift in their will.
1. Start with one clear proposition
Don't launch "general monthly giving". Give people something specific to join. "£8 a month keeps our helpline open for an hour" is far easier to say yes to.
Some charities create a named programme, like "Friends of" or a "Circle". It helps people feel part of something.
2. Set sensible amounts
Offer three suggested amounts and an "other" box. Tie each one to a real outcome:
· £5 a month: [ add impact]
· £10 a month: [add impact]
· £20 a month: [add impact]
Pre-select the middle option as most popular. Most people go with it.
3. Make signing up easy
Your donation page should let people switch between one-off and monthly in one click. Keep the form short. Ask for Gift Aid. Make it work perfectly on mobile, because that's where most people give.
4. Ask the people who already love you
Your best regular donors are already in your database. Look at:
· People who've given more than once.
· Event attendees and fundraisers.
· Volunteers.
A simple, personal ask to upgrade a one-off gift into a monthly one often works better than any cold campaign.
5. Plan a welcome journey
The first 90 days matter most. Thank new donors straight away. Then show them their impact within the first month, and again at three months. Early cancellations usually happen when people hear nothing.
6. Keep in touch, without overdoing it
A quarterly update with real stories is plenty. Tell them what their money did. Ask for nothing extra in some of them.
7. Plan for failed payments and cancellations
Cards expire. People change banks. Have a friendly process for failed payments, and a short exit survey for cancellations. You'll learn a lot.
8. Track a few key numbers
· Number of active regular donors
· Average monthly gift
· Retention at 3, 6 and 12 months
· Gift Aid take-up
Start small, start now
You don't need hundreds of donors to make regular giving worthwhile. Fifty people giving just £10 a month is £6,000 a year before Gift Aid. That's a solid start.
Emma's regular giving donation tools make it simple to offer one-off and regular gifts on one branded, mobile-friendly page, with Gift Aid built in.
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