How to Promote Your Recurring Giving Program This Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is the perfect time to launch, build, or expand your recurring giving program.

Have you considered shifting your Giving Tuesday goal from converting more one-time donations to elevating your recurring giving program?

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Giving Tuesday is one of the most high-traffic donation days of the year. Why not use it to promote the opportunity for donors to amplify their impact with a recurring gift to help improve your organization’s cash flow throughout the year?

To help you attract more passionate supporters and create a sustainable income stream for your organization that flows well into the year-end giving season and beyond, select a state of readiness from our list below and we’ll walk you through a strong Giving Tuesday game plan.

Jump ahead to see tips based on where you’re at:

Why Focus on Recurring Giving for Giving Tuesday?

Recurring giving is your nonprofit’s straight path to sustainable revenue all year long. Take advantage of the organic influx of support that comes with the giving season to establish predictable funding for your mission and allow supporters to give effortlessly over time. 

Read Recurring Tips From 1,000+ Donors

Communicate the impact a recurring donation can make on the long-term health of your organization. Doing so can help you engage those landing on your donation pages this Giving Tuesday with the intent to make a big difference.

Here’s what our latest data in Classy’s The State of Modern Philanthropy 2021 report tells us:

• The average recurring gift duration is 13 months, and the average gift size is $42. 
• We’ve also seen our top 10% of nonprofits achieve average gift sizes of $131 on Classy.

Pair that with the $511 million in donations the Classy giving platform sees on Giving Tuesday, and you have yourself a smooth path to achieve your year-end goals. 

Read the Full Report

Deliver a Seamless Giving Experience to Today’s Donors

Consumers are becoming increasingly more comfortable with subscription-based goods and services, and that behavior translates to how they view recurring giving to your nonprofit.

Classy’s 2021 Recurring Donor Sentiment Report found that 61% of recurring donors appreciate the affordability of segmenting their gifts to nonprofits over time. 

The end of the year signals cleansing of subscriptions that won’t serve us in the new year and a fresh look at new ones. Present your recurring giving program as a subscription donation option on Giving Tuesday to make a relevant appeal to younger generations of donors.

Promote Your Recurring Giving Program on Giving Tuesday

I’m Ready to Launch a Recurring Giving Program

Level Set: You’ve heard the buzz about recurring donations and maybe even have a recurring giving option enabled on your checkout forms. That’s a significant first step to unlocking more generosity to drive change.

To take your recurring giving program to the next level, consider these three simple steps:

3 Steps to a Successful Giving Tuesday Launch:

1. Decide which type of recurring giving program is best 

Build a membership program with a unique brand that piques the interest of supporters. Invite them to be a part of your community, family, or inner circle. These words all exude a sense of connection, loyalty, and trust. 

You might also consider a sponsorship opportunity. Nonprofits successfully use this approach when they position a recurring donation as a way to provide ongoing support to a beneficiary, such as “adopting a child” or “sponsoring a zoo.”

The good news is that there’s no limit to the number of programs you can try out. The first step is to nail down what will resonate most with your audience on Giving Tuesday and grow from there.

2. Differentiate your messaging

Recurring donation programs are all built around a robust and compelling message. People choose to invest when they feel tied to your mission and vision, especially on Giving Tuesday.  Think of it as your thoughtful invitation to donors instead of a direct ask to give.

Consider what message you want to get across when writing content that greets new and existing donors on your recurring donation pages. What will a donor gain from making a recurring donation as opposed to a one-time gift? Be sure to clearly and concisely answer that question in your unique words to compel your supporters to join.

Provide tangible examples of what those donations will do for your cause and why starting now matters. 

3. Think through incentives

Giving Tuesday gives you an incredible opportunity to tie festive incentives to your recurring giving program. Time-bound incentives centered around the giving season can help you drive action from supporters.

Imagine offering a welcome bundle to anyone who signs up to give a recurring donation on Giving Tuesday. This same approach can go for anyone who gives at a specific frequency (monthly, semi-annually, etc.) or in a particular gift amount ($25 or above). Get creative in the same way you see consumer brands drawing people in with limited-time offers.

The best part? You see the benefit for years to come when you continue the momentum with regular communication and opportunities exclusive to your recurring donors.

