The success of sustained giving programs is growing and it goes beyond having it on a donation form. What's happening in the nonprofit marketplace around sustained (aka monthly) giving? What tactics and strategies are yielding success? See examples and learn the basic building blocks you can put in place to grow or kick start an online sustained giving program. Presented at the 2014 AFP Planet Philanthropy Conference.

1. Building Blocks for an Online
Sustained Giving Strategy
Danielle Johnson Vermenton
Senior Interactive Consultant
AFP Planet Philanthropy 2014

2. Danielle Johnson Vermenton
Fundraising geek. Mom. Interactive Consultant.
Speaker. Former fundraiser. All around badass!
I love working with organizations that are
changing the world.
@djvermenton
#nptech

3. What’s the challenge?

5. Should you focus on raising more at
year end or develop a strategy around
sustained giving all year round?

6. Where is the opportunity?
20%
27%
13%
Repeat Donors Sustainers Total
Fundraising

7. ■ Lifetime value of a sustainer
(monthly donor) is ALWAYS
higher
■ Generates predictable revenue
■ Retention is significantly
increased
■ Sustainer program is a strong
2nd gift strategy
■ Sustainers are strong Planned
Giving prospects

8. ■ Builds a better relationship with
donors
■ Keep donors giving longer
■ A sustainer program lowers your
overall costs of fundraising
■ Sustainer income grows over
time
Hidden Gold: How monthly giving will build donor loyalty, boost your organizations income, and
increase financial stability (Bonus Books, Chicago, 1999) by Harvey McKinnon

9. It just seems to make sense to invest in
a system or process that can truly
encourage sustained support.

10. What’s happening today in
sustained (monthly) giving?

11. © 2012 Blackbaud, Inc.
It’s easy to become a
monthly donor.

12. © 2012 Blackbaud, Inc.

13. © 2012 Blackbaud, Inc.

14. © 2012 Blackbaud, Inc.
Promoted with
multi-message campaigns

15. Northern Illinois Foodbank

16. Vitamin angels
Campaign Tip: Always
include a final stewardship
email that goes out 1-2
weeks after the campaign.

17. © 2012 Blackbaud, Inc.
Ongoing Tactics

18. Used to convert
one-time donors
to sustaining
donors.
Over the 5
months, 10% of
one-time donors
converted to
sustainers.
USING LIGHTBOXES FOR UPSELLS

19. • What
else…something to
add from Chas?
INTEGRATION OFFLINE

20. WHAT ELSE?
Making monthly gifts the first option in campaigns
Gratitude strategy just for monthly donors
Letting donors manage their giving online
Welcome Series with a sustainer ask

21. © 2012 Blackbaud, Inc.
Building blocks:
Making it practical for you

22. BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS
Technology to
process online
monthly gifts
Process to
manage expiring
credit cards
Software
solution that can
automate and
segment email
communications

23. ONLINE
DONATIONS
Monthly giving option enabled
Clear definition that this is a
monthly/recurring donation form
Provide details on gift level
impact
Form is concise & short – fewer
fields means lower
“abandonment”

24. © 2012 Blackbaud, Inc.

25. MULTI-MESSAGE
CAMPAIGN
Multi-message campaigns
outperform one-off appeal
Integrate offline & online with
promotions
Amounts connect to impact
Add immediacy with a deadline
Run at least once a year

26. 26
Include a headline
Compelling opening
statement
Clear call to action
Spell out the impact
Bullets create natural
white space
Action Link & Buttons

27. ONGOING
MAINTENANCE
Do monthly reporting
Create a customer experience
Have a retention strategy
Consider incentives
Identify donors for next steps
Market all year long

28. Example of a
stewardship email
1. Thank again
2. Gift info
3. Link to manage
giving
4. Mission image
5. Examples of
impact

29. Customer Service
What is the donor experience
Who will handle donor inquiries?
Will you send annual receipts?
Will you suppress donors from other
campaigns?
Keep the ones you love!
Develop a gratitude with attitude
strategy JUST for monthly donors

30. © 2012 Blackbaud, Inc.
PLANNING IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS
Develop an annual strategy
Manage the donor experience
Report & manage
Identify the tactics & timing
Make sure the building blocks are in place
Run a multi-message campaign

31. Keep the conversation going!
Get the presentation on SlideShare
www.slideshare.net/danielle_jjohnson
Email danielle.johnson@blackbaud.com
Find us on twitter
@blackbaud
@djvermenton
For more information, resources,
and conversations, visit:
blackbaud.com/research
npEngage.com

32. Online Marketing Benchmark Study (see how you stack up)
https://www.blackbaud.com/nonprofit-resources/onlinemarketingstudy
What is the Sustainer Bump?
http://www.npengage.com/sustained-giving/the-sustainer-bump/
Increase Donor Loyalty with Sustained Giving http://www.npengage.com/fundraising/sustained-giving-
systematizing-donor-loyalty/
Best Practices in Monthly Giving from Gail Perry
http://www.gailperry.com/2011/07/20-best-practices-for-monthly-giving-programs/
Keeping Monthly Donors is Worth the Effort
http://www.thenonprofittimes.com/news-articles/keeping-monthly-donors-is-worth-the-effort/
10 Things to Know about a Basic Sustained Giving Program
http://www.fundraisingsuccessmag.com/article/10-things-you-need-know-about-creating-monthly-giving-program-
410431/1#
New Audiences, New Channels
http://www.afpnet.org/Audiences/ReportsResearchDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=6890
Gift Parity on npENGAGE
http://www.npengage.com/online-fundraising/gift-type-parity-emerging-best-practice-for-2014/
npEXPERTS Show the Love eBook
https://www.blackbaud.com/nonprofit-
resources/npexperts?utm_source=blackbaud&utm_medium=website&utm_content=homepage&utm_term=corp&utm_ca
mpaign=npEXPERTS2014
RESOURCES