Monthly Sustainer Programs, Anyone?

I just got back from a tremendous few days in the Washington D.C. area, and I learned a lot about monthly sustainer programs.

First, I was privileged to attend the Professional Face to Face Fundraisers Association meeting, where some 75 people listened to speakers on the latest trends in face-to-face sustainer fundraising and how one nonprofit tweaked its retention to higher levels. Spoiler alert: account updater and credit card processes had a lot to do with it, as well as focusing on telephone follow-ups.

Following, I went to the Bridge Conference at the Gaylord, National Harbor, Md., where Wednesday looked like “sustainer day.” I was able to catch four sustainer sessions, including one I was presenting with Letal Zidkony from the ASPCA and Paige Grainger from Blackbaud’s Target Analytics Sustainer Benchmarking.

All sustainer sessions ran the gamut with wonderful examples, results and best practices, implemented by some larger organizations. One session was focused on how best to use digital ads and social media, one was focused on mail, phone and email, and the combination thereof. Another was focused on converting donors to monthly donors first, then going after annual auto-renewals as the next option. Knowing that you can count on that renewal every year will help you plan your cash flow better. Key is to focus on monthly first though as that will generate more money.

The overarching learning from all sustainer sessions: Get management buy-in, use multichannel approaches and ongoing focus will help you grow your sustainer program fastest!One disappointing note though: In my session, I asked for a show of hands as to how many were supporting their own organization as a monthly donor. Only a few hands went up! I hope that changes soon because it starts with you.

It’s wonderful that these so-called “sustainer power houses” are willing to share their experiences and example, so that their learning can be implemented by small to mid-size organizations right away.

Of course, every organization is different. Every organization has a different set up when it comes to number of donors, types of channels and donors who will respond differently when it comes to monthly giving. But, ultimate learning: If you’re committed to your monthly donor program, you’ll be able to grow it!