Erica Waasdorp

Erica Waasdorp

Erica Waasdorp is one of the leading experts on monthly giving. She is the president of A Direct Solution, a company serving nonprofit organizations with fundraising and direct marketing needs, with a focus on monthly giving and appeals. She authored “Monthly Giving: The Sleeping Giant” and “Monthly Giving Made Easy.” She regularly blogs and presents on fundraising, appeals and monthly giving — in person and through webinars. She is happy to answer any questions you may have about this great way of improving retention rates for your donors.

Erica has over 30 years of experience in nonprofits and direct response. She helped the nonprofits she works with raise millions of dollars through monthly giving programs. She is also very actively supports organizations with annual fund planning and execution, ranging from copywriting, creative, lists, print and mail execution.

When she’s not working or writing, Erica can be found on the golf course (she’s a straight shooter) or quietly reading a book. And if there’s an event with a live band, she and her husband, Patrick, can be found on the dance floor. She also loves watching British drama on PBS. Erica and Patrick have two step sons and a cat, Mientje.

May 22, 2023 How to Honor Recurring Donors on Their Birthdays

Birthdays are powerful opportunities to recognize your recurring donors. Here are ways you can make your donors feel extra special.

April 5, 2023 Recurring Extra Gift and Upgrade Best Practices

Tax letters should aim to engage recurring donors and encourage them to either make an extra gift, upgrade to a higher level, switch to a higher retaining way of giving, or give the ultimate gift. Here's how you can do that.

March 22, 2023 Charity Navigator’s Kevin Scally Talks Recurring Giving Stats and Trends

Kevin Scally, chief relationship officer at Charity Navigator, shared that with a shrinking donor population, recurring gifts can both democratize philanthropy and lower the barriers for giving.

February 9, 2023 5 Best Practices for Recurring Donor Receipts

It's always a good thing to be as transparent as possible to your donors. So here are my top five best practices when it comes to recurring gift receipts.

January 18, 2023 3 Recurring Giving Predictions for 2023

A new year. New opportunities. A renewed focus on donors, mission and impact. To kick off 2023, here are my top three recurring giving predictions for 2023.

December 15, 2022 Recurring Gifts Rocked It on Giving Tuesday

The results speak for themselves. Giving Tuesday 2022 saw a 15% increase in dollars raised compared to 2021 with $3.1 billion in total, and some Giving Tuesday donors even committed to recurring gifts.

November 23, 2022 7 Nonprofit Holiday Bloopers

Well, as a special Thanksgiving message, I wanted to share some holiday bloopers I’ve seen recently. I typically go through my stack of mail once a week to scan in new ideas or things I particularly like because I learn from what you as fundraisers do at your nonprofits.

November 17, 2022 What Can You Do for Donors During Thanksgiving Week?

I know you are focused on Giving Tuesday, but what is often forgotten is how to show gratitude for past giving. I suggest making this week, leading up to Thanksgiving, the time to say “thank you.”

November 10, 2022 10 Things I Learned From 30 Years in Sustainer Giving, Part 5

I’ve been sharing what I’ve learned about sustainer giving, and I’m here to say: You do make a difference, one day, one mission at a time. But for those days where doubt and worry and stress come into the picture, it’s really important to take a look at these final learnings.

November 3, 2022 10 Things I Learned From 30 Years in Sustainer Giving, Part 4

I’ve shared six of my top sustainer giving lessons so far. Today, I’ll get to the heart of sustainer giving, and probably the hardest lessons for nonprofit leadership.

October 27, 2022 10 Things I Learned From 30 Years in Sustainer Giving, Part 3

I hope you’re enjoying this list of things to focus on when it comes to sustainer giving. So far, I’ve shared four things I’ve learned. Some I had to learn the hard way but certainly they can benefit any and all fundraisers. Here are lessons five and six.

October 19, 2022 10 Things I Learned From 30 Years in Sustainer Giving, Part 2

Here are two more lessons to keep in mind when you’re looking to grow or retain your sustainers.

October 13, 2022 10 Things I Learned From 30 Years in Sustainer Giving, Part 1

Since 2015, so much has changed that it's making sustainer giving much easier for donors and nonprofits. Payment platforms; donor database; smartphones; and growth in email, social media and other channels have made a huge impact.

October 6, 2022 Add a Monthly Gift Ask to Your Welcome Email Series

Can we finally bury that myth that you can’t ask too soon? Research proves it’s just a myth. To improve retention, you simply must get that second gift from your donor as soon as possible. Those organizations that do that are ahead of the curve.

September 29, 2022 How Are Recurring Donors Doing in This Economy?

Remember, in a down economy, recurring gifts may be the best way for donors to continue their support as they can afford smaller gifts. Donors want to continue to help. The more you do to let them know this is an option, the more donors will consider it.

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