Monthly donor programs are a low-effort and high-impact way to increase donor retention and donor lifetime value, while also providing a steady and predictable stream of revenue that can help your nonprofit better budget and plan for the future. However, building and maintaining a monthly donor program isn’t as simple as adding a button to your donation forms. It takes planning, time, and effort to create an effective and profitable program. During this webinar, we will explore how to create and build a strong monthly donor campaign. We will also look at: -Starting and building a monthly donation program -Monthly Donation campaign ideas -Explore some best practices from organization's that have grown their monthly donation program -Tips for sustaining your monthly donors

1. How To Attract Monthly Donors
Advanced Webinar, June 21, 2018
Dan Kimball
Product Specialist at Aplos Software

2. About Aplos
We’re the #1 solution in online donor
management software for nonprofits.
At Aplos, we believe in changing the world by making it simpler to
manage nonprofits and churches. We make it faster and do the
hard part so you can focus more on your mission.
Visit aplos.com for more information.
"Nonprofits all across the country are
praising the so4ware's ease of use,
reasonable price, and great customer
service." - NPTechNews
#Aploswebinar

3. APLOS AWARD-WINNING SUPPORT
We’re here to help.We want you to be confident in
managing your accounting so we
include free support with every level of
our accounting software. Our award-
winning support team is based in the
United States and can help you get set
up, walk you through customization
options, and help you identify how to
best use a feature. This includes:
- Live Chat
- Email and Phone Support
- Online Support Center
- Live webinars and personalized
demos

4. Dan Kimball
Dan Kimball is a seasoned fundraiser with over
twenty years of experience in strategic fund
development and nonprofit management.
His role at Aplos as a product specialist includes
helping develop Aplos’ Donor Management
Platform to help nonprofits connect with (and
cultivate!) their donor base.
“Fundraising is a relationship business.”
Twitter: @fugativedmk
@aplos_software

5. Introduction
Monthly donor programs are a low-effort and high-impact way to increase donor
retention and donor lifetime value, while also providing a steady and predictable stream
of revenue that can help your nonprofit better budget and plan for the future. However,
building and maintaining a monthly donor program isn’t as simple as adding a button to
your donation forms, it takes planning time and effort to create an effective and
profitable program. During this webinar we will explore how to create and build a strong
monthly donor campaign. We will also explore:
-Starting and building a monthly donation program.
-Monthly Donation campaign ideas
-Explore some best practices from organization that have grown their monthly donation
program
-Tips for sustaining your monthly donors

6. What Exactly Is A Monthly Donation Program
Monthly giving programs also known as recurring giving
is considered one of the holy grails of fundraising.
Imagine having a program in place where donors send
you a check every month or even better, allow you to
charge a set amount directly from their credit cards each
month, and feel good about doing so.
A solid monthly donations program is proven to help not
only your bottom line and financial stability, but your
mission and programs as well.
WARNING: This is also much more then just processing
donations every month. Information to follow.

9. The Benefits of a Monthly Giving Program
(Recurring donations)
More funds to your nonprofit/ministry-The average recurring donor will give 42% more
in one year than those who give one-time gifts. Monthly donors also have a greater lifetime
revenue per donor.
Higher Retention Rates- Monthly donors have a higher retention rate than other types of
donors. New donor retention rates average less than 23%. Monthly giving programs
typically enjoy retention rates over 80% after one year and 95% after five years.
Easy for Donors-Monthly giving programs are not only relatively simple to manage for
nonprofits, they also make giving easy for donors.
More Predictable- Fewer recurring donors cancel their donations. Signing up for monthly
giving is a good sign that the donor is engaged and committed to your cause.

10. The Benefits of a Monthly Giving Program
(Recurring donations)

11. Starting and Maintaining a Monthly Donation Program
Before you begin-Planning: Just like a floor plan for a remodel you want to
sketch out your monthly giving program. Do you have a case for support? Why
should people give to you monthly? Do monthly donors become a part of a
special group? Giving levels? Donor Benefits?
Who to Approach and What Channel: Mail-Email-Online? Know your donor
base. Segment the ask for the right people. Start with your most loyal donors
first then build up from there.
Build an create an online donation page- This can be the same or different
then your general giving page. Suggest using multiple pages.
Add monthly donation option in all of your fundraising materials.

