As nonprofits look to increase their number of sustainers and the number of payment options and providers grows, best practices and payment guidelines can sometimes become daunting to fundraisers.
Rules are often created because of challenges in the commercial and subscription world, as was the case with new Mastercard Recurring Transaction Regulations in 2022.
Fortunately, thanks to the convincing case presented by fundraisers and The Nonprofit Alliance (TNPA), nonprofits became largely exempt from those regulations, which was a major relief.
But it is important to remember that rules strive to improve transparency and, thus, trust from consumers, donors, and most importantly sustainers who provide that critical ongoing revenue to nonprofits.
That is why in 2023, Bob Tigner, TNPA’s regulatory counsel, pulled together a volunteer committee of consultants and fundraisers to address frequently asked questions and best practices on recurring donation acceptance, processing, stewardship, and retention.
We are so grateful for the hard work of the committee consisting of: Dana Bunke, Easter Seals; Brandy Calvert, Christian Appalachian Project; Monica Muten, Special Olympics; Peter Schoewe, Mal Warwick Donordigital; Phil Schmitz, Charity Engine; Alison Teres, Moore THD; Robert Tigner, TNPA; and Erica Waasdorp, A Direct Solution.
After countless hours and extensive review, we are pleased to announce the launch of this first-ever Sustainer Best Practices Guide which you can download here, free of charge.
In the table of contents, you will find 39 frequently asked questions about sustainers. We have heard from fundraisers, finance folks, operations teams, and others over the past few years, pertaining to processing and stewarding sustainers, measuring KPIs, improving sustainer retention, extra gifts and upgrades, and more.
Please note that this is by no means a completely exhaustive guide, as we fully expect rules to keep changing, but we have indicated links to the specific resources as-we-know-them, where appropriate.
We trust that you will find this guide helpful, and we look forward to your feedback.
If you have any questions not addressed in this guide, or if you would like further clarification, please contact your payment provider, database CRM provider, or Bob and TNPA at rtigner@tnpa.org.
Good luck with your sustainer growth and thank you for everything you do!
