As a nonprofit, having a consistent source of monthly donations can really help support your work in the community. A monthly giving program is popular with nonprofit organizations because they provide a reliable and regular income, independent of the success of individual fundraiser campaigns. A steady financial base gives your organization more scope for charitable work and action, meaning more good work in your community!

There are many ways to create a monthly giving program which your supporters can commit to and this article contains everything you need to know about how to create a monthly giving program. From giving program ideas to useful resources to set up a monthly giving program, you can find everything below.

Give programs for nonprofits

What is a give program?

A giving program is a recurring donation that your donors commit to on a monthly, quarterly, or bi-annually basis. It is usually a financial donation, and individuals can choose the amount they would like to give each time.

The benefits of a giving program for a nonprofit organization are innumerable. Here are just some of the ways a give program could support your organization:

• Financial resources: a give program provides a reliable source of income for an NGO, independent of seasonal giving or fundraiser events.
• Easy for donors: giving programs take all the hassle out of the equation for donors. They only need to sign up once and the rest is done for them!
• Flexible giving: individuals can choose how they give, how much they give, and how frequently. This can also be altered at any time if they wish to up their giving or give more frequently.
• More predictable: give programs typically have a higher retention rate, meaning that supporters stick with giving long-term. This provides reliable funds for your organization, making planning easier for events and social action.

Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash

How to create a give program that is scalable

Creating a giving program that is scalable is simple if you set it out from the beginning. 

Firstly, set up a giving program that has custom amounts to encourage larger donations. It’s also a great idea to set up a marketing campaign and raise awareness of your donation platform to encourage more people to get involved.

Read this article for a rundown of nonprofit marketing techniques here.

Make sure to send out frequent reminders of your give program in your newsletter or to your committed supporters, encouraging them to give more or more often.

Another way to scale your giving program is to reach out to companies and large corporations who may wish to support your organization. This is known as corporate giving, and can be hugely beneficial, especially for a smaller nonprofit that requires more initial support.

How to create a monthly giving program

A monthly giving program is a popular frequency for nonprofit donation schemes. There are a few different ways you can create a monthly giving program and encourage individuals to support your organization, and some of them might surprise you!

The most traditional giving campaigns are subscription-based financial donations where individuals commit to donating a certain amount each month. This is a popular and simple way to create a monthly giving program because it coincides well with people’s monthly paycheck, making it an easily affordable and manageable way of supporting a charity for many. 

Photo by Jo Szczepanska on Unsplash

When setting up a monthly giving campaign, you should create a page on your website where you can publicise and provide information about why people should donate, and provide the necessary form to commit. Having an entire webpage for your donor program also means you can link to this page when sharing your campaign on socials and in emails!

Moving away from the more traditional giving programs, there are some more creative ways to ensure monthly donations still come in. Here are some great monthly giving program examples you could adapt for your nonprofit.

Monthly challenge fundraiser

Host a monthly challenge that people can take part in and be sponsored for. There are loads of great fundraiser challenge ideas in this blog post, so be sure to check it out for some inspiration!

Monthly restaurant fundraiser

Alternatively, invite all your supporters for a monthly restaurant fundraiser where a percentage of all sales are donated back to your cause. A restaurant fundraiser is a great monthly giving program initiative because it is so easy for people to take part in and can generate a substantial amount of funds.

Monthly sports event

Invite friends, family, colleagues and supporters to take part in a monthly fun run, football match, or other sporting event. Every participant pays a fee to be involved and you can make it fun by creating a leader board that you revisit each month!

December: the month of giving!

Did you know that December is the month of giving? An entire month dedicated to charitable donations and nonprofit awareness is the perfect opportunity to launch your giving program or organise a few giving campaigns!

Photo by Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash

If you’ve been considering launching a giving campaign, then December would certainly be the optimal time to do so. You can prepare your webpage, marketing strategy, and setup well in advance and start raising awareness before your formal launch in December.

December is always recognised as a time of goodwill and looking out for others because of the seasonal holidays. You can pivot your campaign to focus on this and encourage individuals to donate to a cause that supports those who have less during the festive season.

Leading up to the launch, you will want to send out emails and post on your socials telling your supporters all about your giving program. Social media sites like Instagram even enable you to create a countdown leading up to an event, which is a fun way to remind your followers of the launch!

On the day of launch, make sure to post on your socials, make your webpage live, and shout about it as much as possible! 

GroupRaise has some great marketing resources you can make use of, including publicity resources and a step-by-step guide of how to create a publicity campaign. Explore these here.

Don’t be afraid to ask!

When it comes to setting up monthly giving programs, the key is just to ask. You may be surprised how many people are keen to set up a sustainable and long-term donation to a cause they care about, and if you don’t ask, you’ll never know!

Don’t forget that a giving program does not always need to be the traditional subscription setup. You can be creative with themed monthly challenges or fun social activities such as a restaurant fundraiser. We’re big fans of the restaurant fundraiser – take a moment to explore great partner restaurants near you!

So there you go, everything you need to know about how to create a monthly giving program and make it a sustainable source of income for your nonprofit. We hope you’ve found everything you need to get started with your giving program. Be sure to check out the GroupRaise blog if you’re in need of further inspiration!