How do I get monthly donors for my charity?

Offer a monthly option on every donation form, ask people who already gave once, and show what a month does.

Monthly donations give your organisation something precious: the chance to plan ahead. Getting them starts with one simple question.

1. Offer it

Put a monthly option on every donation form, next to the one-off option, with clear amounts. If people can't see it, they can't choose it. Be open about it: people should know exactly what they are signing up for. One guide warns that donors who feel tricked into a monthly gift lose trust.

2. Ask people who already gave

People who have given once already care about your work. The best prospects are donors who gave a few times in the past year. Ask them with a personal message that mentions their history.

3. Say what a month does

Not "support us monthly", but "€10 a month is a warm meal every week". Showing the year helps too: "€10 a month is €120 for our work each year". Guides on monthly giving suggest tying each amount to a clear result.

These amounts are examples. Use figures your organisation can stand behind.

What do the numbers say?

All figures below come from American sources and are not Belgian or Dutch figures. According to Neon One, between 2023 and 2025 78 to 80% of monthly donors were retained, against 32.4% of non-recurring donors. Givebutter cites M+R: 27% of online revenue comes from monthly gifts. Donorbox names 30 to 60 days after the first gift as the typical moment to ask one-time donors.

In WeGlow

Your donation form can take one-off and monthly gifts, each with its own amounts and labels.

How sure are we?

This is practice advice from fundraising software companies. We used three different companies (Givebutter, Neon One and Donorbox; the two Donorbox pages count as one source). We use no conversion numbers, because we could not trace them to an independent source.

What amount should I ask for each month?

There is no fixed amount. American sources give averages of $25 (Givebutter) to $52 (Donorbox) per month, and Neon One a median starting gift of $30. Tie each amount to a concrete result and let people choose for themselves.

When do I ask a one-time donor to give monthly?

Donorbox names 30 to 60 days after the first gift as a typical window. Thank first, then ask with a personal message that mentions their history, and be clear about exactly what they are choosing.

Are monthly donors more loyal?

According to Neon One, between 2023 and 2025 78 to 80% of monthly donors were retained, against 32.4% of non-recurring ones. These are American figures from a software company, not an independent measurement. Treat them as a direction, not a promise.

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