10 Things I Learned From 30 Years in Sustainer Giving, Part 4
I’ve shared six of my top sustainer giving lessons so far. Today, I’ll get to the heart of sustainer giving, and probably the hardest lessons for nonprofit leadership. 7. Be Patient and Think Long-Term If you talk to those organizations that are most successful with sustainer giving, they all have a long-term focus. I know […]
10 Things I Learned From 30 Years in Sustainer Giving, Part 3
I hope you’re enjoying this list of things to focus on when it comes to sustainer giving. So far, I’ve shared four things I’ve learned. Some I had to learn the hard way but certainly they can benefit any and all fundraisers. Here are lessons five and six. 5. Challenges Are Opportunities A prime example […]
10 Things I Learned From 30 Years in Sustainer Giving, Part 2
In a previous article, I shared the first two things I learned during my 30 years of working on sustainer programs. Most of this is not rocket science, but it’s important to keep in mind when you’re looking to grow or retain your sustainers. Here are my next two lessons. 3. Operations Is Your Friend When […]
What I Learned From 30 Years in Sustainer Giving
I recently had the pleasure to present a keynote at Sustainers Day, organized by the Direct Marketing Association of Washington. It was a packed house, filled with nonprofits of different sizes and sustainer experiences. I always learned that rather than a how-to session, a keynote was meant to be inspirational in nature. So, I reflected on […]
Add a Monthly Gift Ask to Your Welcome Email Series
At a recent conference, I finally had a chance to meet some of the NextAfter folks in person. We talked about “The Nonprofit Recurring Giving Benchmark” study from NextAfter. It’s now a few years old, but I have a sneaky suspicion that the organization is working on something new and I can’t wait! Its research on digital activities is […]
Top Insights from A Direct Solution’s Educational Panel with NXUnite
As all nonprofit leaders know, donors help nonprofits create new campaigns, start new projects, and ultimately achieve their missions. One of the most fundamental ways to retain donors is to thank donors, to make them feel appreciated for how they have contributed to your nonprofit’s mission. An appreciated donor is often a more engaged donor […]
How Are Recurring Donors Doing in This Economy?
You may know that I used to work at an international nonprofit, where we focused on monthly giving in some seven countries. The number of recurring donors, or committed givers as they call it in the U.K., was the largest. That’s why, to this very day, I still like looking at trends in other countries, […]
8 Tips to Help Clear Up Confusion Around the Pending Mastercard Regulations
If you’re tired of reading about the new Mastercard regulations, you’re probably not alone. A great thank you to The Nonprofit Alliance that helped get the extension to March 21, 2023 and clarified that nonprofits do not need to send postal receipts if they do not have a donor’s email address. But there was still a ton of […]
Be Cautious When You Transition to a Different Sustainer Processor
There is an important new trend I’m seeing where nonprofits have to or want to transition from one recurring donor processor to another. And I’ve heard horror stories about the number of sustainers a nonprofit can lose if the organization doesn’t do it right. The transition can be from one donor database, or constituent relationship management […]
Recycle, Reuse and Repurpose Creative
Whenever I get a box for a delivery, I look at the size and see if I can reuse it for something else. Can I ship a care package to a nephew who’s deployed? Could I ship something to our kids or grandkids? Well, the same applies to fundraising and direct response. I’ve been doing […]
