From one time to monthly donors: how to do it
Why monthly donors matter, how to ask for it on Giving Tuesday, what you promise and how to follow up. With hypothetical calculation examples.
TL;DR A monthly donor gives your organisation a predictable base, even after Giving Tuesday. Ask gently: show monthly next to one time, with a lower amount and a label that says what it does. Promise only what you can deliver, say thanks within 24 hours and follow up. WeGlow.world supports one time and monthly gifts on the same donation page.
Giving Tuesday brings many people to your page once. Afterwards it goes quiet, and next year you start again. Monthly donors break that pattern, because their support returns every month without you having to ask again.
You do not need to build a separate campaign for this. It comes down to a small choice on your page, one honest sentence and good follow up.
Why are monthly donors valuable?
A monthly gift makes your income predictable and spreads the burden for the donor. An organisation that knows what comes in over the next months can plan better. For the donor, five euros a month is lighter than sixty euros at once.
| Monthly amount | After 12 months | Hypothetical label |
|---|---|---|
| €5 | €60 | Every month a hot meal for someone |
| €10 | €120 | Every month a food parcel |
| €25 | €300 | Every month an hour of support for a family |
These are calculation examples for an imaginary organisation. The yearly amount is simply twelve times the monthly amount, as long as the donor keeps giving.
How do you ask Giving Tuesday donors to give monthly?
Show one time and monthly on your donation page as two equal choices, and ask only once. Let the monthly amount start low and give it a label that says what it does. Anyone who says no is still welcome to give one time.
- Show one time and monthly side by side, not hidden
- Start the monthly offer at a low amount
- Write what the gift makes possible every month
- Ask once and stay friendly after a no
- Mention it in your emails as a second choice, not as pressure
Which amounts and labels work is covered in the article on amounts and labels.
What do you promise a monthly donor?
Promise only what you can deliver: a clear thank-you, a yearly update and honest information about how to stop. A donor who knows where they stand stays longer. Overpromising costs trust, and trust is what you build with monthly support.
Agree internally in advance who writes the updates and when they go out. A promise nobody follows up does more harm than no promise. One short, honest sentence is enough, for example that you will tell people twice a year what the gifts made possible.
How does follow up work after the first gift?
Say thanks within 24 hours, send a short update after a few weeks and do not ask for more straight away. A new monthly donor wants to know their gift arrives. Plan the follow up in advance, so it does not depend on who has time that week.
| Moment | What you send | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Within 24 hours | Personal thank-you email | Show the gift was seen |
| After 4 weeks | Short update with a photo | Show what the gift does |
| After 3 months | A story from your work | Deepen the bond |
| After 12 months | Yearly overview and thanks | Give recognition and confirm the bond |
How to approach the thanks is covered in the article on saying thanks after Giving Tuesday.
What about the tax certificate?
Fiscal rules for donations differ by country. In some countries donors can deduct gifts to recognised organisations, often above a minimum amount or within a yearly total, and in others they cannot. Do not promise a certificate unless your organisation is entitled to issue one.
Look up what applies where you operate, with your tax authority or a local source. Our article on tax relief for donations by country gives an overview. This is general information, not tax advice.
How do you do this in WeGlow.world?
With WeGlow.world your donation page has one time and monthly amounts, each with a label that says what the gift does. The Giving Tuesday preset prefills title, amounts and thank-you text. As soon as you fill in a thank-you text, the thank-you email goes out automatically.
- Create a free account on WeGlow.world.
- Choose the Giving Tuesday preset for your donation page.
- Check the monthly amounts and their labels.
- Fill in your thank-you text so the thank-you email is ready.
- Schedule your follow up emails in WeGlow Mail, with the donor's first name.
How to build the rest of your page is covered in the article on the donation page itself. The GivingTuesday toolkit stresses that the day starts with a plan and ends with thanking, and that is doubly true if you want to build a monthly bond.
The most common mistakes
The biggest mistakes are pushing, starting amounts that are too high and no follow up. If you want to ask for monthly gifts, you have to deliver. Check in advance who writes the thank-you, the update and the yearly overview, because a donor who hears nothing drops out.
- Pushing several times for a monthly gift
- A starting amount that is too high for a first monthly gift
- No thank-you text or update after the first gift
- Promising what you cannot deliver, such as a certificate you are not entitled to issue
- Treating monthly donors as a second choice in your communication
Frequently asked questions
Why ask for monthly gifts on Giving Tuesday?
Because many people are already willing to give that day and a monthly amount gives you a predictable base. WeGlow.world shows one time and monthly on the same page, so the donor chooses.
Which monthly amount is a good starting point?
A low amount, for example five or ten euros, because it adds up over a whole year. Look at what your existing donors gave and feel free to adjust the amount in WeGlow.world.
Do I have to provide a tax certificate for monthly gifts?
Only if your country has such a certificate and your organisation may issue it. Fiscal rules differ by country, and fiscal proof is not available in WeGlow.world for every country. Ask via the contact page what is possible for you.
What if a donor wants to stop?
Make that easy and friendly, without guilt. Someone who leaves well sometimes comes back. Agree in your team how you handle it, also when you use WeGlow.world.
Are the amounts in this article real?
No, they are hypothetical calculation examples. Calculate with your own costs and your own audience, also when you use WeGlow.world.
Set up your monthly option
Create a free account on WeGlow.world and put one time and monthly side by side on your Giving Tuesday page. No setup fees and no contract. Start via the sign-up page or request a demo.
Sources and check: the GivingTuesday toolkit, checked on 7 October 2026. Amounts in the examples are hypothetical. General information, not tax advice.