{"id":27744,"date":"2021-10-06T10:05:41","date_gmt":"2021-10-06T14:05:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/?p=27744"},"modified":"2022-06-24T13:04:01","modified_gmt":"2022-06-24T17:04:01","slug":"giving-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/giving-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"Use Giving Plans to Jumpstart Recurring Gifts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Times of economic stress create uncertainty for everyone, including nonprofits. That\u2019s why recurring donations are so important: they create stable donation streams for sustained fundraising. But while some donors are happy to give monthly for an unspecified length of time, others prefer more structured giving. That’s where giving plans can help! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Qgiv\u2019s giving plans feature, donors can set up \u201cbite-sized\u201d recurring donations with clear start and end dates. Your nonprofit can also use giving plans to fundraise toward a specific project or goal. Or you can offer a way for donors to make custom plans that fit their own goals and comfort levels.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, you\u2019ll learn what a giving plan is and how it differs from other recurring donation structures. Then, I\u2019ll show you what a giving plan looks like on the Qgiv front-end. And I\u2019ll share some best practices when setting up a giving plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Giving Plan?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A giving plan is a type of recurring donation<\/a> in which you set a specific duration, frequency, and total donation amount. This gives your donors a way to contribute in smaller, less daunting chunks. Think of them like structured pledges!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These giving plans can be customized with different amounts and giving frequencies. You can also link gifts to specific goals and initiatives to create impact statements for donors. Plus, you can show donors exactly how much they\u2019ll end up giving over time.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"An<\/a>
This is an example of a giving plan on one of Qgiv’s donation forms.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why Use Giving Plans?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Offering a way for donors to give on a recurring basis is important for creating a reliable and sustainable revenue stream. In fact, studies show that monthly donors give over\u00a040%\u00a0more in a year than one-time donors<\/a>.\u00a0But in uncertain economic times, some donors won\u2019t be able to commit to giving every month unless there is a clear end date or goal set up for them.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can remove the uncertainty for your donors by telling them exactly how long their gift will last and how much they\u2019ll end up giving over time. A donor may not feel comfortable giving $100 all at once. But if they see an option to give $10 per month for 10 months, they may stop and think, \u201cHm, I can definitely do that!\u201d Offering giving plans lessens the immediate financial impact on donors and thus makes giving feel much more manageable!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, it\u2019s easy to connect giving plans to specific initiatives so donors know exactly where their gift is going. Our Generational Giving Report<\/a> found that recognizing individual donations and providing impact updates both make donors more likely to give again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Qgiv offers an easy way to thank donors for giving to specific funds or initiatives by using conditional content blocks in receipts. You can also set up custom mappings in Qgiv\u2019s CRM and email integrations to help you provide tailored impact communication\u2014it’s a great way to strengthen donor relationships and boost loyalty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, with Qgiv\u2019s giving plans, you can include a custom plan option, which essentially works like a traditional recurring gift structure. Donors select the amount they want to give in recurring monthly installments. This offers flexibility to meet donors’ needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giving Plans in the Wild<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Need some inspiration? Here are some giving plan examples to help inspire you: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Image<\/a>
2022 Special Olympics USA Games has a giving plan for each of their membership levels, offering a way for donors to spread out the cost of their membership over a year. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Image<\/a>
Daufuskie Community Farm also uses their plans for membership levels, and they\u2019ve customized the plan details even further by including the perks of membership! <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Image<\/a>
Central Florida Speech and Hearing Center is using giving plans to encourage donors to pledge $5,000 over 5 years. They made this ambitious program more manageable by catering to donors\u2019 abilities to give monthly, quarterly, or annually.  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And remember, with giving plans, donors can select the \u201cCreate Your Own Plan\u201d option. That way, they can set up a traditional recurring gift that meets their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Image<\/a>
Child and Family Service has customized the options even more by allowing donors to choose their own start and end dates. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Closing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Recurring donors end up giving more regularly and in larger amounts than one-time donors. That’s why creating an approachable, sustainable recurring donation strategy is vital for any nonprofit. With Qgiv\u2019s giving plans, you can offer your donors more clarity and focus in their recurring giving with an easier initial commitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more on how to build a great monthly giving program, check out other posts:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n