Harnessing the power of sustainers
My favorite thing about philanthropy is that anyone can do it. No matter who we are or where we are in life, we have time, talent, treasure, testimonies, or ties to contribute to our communities. When we give, we invest in the world we want to see. Collectively, we create change.
The rise of sustainer giving in recent years is no surprise to those of us who have been watching shifts in who today’s donors are—and who tomorrow’s will be. The women and next-gen donors who increasingly drive philanthropy give differently than their predecessors. They give more often to more organizations, and they give together.
Sustainer giving (also known as recurring giving or monthly giving) creates an easy pathway for these donors to support the missions they care about. They join a community of donors and get to see collective impact that’s much larger than anyone can achieve on their own. As importantly, nonprofits feel increasingly comfortable with sustainer giving programs, so they’re taking the key step we so often shy away from: they’re asking people to join.
If you’ve been looking for ways to grow your donor community, bring them directly into your mission, and engage them over the long term, don’t miss this panel discussion.
Recurring giving is gaining momentum—and it fits how people give today.
Fundraisers and data trends agree: Sustainer giving is on the rise, making up a growing share of online revenue. Last year alone, nonprofits saw a 10% increase in donors who enrolled in recurring giving programs. On average, monthly giving accounted for over 30% of all online revenue—up 5% from the previous year.
When we say of recurring giving that ‘it’s how people give today’, we mean it mirrors the way people already participate in the world around them through memberships, subscriptions, and ongoing contributions that feel manageable. Donors are consumers, and many supporters are comfortable making smaller, predictable commitments that add up over time.
For donors, that ongoing support can feel like an easy, accessible path to impact and a way to stay connected to work they care about. For organizations, it can mean dependable revenue that supports planning for the future and creates an opportunity to build a deeper sense of connection and belonging over time.
Anyone can get attract sustainers—with time and resources.
If your organization hasn’t prioritized sustainers yet, you’re not too late. The key is to resist the urge to treat monthly giving like an ‘add-on’ you’ll get to when things slow down. Successful sustainer giving programs work best when they’re built with intentionality.
One of the simplest (and most overlooked) first steps is simply making time for it. Put sustainer giving on the calendar and make it a standing agenda item—not only for the fundraising team, but also for leadership and the board. If it isn’t integrated into fundraising priorities, sustainer giving will likely stay in ‘nice-to-have’ territory instead of becoming a driver of ongoing donor community growth.
As you carve out time and resources, set clear goals and an investment roadmap that is tied to measurable milestones. Some leaders worry that asking for a recurring gift will decrease the amount of the first gift. While that may be the case at times (though not always!), most leaders come to see that a smaller up-front ‘yes’ to a recurring gift can be worth many times a larger single gift. Sustainers give today and renew at very high rates, leading to larger lifetime giving values than people asked for one donation at a time.
Engaged well, sustainers grow into midlevel, major, and planned giving donors—sometimes while continuing their monthly giving—and become the backbone of fundraising programs.
A successful sustainer strategy needs an identity, tech, and strategic donor engagement.
There’s a consistent theme that comes up in successful programs: Sustainer giving isn’t a ‘set it and forget it’ strategy. Programs thrive when they’re built with the right positioning, the right systems, and the right engagement strategies to help donors feel like they belong to something meaningful and powerful. Below are some of the key ingredients needed to facilitate the successful launch of a program:
Identity and belonging. Consider naming the program and treating sustainers like a community, not a billing method. That can be as simple as creating a recognizable identity and as meaningful as offering ‘belonging moments’, such as behind-the-scenes tours, volunteer days, small gatherings, or invitations that signal: you’re part of this.
Technology that makes staying easy. A healthy program enables donors to manage their gift without jumping through hoops. They should be able to make changes themselves: updating a card, changing an amount, pausing their gift, and cancelling their gift. The easier it is to self-serve, the more likely donors are to remain connected during life changes. They’re also more likely to choose the ‘pause’ option, rather than ‘cancel’, when they need to take a step back.
Storytelling and engagement beyond the ask. Monthly donors don’t need twelve identical thank-you notes. They need proof that their steady support matters. Consider a cadence of short impact updates, milestone moments (3 months, 6 months, 1 year), and occasional ‘here’s what’s hard right now’ transparency that builds trust. Engagement should offer opportunities for sustainers to meet each other. Storytelling should showcase the collective impact of the sustainer community.
Retention systems (before and after the first gift). Design for retention from the start. Create clear recurring-first messaging, a smooth first-time experience, and a welcome journey that reinforces purpose. Then, protect the relationship with smart operations. Don’t ignore failed payments, add a human channel (text/phone) when appropriate, and plan periodic upgrade moments (for example, a simple check-in every ~18 months). Some organizations even empower sustainer-volunteers to make peer-to-peer calls, turning monthly donors into advocates and ambassadors.
If you make one change this quarter, make it this: Treat sustainers like the committed partners they are. Reinforce the relationship with steady proof of impact, clear gratitude, and moments that remind people why they joined in the first place. Monthly giving grows when donors can feel their ongoing support matters—not just once, but over time.
