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This year, on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, join the conversation: share your favorite nonprofit’s campaign, volunteer for a cause you care about, share an act of kindness, or encourage your audience to do the same.

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The CFO’s Case for Monthly Giving: How Recurring Donors Drive Long-Term Decision Making with Stephen Newland

Why Monthly Giving Is a CFO’s Secret Weapon for Nonprofit Stability

When nonprofit leaders think about sustainability, most turn to fundraising campaigns, grants, or major gifts. But what if the real key to long-term financial health lies in your monthly giving program?

According to Fractional CFO Stephen Newland, recurring revenue isn’t just good for your bank balance, it’s transformative for your entire organization’s mindset. In a recent conversation on Missions to Movements, Newland shared why monthly giving is the financial foundation every nonprofit needs to thrive beyond survival mode.

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The CFO’s Case for Recurring Giving

After 15 years of helping nonprofits, startups, and Fortune 500s manage their finances, Newland has seen a clear pattern: organizations with strong recurring revenue make better, calmer, and more strategic decisions.

“When you know what’s coming in each month,” he explains, “you’re not operating from a place of panic. You’re planning for impact.”

With predictable income, leaders can confidently invest in staff, programs, and professional development, without the constant anxiety of waiting for the next big grant or donation. That shift reduces burnout and builds a culture of long-term thinking.

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The Forecasting Fix Most Nonprofits Miss

One of Newland’s biggest insights? Most organizations operate without a living, breathing forecast. They set a budget in January, but by May, it’s already outdated.

A forecast, he says, “is the single most underutilized financial tool in the sector.”
It allows leaders to make informed, proactive decisions rather than reacting to cash crunches. And it’s the perfect companion to a monthly giving strategy.

Try this simple exercise:
Take 50% of your year-end donations and spread them evenly across 12 months in your forecast. The result? A more stable cash flow and less financial whiplash. “You’ll see your bank balance (and your confidence) climb instantly,” Newland notes.

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How Much of Your Budget Should Be Recurring?

While every organization is different, Newland recommends aiming for 25–30% of total revenue to come from recurring gifts. At that level, nonprofits often have enough stability to cover key expenses, like staff salaries, without constantly scrambling for short-term funding.

When leaders cross that threshold, “the stress starts to come down,” he says. “You can finally think about next year, not just next month.”

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Getting Started: Financial Modeling for Monthly Giving

If you’re launching or strengthening your monthly donor program, begin with clear financial modeling.

• Know your cash on hand. How many months of expenses can you cover?
• Assess your expenses. Are they accurate, categorized, and aligned with your goals?
• Forecast your recurring growth. Model what it would look like to convert a portion of one-time gifts into monthly ones.

Even small changes can create major stability. As Newland reminds leaders, “Cash is like oxygen. The more consistently it flows, the stronger your organization becomes.”

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Bringing in a Fractional CFO

For nonprofits ready to elevate their financial strategy, a fractional CFO can be a powerful partner. Newland’s firm, Money Path Financial Planning & Analysis, helps organizations build forecasts, interpret reports, and translate numbers into action steps.

“Finance should be understandable,” he emphasizes. “It’s not just numbers, it’s the story of your organization’s health.”

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Final Thought

A healthy monthly giving program isn’t just a fundraising tactic, it’s a leadership tool. By embracing recurring revenue and forecasting, nonprofits unlock clarity, reduce burnout, and create the breathing room needed to think bigger.

Because when you can plan with confidence, you can lead with vision.

Resources & Links

Connect with Stephen on LinkedIn and learn more about MoneyPath, Stephen’s fractional CFO services for nonprofits.

This show is brought to you by GivingTuesday! GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement that started in 2012 with a simple idea: a day to do good.

On Tuesday, December 2, 2025, join the conversation: share your favorite nonprofit’s campaign, volunteer for a cause you care about, share an act of kindness, or encourage your audience to do the same.

Use #GivingTuesday, tag @GivingTuesday, and visit GivingTuesday.org/Participate to get involved and inspire others!

My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.

Join The Sustainers, my Slack community for nonprofit professionals growing and scaling a recurring giving program.

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