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By Dana Snyder, Founder of Positive Equation | Monthly Giving Strategist

One-time giving is declining. Monthly giving is thriving.

If your nonprofit isn’t prioritizing recurring donations, you’re leaving sustainable revenue on the table. At the 2025 Monthly Giving Summit, industry experts from MissionWired, Save the Children, and Project HOPE shared their top insights on acquiring and retaining loyal monthly donors.

From high-performing digital ads to emerging fundraising channels, this no-fluff session covers everything you need to know to increase recurring donor retention and maximize revenue.

Expert Speakers

Trista Murphy: Senior Vice President, MissionWired
Nicole Clemente: Managing Director, Supporter Acquisition, Save the Children
Evan Johnson: Sr. Director, Mass Market Fundraising, Project HOPE

Key Takeaways

• Acquiring Monthly Donors: Learn what’s working right now in digital ads, email campaigns, and donor acquisition strategies.
• Retention is Key: See how nonprofits are keeping donors engaged beyond their first gift with proven communication and stewardship tactics.
• Data-Driven Growth: Discover how analytics and segmentation can help you identify high-value prospects and optimize fundraising campaigns.
• New & Emerging Channels: From SMS fundraising to influencer collaborations, nonprofits are testing new strategies to drive recurring giving.
• Making Monthly Giving the Star: Stop treating recurring donations as an afterthought. Learn how to feature them prominently in your fundraising appeals.

Thank You to Our Partners

This event was made possible thanks to:

• Givebutter
• Fundraise Up
• MissionWired
• Tatango
• iDonate
• DonorPerfect

Explore MissionWired’s Fundraising Solutions: MissionWired

Access all session recordings and materials here.

Resources & Links

• If you want a guided tool to walk you through this framework step by step, the Monthly Giving Builder is your companion to guide you through building and launching your own montly giving program!
• For the full framework, grab a copy of my book, “The Monthly Giving Mastermind.”
• Looking for hands-on monthly giving support? See how we support nonprofits with monthly giving.

FAQs:

Q: How do I start a monthly giving program for my nonprofit?

A: Start by defining your goal and program identity, then build your donation infrastructure, invite your first believers, make consistent asks across channels, and steward donors with regular impact updates. Dana Snyder’s 5-Step Framework walks through each phase.

Q: What is the 5-step framework for building a monthly giving program?

Dana Snyder’s 5-step monthly giving framework covers: (1) Defining your goal and monthly giving identity, (2) Building your program name and value proposition, (3) Setting up your donation infrastructure and technology, (4) Making the ask to existing donors first, and (5) Stewarding and retaining monthly donors through consistent impact communication. Each step is designed to be implementable even by a one-person development team.

Q: What is a good monthly donor retention rate for nonprofits?

A: A healthy monthly giving program typically sees 80-90% retention after the first year, compared to 45% for one-time donors. Programs with strong onboarding and regular impact communication often achieve 90%+ retention.

Q: How long does it take to launch a monthly giving program?

A: Most nonprofits can have a basic monthly giving program live within 30 to 90 days. Key milestones include naming the program and defining your value proposition in weeks 1-2, setting up your donation platform and CRM in weeks 2-4, and making your first ask to existing donors in weeks 4-8. Ongoing stewardship and growth continue from there.

Q: Do small nonprofits need a monthly giving program?

A: Yes — monthly giving programs work for organizations of any size. Even a goal of $1,000/month in recurring revenue can provide meaningful financial stability for a small nonprofit.

Q: How many monthly donors do I need to make a program worth running?

There is no minimum. Even 20 monthly donors at $25/month generates $6,000 in predictable annual revenue you can budget around and build on. Most organizations find that once they reach 50 monthly donors, the program starts to feel like genuine infrastructure rather than a side project.