It’s Prime Hurricane Month: Monthly Donors to the Rescue!

By Erica Waasdorp

My first experience with a hurricane came in August of 1991, when “Bob” hit Cape Cod. I was actually still in the Netherlands, but I watched video of my then future in-laws wade through chest-high water near their beach house. Power was out for many days. Life came to a screeching halt.

Other hurricanes followed later: Andrew, Katrina, Sandy just to name a few. As a Red Cross PR volunteer, I was involved with a number of them. August was typically the most “popular” hurricane month.

So, what do monthly donors have to do with hurricanes, or any other disasters for that matter?

Monthly Donors Are Your Insurance Policy in Times of Disaster

As we’re going into prime giving season, disasters could wreak havoc on your best laid plans. What if a major forest fire in your area forced your printer and mail house to evacuate, so your early September mailing gets delayed? What if a flash flood damaged your office and file server, so you can’t get to your files? What if the Internet is down in your area? What if you can’t get your mailing out the door, because that same flood damaged all of your printed materials? Now you have to reprint everything and so does everybody else. Take a number.

No worries. If you have monthly donors, they keep on giving no matter how many hurricanes, floods, fires and other disasters occur. Because the donor does not have to send in a check or sit behind a computer to send a donation when you ask. Their gifts keep coming in to support your organization.

Also, what typically happens when there’s a major disaster, donors support those organizations that are providing direct help. There’s no question that this will impact donor’s giving to your charity!

With monthly donors, you’ll have that ongoing revenue coming in, rain or shine!

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Erica Waasdorp Author's page

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.