This is a guest post by nonprofit and grants expert Bethany M. Planton, GPC
Having worked in the sector for over 16 years, I know monthly giving helps a nonprofit’s sustainability. Monthly giving dollars are used in different ways by nonprofits- unrestricted dollars that can be used however the nonprofit sees fit- paying staff to do the work, keeping the lights on, buying a new computer, etc. or specific services.
Because of that, I support several nonprofits through monthly giving. At the beginning of each new calendar year, I assess my giving and often increase it. When I did this for 2024, I noted how to change the monthly amount donated and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was.
When Donors Wish To Give More
The facts:
➡️ Four (three national, one local) had donors create an online account where donors can view and manage the amount donated, when the donation occurs, and payment method, along with tax receipts.
➡️ One provided the link to the account on the donation page.
➡️ Two provided the link on the homepage (one says “sign in,” and the other “donor portal”).
➡️ One included instructions on the FAQ page but did not include the link. I had to get the link from the monthly receipt email.
➡️ One (local) uses PayPal.
- I dislike PayPal as an option. You must cancel the current donation and set up a new one with the new amount. There is no way to set the monthly giving to a specific date.
➡️ One national, two local did not have an option available to allow me to change my amount independently.
- I emailed all three and received an answer within 24 hours of all three of them. I was very shocked and impressed with this. I thought at least one would not respond to my email because I did something similar in 2023, and one organization did not respond. They missed out on the increase in my donation for the whole year.
Monthly Giving Increase
My takeaways for nonprofits based on this process:
- Make it easy for your donors to change their giving amounts. If you have a portal, put the link (and instructions) on your donation page. If you don’t have a portal, have the contact on your donor page, including email (list the email and have a link) and phone number.
- Check your junk/spam folder regularly in case donor emails end up there.
- Ensure that someone receives the contact form emails from the website and responds to them promptly.
- Send a thank you to recognize the increased amount – even if it is an automated email.
I increased my monthly donations by approximately $15, but that adds up to $180/year. Don’t miss out on an increase of $180/ year per monthly donor because your donors don’t know how to increase the amount.
Bethany Planton, GPC, is the Founder and CEO of bmpconsulting, a capacity-building firm established in September 2016. Bethany helps nonprofit leaders and grant professionals build and maintain strategic and sustainable nonprofits AND have fun along the way. She is a Grant Professional Certified, Grant Professionals Association Approved Trainer, a GPA Government Advocacy Committee member and co-author of two seminal works on burnout in the grants profession, published in the Journal of the Grant Professionals Association.
