If I asked you to donate $1,000 this year to my organization, your gut reaction may be, “Well, that’s a significant amount. I’m not sure I can afford it.” But what if I asked you to donate $83.33 per month via an automatic credit card payment? That’s less than the cost of two tanks of gas. Suddenly the same “ask” seems much more plausible.
Young donors want to give. But many do not give more because they haven’t been asked to give more. I don’t know about you, but a letter with an envelope and a box to check doesn’t exactly inspire me to go above and beyond.
The Secret to Reaching Young Donors and Inspiring Them to Give
Breaking down a significant contribution over the course of several monthly contributions is a significant opportunity most organizations overlook when it comes to engaging younger donors.
Consider this: An organization decides to offer a premium only to donors who will write a check for $500 or more. What if they were to give the premium to anyone willing to make a monthly commitment of $75 or more over the next three years?
Monthly giving is a valuable behavior that shows an ongoing commitment to your organization. More than that, it is an effective way to lift donors and encourage them to upgrade their contributions.
If you have a system in place to process automatic monthly credit card transactions, monthly giving commitments can be extremely valuable for your mid-level program. Putting a system like this in place could be a massive game-changer for your organization.
Bottom Line: Asking for multiyear commitments fulfilled in monthly payments is an effective way to upgrade younger donors because it makes contributing a significant gift an easier and more comfortable financial decision.