27 Keys to Monthly Giving Program Success, Part 3 (12-19)

[Editor's note: This is part 3 of a four-part series on the session "25 Proven Monthly Giving Tools & Ideas Packed in 50 Minutes" held at the 2012 Washington Nonprofit Conference. Click here for part 1 and here for part 2.]

At the Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation's 2012 Washington Nonprofit Conference, five fundraising pros shared their secrets to implementing and running a monthly giving program in their session, "25 Proven Monthly Giving Tools & Ideas Packed in 50 Minutes." Here are tips12-19 of the 25 — actually, 27 (two bonus tips!) — provided by the presenters: Mary Arnold, president of Mary Arnold Enterprises; David Glass, director of online marketing at World Wildlife Fund; Karen Kennedy Downs, direct marketing manager of monthly giving at CARE USA; Nicole Weidokal, vice president of client services at DCCi; and moderator Erica Waasdorp, senior fundraising consultant at DMW Direct.
12. Plan your monthly program from start to finish
Planning is key when it comes to any fundraising activity, and your monthly giving program is no exception.

"Find your most compelling offer — the more specific the better," Arnold said. "[For example,] '$20 can feed and school a young student for a month.' Decide which groups to test — look for those who give multiples times per year. Determine what types of transactions you will offer: monthly credit card, checks, bank debit? Plan your communication stream to keep monthly givers informed and engaged. Think about how you will receipt without overwhelming them."

It's all about closing the loop: Make a compelling offer, donors give; tell donors what those gifts do, they'll give more. Repeat cycle.

13. Involve IT staff and other departments with monthly givers
Monthly giving programs have a demanding back end, Arnold said. You need your IT department and other staffers to help with sophisticated tools. For monthly donors, you must take into consideration: