Small nonprofit teams are often running on fumes. Government grant cuts, an unpredictable economy, and the constant cycle of chasing new donors… it’s a lot of weight to carry.
On this episode of Danielle Locke’s Fundraising Unfiltered podcast, we dug into the real math of monthly giving, why it doesn’t cannibalize your other fundraising, who your best prospects really are, and the quiet little tech features that can double (or triple) your program’s performance.
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Learn how to build a recurring-first mindset for your monthly giving program, who to invite first, and how to use simple automations and donor self-service tools to grow your program without burning out your team.
In this session, you’ll explore:
If you only have a few minutes, here’s the short version of our conversation: the five ideas I’d want every small nonprofit leader to walk away with.
When someone gives you $20 a month, they’re not trading down from a bigger gift. They’re signing up for a relationship. Most monthly donors stay with an organization for eight-plus years.
On the 4aGoodCause platform, a typical monthly donor gives about $660 per year, which works out to roughly $5,280 in lifetime value.
For a small shop, that’s a major gift delivered in manageable pieces. And because those donors trust you deeply, they’re six times more likely to leave you something in their will than one-time donors.
This is the fear I hear most from boards and executive directors. “If we ask them for $20 a month, we’re going to lose the $100 check at year-end.” It’s a reasonable worry, but it’s not what the data shows.
Monthly donors are your true believers. They give again at year-end. They buy event tickets. They show up. About a third of monthly donors make an additional year-end gift, and they’re often the first people to respond when you need an emergency push.
The key is to segment them thoughtfully in your communications and acknowledge their ongoing support before you ask for more.
You don’t start a monthly giving program by blasting an offer to everyone on your list. Find your founders: the 20 to 25 people who will become your first recurring donors and your earliest ambassadors.
Danielle and I talked about looking for signs of loyalty, like the small donor who gives multiple times a year. The volunteer who shows up to every event. The person who drops off diapers or school supplies every month without being asked. Those are your best monthly giving candidates.
Ronald Pruitt
Founder, 4aGoodCause
A few quiet features can change the performance of a monthly giving program more than any headline campaign. Three to think about:
None of these require you to work harder. Smart tools to work on your behalf.
🤯 Did you know? You don’t need to work harder to raise more. The average monthly donor gives $660 per year with the 4aGoodCause platform. Learn how the 4aGC Monthly Giving Toolkit helps you build a loyal base of recurring donors who are passionate about your cause.
This is a topic that’s getting more attention across the industry, and for good reason. George Weiner of Whole Whale published a study showing that 25% of nonprofit platforms won’t let you migrate your recurring donors at all if you ever decide to switch tools. They make it impossible.
Before you build a monthly giving program on any platform, ask the question: if I ever need to leave, will my monthly givers come with me? The answer should be yes.
💡 Did you know? With other donor CRM and fundraising software, leaving can mean starting your monthly giving program over. With 4aGoodCause, it’s as simple as taking your donors (and their info) securely with you.
One of Danielle’s best questions in our conversation was about the moment a one-time donor is most open to becoming a monthly donor. I want to expand on my answer here, because I think it’s the most undersold opportunity in nonprofit fundraising right now.
The best time to invite a one-time donor into your monthly giving program isn’t at year-end. It’s in the first 30 days after they give, while they’re still thinking about you. That’s when the gift feels fresh, the impact feels real, and the emotional connection is at its peak.
A simple three-touch sequence works well:
The other high-leverage moment is immediately after checkout. A simple popup asking “Would you like to turn your $100 gift into $20/month?” works. That’s a small percentage, but the compounding effect is real.
Here’s the math I ran through with Danielle:
Imagine 100 donors give $100 each. That’s $10,000. Great! But if five of those donors convert to $25/month, you now get an additional $1,500 every year going forward, ideally for the full eight years of their donor lifecycle. You’re still raising the $9500 from the other 95 donors. You’ve just multiplied your long-term revenue from the five who said yes.
Fundraising software that feels like part of your team.
This episode is part of Danielle Locke’s Fundraising Unfiltered podcast, a series for nonprofit leaders who are done with tired tactics and looking for real-world guidance.
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Danielle M. Locke is the founder of Locke Step Partners and host of the Fundraising Unfiltered podcast. She has raised tens of millions of dollars for nonprofits of all sizes and now helps nonprofit leaders fund their missions with confidence through direct consulting, fractional development leadership, and practical content that cuts through the noise. Learn more at lockestep.com.
Ronald is the President and Founder of 4aGoodCause, the fundraising CRM that makes recurring, monthly giving a breeze for small nonprofits.
For over 25 years, Ronald has had the joy of doing what he loves, building online solutions that make a difference in the world. He’s helped raise millions of dollars online for small nonprofits across the country. Connect with Ronald on LinkedIn.