Grab a 3-Month Giving Tuesday Checklist to Get Started

I’m Looking to Expand My Recurring Giving Program 

You’re interested in boosting your recurring giving program’s membership this Giving Tuesday to set you up for a strong year of fundraising ahead. We’ve got you covered.

3 Steps to a Successful Giving Tuesday Program Expansion:

1. Consider a referral program

This marketing tactic is at your fingertips if you’ve built loyalty among your existing donor base. Offer a Giving Tuesday-specific swag item or a limited edition gift to those who refer someone in their network to subscribe to your recurring giving program.

2. Tap into influencer marketing 

Word of mouth is powerful. Similar to the peer-to-peer fundraising model, personal stories attract more donations to your cause. Think about when you’re scrolling on Facebook and see someone fundraising for awareness around a disease that impacted their family members. That’s a solid case to support that cause over another. You can easily tie a recurring membership to that same concept. 

Instead of a peer-to-peer landing page, maybe you arm your existing recurring donors and any new arrivals with your recurring donation landing page and a template to share with their audiences on social media. In that template, provide them with the language to describe why signing for a recurring gift makes their donation go further, for longer. 

3. Share a timely goal that drives action

Time-driven goals give people more of a reason to take action the second they land on your recurring donation page instead of waiting to think it over. Let donors know your goals for the coming year and why recurring gifts are crucial to your success. 

Present your goal on social media, in emails, and across newsletters. Show your progress along the way so people know their membership truly makes a difference. You can even create a new incentive every Tuesday leading up to Giving Tuesday for new recurring members.

Get your donation page ready for people who want to act right away. You can easily do this by optimizing your page for mobile with digital wallet payment options like PayPal, Venmo, and ACH.

Get the Recurring Tactics That Work

I Want to Refresh and Rebrand My Recurring Giving Program

You have a recurring giving program in place but haven’t nailed down your nurture strategy for donors who’ve been members for a while. Let’s help you add an engagement boost for Giving Tuesday to opt for larger gift amounts in the new year.

3 Steps to a Rebrand Your Recurring Giving Program on Giving Tuesday:

1. Welcome donors into a community

Rebrand your recurring giving program with a name that shows donors their connection to your cause and other passionate supporters in your recurring giving community.

Build a dedicated recurring giving landing page that makes donors feel seen and welcomed. Include language around why regular donations make such a significant impact on your cause, coupled with creative imagery that exemplifies the work being done with the help of their gifts. 

Consider any donor who wants to make a larger imprint on your cause by offering several gift amounts, giving frequencies, and payment options. The small details drive supporters to contribute more regularly and turn loyal recurring donations into even larger gifts over time.

2. Make donors a part of your new year plans

Use Giving Tuesday as a way to share your big picture for the coming year. Think about how you can lead with your vision and tie concrete actions to the dollars you’ll raise with every new recurring donation you receive. 

When you make people a part of what you’re doing, they’ll feel that fulfillment every time they donate. You can add to that by regularly sharing updates on progress made due to new recurring donation sign-ups.

3. Use the power of social media 

Social media is the perfect place to relaunch your recurring giving program (even if you only made a few tweaks). Create hashtags related to your updated naming or messaging to draw attention, and pair that with meaningful posts that get people excited about signing up for a recurring donation on Giving Tuesday. 

There are endless social media trends to tap into on Giving Tuesday. Start simple with a countdown to Giving Tuesday Instagram story series. From there, try ideas such as leaning into past donors to share their “why” behind a recurring donation to your organization. Another idea is to create a giveaway to get more eyes on your page. 

Think about how many donors you could get to sign up for a recurring gift if each new member was automatically entered into a giveaway for an impactful prize.

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Quick Recurring Giving Program Checklist for Giving Tuesday:

Make the most of your Giving Tuesday marketing by offering the best recurring giving experience possible for new and existing donors.

Ask Yourself:

• Is my donation page set up to support recurring gifts? If not, check out our Donation Page Checklist.
• Am I offering donors the flexibility to give at their preferred frequency? Explore the frequencies available to you through Classy.
• Have I set up enough options to complete payment for donations? Get ahead of it with new options like Paypal and Venmo before Giving Tuesday.
• Am I capturing payment information through ACH to avoid canceled cards? Read the data behind ACH’s impact on recurring donations and explore ClassyPay’s automatic credit card updating.