Monthly Giving Hindsight Is Always 20/20
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 […]
You Can Make Recurring Gifts From Your Donor-Advised Fund
Donor-advised funds — a lot has been written about it. Especially with the changes in tax laws, more and more donors have “flocked” to it. Just a few quick facts about donor-advised funds (DAFs): You don’t need to be super rich to start one — $5,000 is all it takes. A DAF is easy to […]
Why Do You Give Monthly?
Take a look at this beautiful Word Cloud. It’s based on the answers to an exercise we recently did in a sustainer workshop. (Thank you, Cameron Popp, for organizing the exercise). I certainly think the outcome is fascinating. Because what you see is that the most important reason why people give monthly is because they […]
What Are the Biggest Monthly Gift Challenges?
At the recent sustainer workshop, we asked people present about their biggest monthly gift challenges. You see that staff is a big challenge, along with prioritizing sustainers over donors and getting new monthly donors (acquisition). I was surprised to see that retention for this group was less challenging. It’s important to note that the sizes […]
3 Case Studies That Prove That Nonprofit Direct Mail Still Works In 2019
I grew up with and in direct mail. I was fortunate to work at Reader’s Digest (RD) in Amsterdam right after college and it really shaped the rest of my career. I’ve always loved direct mail because you can measure results, but nothing beats seeing the boxes and boxes filled with responses coming back. I […]
Someone Just Called to Say They Cared…
This post is a bit more personal than you may be used to, but this is a very interesting time. I’m very nearsighted, and I’ve had glasses since I was a little girl. Yes, I was one of those kids with jelly jars, and I sure got teased a lot. But that changed last week […]
When and How Do You Record Monthly Gifts Financially?
This question also came up at the recent sustainer workshop, and I know it’s something people struggle with, especially when you talk with your treasurers or finance folks. Monthly gifts are different from the major gift pledges most organizations are used to. Those pledges are typically set up for a specific purpose with an end […]
4 Things to Consider When Setting a Monthly Donor Goal
At the recent Bridge pre-conference sustainer workshop I co-hosted, one of the attendees asked this question: “What is a realistic goal for monthly donor percentage as a percent of active donors?” Let me explain why there’s no one good answer to this other than that the current typical nonprofit has between 5% to 30% of […]
Why it Pays for Nonprofits to Encourage ACH/EFT Donations
This article was written by Michael W. Kahn and posted by Nacha on July 18, 2019. It’s a nonprofit no-brainer: Encourage recurring donations through ACH/EFT. “Those organizations that have been doing this, that started with EFT early on, they get it,” said Erica Waasdorp, founder and president of the fundraising consulting firm A Direct […]
Three Real-Life Examples of Monthly Donor Lifetime Value
At a recent client meeting in Richmond, VA., we were discussing ways to grow the organization’s monthly donor program. I asked the question: “Do you know the lifetime value of one of your first monthly donors?” Her answer was astounding: $10,000! Can you just imagine? A small donor who has been giving so much on […]
