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Tips for a ROARING Good Recurring Giving Program

Roaring Good Recurring Giving

Guest blog by Julie Kennon of Charity Engine If you missed this captivating webinar on recurring giving, don’t worry…we took notes! It’s no secret that a strong recurring giving program provides a necessary foundation for any nonprofit. Reliable revenue means, of course, that you can keep the lights on, but it also means you have a […]

It’s OK If Monthly Donors Start With Low Gift Amounts

One time, on a movie set, Chris Davenport, president of 501 Videos and founder of the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference, noticed a nickel on the floor in a hallway that had a lot of foot traffic. Every other person probably looked at it but decided to walk by, Davenport shared earlier this month during his event’s opening session. […]

10 Things I Learned From 30 Years in Sustainer Giving, Part 5

Positive People and Positive Things

As a fundraiser, your life is not easy. There are days when you wonder why you’re doing it all. There are days where you’re just Zoomed out. You can’t possibly think about yet one more event, one more direct mail campaign, one more Giving Tuesday or other giving day campaign. The stress is huge. There […]

7 Nonprofit Holiday Bloopers

holiday bloopers

My husband and I love going to the movies. Even during the pandemic, we tried to go if the movie theater was open. We were often the only two in the theater. We just love seeing new movies on the big screen. Instead of rushing out quickly at the end, we usually stay for the […]

10 Things I Learned From 30 Years in Sustainer Giving, Part 4

long-term

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

add one more button

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

learn

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

details

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

ask

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 […]

Monthly Giving Continues to Be Strong Among Older Donors

older donors

As prices go up and inflation is a reality, are you worried about what’s going to happen with monthly donors? I’m right there with you. That’s why I was excited to see Enthuse’s “Donor Pulse Report: Summer 2022,” based on a survey of 2,008 donors in the United Kingdom. General economic trends are remarkably similar, so it’s a good […]