[Ep. 91] Your Next Major Donor Will Come from Your Recurring Giving Program (with Dave Raley)

What do you do when total charitable giving hits an all-time high but your donor file keeps shrinking? The answer might be a strategy you've assumed isn't for your organization — recurring giving.

In this episode, Russ Phaneuf interviews Dave Raley, founder and CEO of the Center for Sustainable Giving.

Learn why your next major donor (and legacy donor) might already be giving you $10 a month, why recurring giving is more accessible to more nonprofits now than at any other point in history, how investing in a sustainer program pays off this year and not "someday," and ways to get started today without tote bags or fancy membership tiers.

Episode highlights include:

  • Why recurring giving might be an answer to our current generosity crisis

  • How a $100-a-month donor turned into a $100,000 gift, and why your next major donor is probably a monthly giver

  • Why recurring donors are six times more likely to leave a planned gift

  • How moving from single gifts to sustainers takes your fundraising from addition to multiplication

  • Why recurring giving is finally within reach for organizations that aren't child sponsorship programs or museums

  • How a small nonprofit signed up 300 monthly donors with one simple $5 ask

  • Why you don't need tote bags, perks, or a named program to get started

  • The stewardship mistake that quietly gets monthly gifts cancelled, and the simple habit that keeps donors for years

  • Why 97% of a recurring donor's value comes after the first gift, and what that means for stewardship

  • How one sustainer can be worth 5-10 single-gift donors in the first year

  • What new data on Gen Z giving means for the future of recurring giving

Listen here:

Additional Resources

[NPFX] Why Monthly Giving Matters for Every Nonprofit Organization

The Sustainable Giving Growth Blueprint

Your Next Major Donor Is Already Giving Monthly by Dave Raley

Why Sustainable Giving Requires Rethinking Nonprofit Finance by Dave Raley

Guest

Dave Raley is an author, advisor, and the Founder & CEO of The Center for Sustainable Giving. He's the author of The Rise of Sustainable Giving and writes a weekly column called The Wave Report. As an advisor and speaker, he has worked with thousands of nonprofit leaders to grow both personally and organizationally. Dave also hosts the Sustainable Giving Podcast, a show that shines a light on what's working in sustainable giving.

Host

Russ Phaneuf, a co-founder of IPM Advancement, has a background in higher education development, with positions at the University of Hartford, Northern Arizona University, and Thunderbird School of Global Management. As IPM's managing director & chief strategist, Russ serves as lead fundraising strategist, award-winning content creator, and program analyst specializing in applied system dynamics.

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[Ep. 90] This Episode Will Change How You Talk to Funders (Grounded Leadership with Melissa Cowley Wolf and Jaimie Mayer)