12. Starting and Maintaining a Monthly Donation Program
Manage your program- Who monitors, processes and follows up with donors.
Keeping the programs fresh and relevant- Sharing impact stories and always
thanking your donors.
60% Planning + 10% Execution + 40% Program Management= Success!
Customize pages as much as possible- Talk about impact/Make it relatable/
Make it sharable
Examples-

18. Not only does HRC’s donation
page default to giving monthly, but
they’ve also included information
about their HRC Partners program
with a link showing people other
ways they can give. Think about
how you can differentiate your
monthly giving program from one-
time donations to make your
sustainers feel special.

19. The Humane Society’s Humane
Heroes donation form tells you a
story and makes your gift feel
more valuable right from the start.
By explaining what donations are
used for and why they’re
necessary, Humane Heroes helps
justify a monthly gift.

20. The Humane Society of the US did
something very clever. Notice the
BIG Orange button at the top? It
stands out pretty well and asks you
to “Donate Monthly”. You don’t see
that on many nonprofit website. Most
of the time you see “Donate Now” or
something to that effect. “Donate
Now” is good, but the Humane
Society of the US is taking it up a
notch and encouraging recurring
giving from the beginning

22. One of the keys to convincing
your supporters to make a
monthly commitment is
explaining why you need
recurring gifts and what impact
they have. Donors want
reassurance that their monthly
gift is going to make a difference,
so it is important to explain
exactly what that donation will
accomplish. Team Rubicon, an
emergency response
organization, created this
awesome infographic to show
how different giving levels impact
their operations.

29. Monthly Donation Programs- Best Practices
Focus on a low initial ask
Treat donors like investors
Talk about impact
Be transparent & accountable
Build relationships and engage your donors
Create a sense of ownership and community
Make it interactive whenever possible
Don’t forget to Thank and Thank and Thank and Thank

30. Monthly Donation Programs- Other Thoughts
The Dark side of monthly giving- Please read Pamela Grow
Article-
http://www.pamelagrow.com/4242/the-dark-side-nonprofit-
monthly-giving/
Pamela’s big point is that monthly donors require care and
attention and that if you ignore them, they’ll probably leave.
First, she takes off her professional fundraiser hat and looks at
the donor perspective by interviewing a friend who “quit” a
monthly giving program, as well as her own experiences with
organizations.
Monthly giving is not magic. Without investing in the program,
paying attention to stewardship, good communication, solid
planning, and organizational commitment, you won’t get the
results you want

31. Tools For Tracking And Managing Donations
Having a donor management system on the back-end that automates the sign-up process and manages
donor contact information is essential.
Ensure the program stays convenient! Inevitably, credit card expiration dates pass, debit card payments
bounce, electronic funds transfer (EFT) account numbers change, etc.
Stay on top of these issues and proactively communicate with your donors. Establish internal structures
for attending to file and data hygiene, either by dedicating a staff member to follow up on missed
payments due to declined or expired cards or by using card updater services to automatically update
credit card information.
Use software that links online giving and donations/accounting
Capture Donor information
Thank and follow up- Technology is an asset not a barrier
Segment your data
The power of recurring giving

32. Utilizing Donation Pages In Aplos
You can create customized donation pages to allow your donors an easy and
convenient option to support your organization with an online gift. Donors will
be able to easily create a one time donation or set up a recurring donation to be
processed on a selected monthly or weekly schedule.
Utilizing the online donation page builder you can set up purposes and giving
opportunities to missions, projects, missionaries and special causes.

33.
Who-What-When and Why Are You Tracking! No Right or Wrong.
Pages we like!
Should I Use One Page or Multiple Pages?

34. Conclusion/Q&A
Recurring/monthly giving is an amazing fundraising technique for your nonprofit because:
• You’ll maintain a steady stream of income throughout the year.
• You’ll retain donors.
• You’ll be creating a community of supporters.
• You’ll make your life and the lives of your donors easier.
Monthly donors are a valuable asset to today’s nonprofits. This means they should be approached in a
strategic and personalized way.
Creating a successful monthly giving program can be challenging, but it is well worth it. Forming a lasting
relationship with dedicated donors that continuously support your organization makes all the difference

35. Contact Me
Email
dan.kimball@aplos.com
Twitter:
@fugativedmk
@aplos_software