So, you’re thinking about starting a monthly giving program. And you’ve talked to your boss and he’s ‘willing to test it’. He’s giving you 6 months to ‘make a go of it’.
I hear this a lot. Please go back to your boss and tell him that you need everybody in your organization to commit to the program!!
Here’s why. You’re asking your donors to make a monthly gift to your organization. You’re asking them to make a commitment to you and you want them to stay with you for a really long time. So, how can you as the ‘organizer and brain’ behind the monthly giving program for your organization not do the same?
You absolutely must commit to your monthly giving program. You must give it the time it needs to grow. You must give it as many resources as you can afford. All the research shows that those organizations who really commit are tremendously successful. Their monthly donors are truly in it for the long haul.
I’ve seen organizations who have converted 5% of their donors. I’ve seen some who have converted 20% of their donors to monthly givers. And I’ve even seen organizations who were able to convert 50 to 60%!! Just imagine the ongoing income your organization can receive and the impact this will have on your programs!!
Those nonprofits who just ‘dabble’ in it, do just that. They say they have a program, but it does not amount to too much. And when I say ‘dabbling’, it means, they may do an email once a year, they may do a mailing once a year. Well, to build a successful monthly giving program, you’ll have to really put it front and center! Put it right there on your home page. Include it in your email blasts. Put something about the program in your newsletter. Interview a donor. If you have a telemarketing program, test monthly giving!
If you believe in it and you’ll promote it, they will come! And stay!
So commit! Start by joining the program yourself and ask your boss, your staff, volunteers and your board to do the same. It will show everybody’s commitment. Just a small amount a month will go a long way. Then start with your donors who have been giving to you via credit card already and see if you can convert them to joining the program via credit card online.
Make sure you set realistic goals and when you achieve the first mile stone, communicate it to everyone in your organization. It will keep your boss motivated and it will confirm that he (or she) has made the right decision to invest so that your program will just keep on growing!
