Monthly donors give 2.5x more (here's how to get them)

One-time donors are great, but there's something special about monthly supporters. They give more, stay longer, and provide the predictable revenue that lets you plan beyond crisis mode.

This week, we're sharing what converts supporters into recurring givers. We’ve got a webinar on staying visible year-round, 4aGoodCause breaks down the simple tactics behind the biggest monthly giving programs, and there's a major shift happening with 2026's new tax laws that just made nearly every American eligible for donation tax benefits.

The goal isn't just more donors — it's building reliable support that lets you plan ahead instead of always wondering where next month's funding will come from.

The take-home template

One-time donors need different messaging than your monthly supporters, but writing from scratch every time slows you down. This resource includes templates you need to build a recurring giving pipeline, from new donor outreach to current supporter retention.

Snackable snippets

Next steps on building a recurring giving program 📖

Monthly donors give more than double what one-time supporters contribute annually, but most nonprofits stop acknowledging recurring gifts by month three. That's why people cancel. The fix: regular communication, segmented messaging, and making donors feel special for their ongoing commitment.

A subscription-economy lens on monthly giving 📖

Monthly giving expert Dana Snyder points out that we've entered the "retention era" — subscription acquisition rates dropped from 4.1% to 2.8% between 2021 and 2024, while nonprofits face similar challenges. The game-changer? Pause options retained 51.7% of subscribers who were about to cancel. Nonprofits that don't let donors pause, reduce, or skip months are accidentally training people to do the only thing they can: leave forever.

2026 tax laws just opened the door to 90% of Americans 📖

For the first time, nearly every American gets a tax benefit for donating, not just the 10% who itemize their taxes. Singles can deduct up to $1,000 and married couples up to $2,000 for charitable gifts, even with the standard deduction. This means your small-dollar campaigns just got a major value proposition boost, but you'll need to update your messaging, landing pages, and donor communications to capitalize on this shift.

For your inspiration folder

4aGoodCause analyzed the top 20 large monthly giving programs and found they all do the same simple things: name the program, build dedicated pages, offer multiple gift levels with clear impact. Turns out getting big isn't about resources, it's about doing the basics really well.