{"id":22035,"date":"2021-01-08T10:32:15","date_gmt":"2021-01-08T15:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/?p=22035"},"modified":"2025-07-31T18:29:28","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T22:29:28","slug":"how-to-build-reliable-revenue-with-recurring-donations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/how-to-build-reliable-revenue-with-recurring-donations\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build Reliable Revenue with Recurring Donations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

 Every nonprofit fundraiser wants to build a stream of reliable income, and one of the best ways to do that is to bring in recurring donations. Recurring donors are also called sustaining donors, and for good reason! Their gifts come in reliably, month after month, which makes planning and budgeting easier\u2014and, if we\u2019ve learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic, it\u2019s how important reliable revenue can be. They\u2019re also much more likely to give year after year than their one-time counterparts! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how can you start building (or improving) your relationship with your recurring donors? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re glad you asked! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Ask for (and Maintain) Recurring Donations <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s more to building a base of recurring donors than just asking for recurring gifts. That\u2019s part of it, of course, but you still need some supporting processes in place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, make a compelling appeal.  <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you ask for a one-time gift, you should ask yourself two questions: Why should someone give? And why should they give now instead of later? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you ask for a recurring gift, you need to add an extra question. Why should donors give? Why should they give now instead of later? And why should they make a recurring gift instead of a one-time gift? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are lots of compelling reasons to give on a recurring basis. When you\u2019re writing your appeal, you need to include at least one! Tell donors how recurring giving will help meet consistent needs or talk about how their recurring gift helps make a bigger impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could also attract sustaining donors by creating an exclusive group for recurring donors and tying a cool incentive to it. A great example of this tactic comes from the World Wildlife Fund; recurring donors are considered \u201cWWF Heroes\u201d and get access to a quarterly magazine, an annual calendar, and exclusive emails. People who give $100 or more per month become a \u201cPartner in Conservation,\u201d which includes even more benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After you\u2019ve made your compelling appeal, make sure you… <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make it easy to give you a recurring gift<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Donors won\u2019t opt to make monthly donations to charity if it\u2019s hard to set up a recurring gift. Make it easy to support you<\/a>! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re sending an appeal that\u2019s focused specifically on asking for recurring donations, you may want to consider using your donate button (you ARE including a donate button, right?) to take donors to a form where recurring options are already pre-selected. Here\u2019s why. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re setting up your standard donation form\u2014the one your donors land on when they click the big \u201cdonate\u201d button on your home page\u2014 it\u2019s never a good idea to make a recurring donation the default option. Doing that can make donors feel like you\u2019re trying to trick them into making a recurring gift. But, when you\u2019re sending an appeal specifically<\/em> for recurring donations, making a recurring gift the default is just fine. It makes it easier for donors to give, requires them to make fewer choices, and helps you keep them engaged in the donation process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That doesn\u2019t mean you should neglect your standard donation form, though. Encourage recurring donations<\/a> by including language on your form that touches on the importance of those gifts. If you\u2019re using Qgiv, you have a couple handy options for encouraging sustaining gifts. The first is a recurring nudge, which is an option within your donation form for donors to change a one-time gift to a recurring gift. Here\u2019s what that looks like: <\/p>\n\n\n

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See that little bit of text that asks you to make your gift monthly? That\u2019s a recurring nudge!<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other Qgiv tool you can use is our recurring modal. It\u2019s a pop-up message asking donors to upgrade their gift to a recurring one. This is what your donors will see! <\/p>\n\n\n

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This is a Qgiv upgrade modal! It\u2019s an effective way to get donors\u2019 attention and invite them to make a bigger impact.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also use Qgiv\u2019s “Giving Plan” tool. Donors can put together a giving plan to make a larger gift in smaller increments, which is especially helpful now during a period of economic uncertainty. Visualize it this way: I want to donate $500 toward your capital campaign, but I don\u2019t have $500 handy right now. Instead of giving you one lump sum, I can set up a donation wherein I give you $50\/month for 10 months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These tools were added to Qgiv’s award-winning online donation forms<\/a> during our recent redesign to help nonprofits grow their fundraising with recurring gifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, to recap: make it easy to make a recurring donation. If you\u2019re sending an appeal specifically asking for recurring donations, link donors to a form that automatically defaults to recurring billing. Then, use a combination of recurring language, giving plans, and upgrade prompts to encourage recurring gifts on your primary donation form. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a donor sets up a recurring gift, it\u2019s time to start building the relationship with your new supporter. The first step is to… <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow up promptly<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The person who just set up a recurring donation just did an amazing thing. They\u2019re giving YOU their support and their money! They just chose to do that over and over again! They\u2019re giving you a reliable, sustainable source of income! They are choosing to invest in your mission, not once, but over and over again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honor that gift by acknowledging that gift quickly and sincerely! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, make sure you\u2019ve built an automated receipt that will go to donors right after they make a gift. To make the most of your receipt, be sure you include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n