Monthly Giving Program: How to Start One

A monthly giving program is a recurring donation program: donors choose an amount, and it is charged to their card or bank account every month until they stop. A $15 monthly gift is $180 a year, from a payment small enough that many donors say yes. The organization gets income it can plan around instead of waiting for the next appeal.

This guide covers what a monthly giving program is, how to start one in six steps, how to name it, and how to keep monthly donors.

Why Start a Monthly Giving Program?

Predictable income. You know roughly what comes in each month, so you can budget against it.
Smaller asks, larger totals. A donor who would not give $180 at once may give $15 a month and keep going for years.
Less renewal work. One-time donors must be asked again every time. A monthly donor continues until they choose to stop.
A stronger bond. Monthly donors hear from you every month and tend to feel like members, not occasional givers.

How to Start a Monthly Giving Program in 6 Steps

1. Pick suggested amounts

Offer three or four monthly amounts and a custom field. Set them so the middle option is a good result for your organization. For example: $10, $25, $50, and other.

2. Name the program and say what it funds

Monthly giving is a description, not a name. A name gives donors something to join, and a clear use of the money gives them a reason. See the ideas below.

3. Make joining take one minute

Put a monthly option on your main donation form and make it easy to find. Ask only for what you need: name, email, amount, and payment. Every extra step costs you donors.

4. Ask for it in the right places

Monthly giving works best when you ask for it often:

On the donation form, with monthly as the first choice.
To one-time donors, after they give: Would you make this gift monthly?
In your emails and newsletter, with a link that goes straight to the monthly form.
At events, with a short ask for your most loyal supporters.

5. Thank every monthly donor right away

Send a welcome message the day someone joins. Say what their gift does and what to expect next. Thank them again on a regular schedule, not only when you ask for something.

6. Let donors manage their own gift

Donors move, change cards, and sometimes need to pause. If they must email your office to change a card, many will simply let the gift lapse. A self-service page where donors update their card, change the amount, or pause or cancel keeps more of them, and saves your staff time.

Monthly Giving Program Names and Examples

A good name is short and says what the donor is joining. Patterns that work:

A circle or society: The Founders Circle, Sustainers Society
A tie to the mission: Feed One Family, Keep the Lights On
A tie to the people: Friends of the Library, Team Booster
A plain description: Monthly Partners, Sustaining Members

You can also tie each level to an outcome that you can deliver, such as a program or supply it covers. Only name amounts that are true for your organization.

How to Keep Monthly Donors

Getting monthly donors is half the job. Keeping them is the other half.

Fix failed payments quickly. Cards expire and are replaced. A message that lets the donor update their card in one step prevents many lapses.
Report back. Tell monthly donors what their gifts did, in specific terms.
Say thank you more than once a year. A short note, a photo, or a name in the newsletter is enough.
Offer an upgrade, gently. Occasionally invite donors to raise their gift, and make it easy to say no.

Run Your Monthly Giving Program on MemberDrive

MemberDrive is built around recurring giving. It covers the steps in this guide:

Recurring memberships that charge automatically on a monthly, annual, or custom schedule
A donor self-service portal, where donors manage, pause, or cancel their own recurring giving
Pledges for multi-year commitments
Matching gifts with a deadline, if you want to launch your program with a challenge

MemberDrive charges 1% of each payment, with no monthly fee and no donor tip prompt. Stripe processing fees apply separately. See pricing, all features, or read how to run a membership drive. Ready to start? Set up your monthly giving program.