4 tips to build a monthly giving communications strategy

Your monthly giving program is likely already the bedrock of your nonprofit’s fundraising. These regular donations pave the way for your organization’s security and sustainability. 

However, research shows that the benefits of recurring giving aren’t limited to donors’ monetary contributions. Across the board, donors who participate in recurring giving are more likely to increase giving amounts, give to other campaigns, and give again in the future. 

That’s why nurturing relationships with your monthly donors is so vital—not only to communicate your appreciation for their support thus far, but also to invite them to further their impact. With that in mind, this post explores how to establish a communications strategy for your monthly giving program with four key tips. 

1. Conduct audience research to understand your community.

The best foundation for your communication strategy is to start by listening to the people who fuel your mission. Begin with audience research to tailor your messaging to their specific motivations and values.

Try these methods for discovering what resonates with your audience:

• Learn from the data you already have. Your nonprofit’s donor database already contains useful insights. Engagement data from previous campaigns and communication channel preferences can help shape your messaging strategy.
• Send out a short survey. If you have a particular question that you can’t answer with the data you already have, conduct a survey of your current monthly donors. To increase response rates, keep the number of questions to a minimum. 
• Interview a sample of donors. Ask a representative sample of new and longer-term supporters questions in a one-on-one format to get more nuanced insights into their perceptions and motivations.
• Try A/B and other test campaigns. Don’t be afraid to do a trial run. (In fact, you can think of every communication as a test, because each one will tell you something about your audience.) Dedicated A/B campaign testing can give you a clear answer on what your audience prefers. You might send out two emails, one to half of your subscribers and one to the other half. The emails should generally be identical except for one variable, such as changing the subject line, sender name, CTA text, or email body length.

Make audience research an ongoing habit rather than a one-time project by scheduling bi-annual feedback loops. Keep refreshing your donor data, so your next communications choices stay aligned with shifting community priorities and economic realities.

2. Rely on an intuitive system to manage donor relationships.

In addition to knowing your audience, your team should also have the right infrastructure in place to execute your strategy. To ease the administrative burden on your staff and preserve a cohesive understanding of your donors, build your strategy around these key elements:

• • Automation. For your communications strategy to reach every recurring donor, automation capabilities are a must. Look for technology that will create donor profiles upon the first gift, set up automated workflows for important triggers, and generate metric-driven reports.
  • Behavior patterns. Move beyond disconnected spreadsheets to uncover hidden opportunities for stewardship and impact. Advanced tracking solutions help you identify patterns in giving behavior, signaling exactly when a donor might be ready to upgrade their monthly contribution.
  • Audits. Double-check the readability of your communications materials with auditing tools. Some nonprofit CRM platforms have built-in functionality that tests the reading grade level of your messages and other best practices. 
  • Multiple channels. To achieve a successful omnichannel communications campaign, track all of your channels in one spot, including physical direct mail and digital newsletters. A system that consolidates all channels into a single centralized dashboard reduces common mistakes caused by siloed communication. 

Train all frontline staff on standard data entry protocols to ensure your system remains clean and accurate. With clean data in place, your team can generate highly personalized, high-converting monthly giving appeals.

3. Develop a powerful visual brand that drives action.

Your organization’s visual identity often makes the first impression on prospective monthly donors. A professional and recognizable aesthetic communicates credibility, reassuring supporters that their recurring investments are handled securely.

Additionally, authentic, cohesive visual branding reinforces trust and keeps recurring donors invigorated and engaged over the long haul. When your emails, donation pages, and social media align visually, it creates a seamless journey that encourages sustained participation.

Evaluate your current visual identity to determine whether it accurately reflects your mission or requires an update to better resonate with existing recurring supporters. If an update is needed, refresh outdated color palettes or typography to revitalize your public image and attract more supporters. 

You can also create a name and visual sub-brand for your monthly giving program to foster a sense of community among donors and strengthen their connection to your organization.

To align your entire staff, establish a centralized brand guide so all external communications maintain visual consistency, regardless of who creates the content. Your brand guide should include tactical brand elements such as the color palette, fonts, and acceptable use of your logo, as well as tone of voice, examples, and channel-specific tips (e.g., the ideal character count for an Instagram caption). This uniformity builds the brand equity necessary to command recurring, long-term financial support.

4. Deliver your core message to multiple audiences efficiently.

Bloomerang’s guide to email marketing cites segmentation as one of the four most impactful practices your nonprofit can use to elevate your communications strategy. This personalization tactic allows you to maximize your output by crafting a strong central narrative and tweaking its delivery for each group

Follow these strategies to segment and adapt your core communications:

• Start small. First, segment monthly donors from general supporters, then build sub-segments within monthly donors, such as by giving level. Expand your segments only as needed. 
• Focus on minor, tailored changes to your communications. As you develop tailored messages for each segment, keep the core message intact. Check that the context makes sense for your audience (e.g., not sending a “Welcome First-Time Donor”-themed message to your longest-giving recurring donors), and then make small adjustments to your overall foundational message. For example, this might look like tweaking the CTA wording or the depth-of-impact statistics, depending on the segment.
• Use dynamic fields. Leverage dynamic content features in your email marketing software to automatically swap out text blocks based on the recipient’s donor profile. For example, you may have an invitation to an exclusive gala that appears only to your most loyal, long-term monthly donors.

While you’ll want to design and deliver your messaging in a way that resonates most with your audience, check that all of your communications still align with your nonprofit’s mission and vision. As donors move from first-time givers to monthly giving communications, it should feel like a natural progression. 

Cultivating a reliable recurring giving program relies entirely on audience-centric communication, strategic segmentation, and an easy online experience. By refining your visual brand and gaining a deep understanding of your community’s motivations, your organization can foster authentic connections that stand the test of time. Together, these foundational practices will ensure sustainable revenue and enable you to confidently maximize your impact for years to come. 

About the author: As Chief Marketing Officer at Bloomerang, Ann Fellman champions the company’s mission to empower for-purpose organizations through innovative fundraising technology. With over 25 years in technology marketing, including spearheading memberships at the Minnesota High Tech Association and being recognized as one of the “Top Women Leaders in SaaS of 2018,” Ann’s expertise lies in connecting nonprofits with the essential fundraising software they need to grow a robust nonprofit culture and achieve next-level impact. Her strategic thought leadership ensures Bloomerang’s Giving Platform remains at the forefront, helping nonprofits raise more, build culture, and retain supporters for sustained growth.