Monthly giving is growing in popularity fast, while the number of people making more traditional annual gifts is shrinking. The 2025 M+R Benchmarks reported monthly donations making up 31% of total online giving—growing 5% year-over-year—while one-time revenue plateaued.

A monthly giving program isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore. It’s one of the most reliable ways to stabilize revenue, boost retention, and reduce the pressure on year‑end campaigns. And right now (early in the year) is the best time to recruit new monthly donors!

Let’s talk about who monthly donors are, and how to design a recruitment approach that works with their psychology.First: Who are monthly donors?

According to GivingTuesday’s GivePulse research, monthly donors are more likely to be…

• “Under 35 — 36% give monthly.
• Full-time employed — 35% give monthly.
• Living with children — 36% give monthly, compared to 27% of people without children living at home.
• Urban dwellers — 38% give monthly.
• Higher income — 36% of those earning over $100K give monthly.
• Highly religious — 40%, almost double those who report that they are not at all religious, give monthly.”

Plenty of people outside of these groups make monthly donations, and the monthly donor persona(s) for your specific organization might look very different, but this data gives us a starting point.

Regardless of demographics, monthly donors are people who’ve already decided generosity matters to them, and they’re nudged at the right moment to make it an ongoing commitment.

This is why your fundraising technology matters so much.

Platforms like iDonate are designed to prompt donors to make a monthly gift when they’re already making a one‑time gift. In the midst of a spontaneous fit of generosity, the donor is encouraged to simply change the format. This is much easier than asking someone to give monthly when they’re not already in a giving mood. 

The impact is measurable: when nonprofits enable iDonate’s recurring gift prompt, 9% more donations become recurring. That lift can represent approximately $10,000 in additional donor lifetime value for every 100 donations.

If you don’t have at least one monthly gift prompt enabled in your donation flow, you’re leaving a significant number of recurring gifts on the table. This is the most effective way to recruit monthly donors, all year round.

Why Q1 deserves an even bigger monthly giving push

Early in the year is an ideal window for monthly donor acquisition, because…

• People are already resetting their habits and routines, thinking about what kind of person they want to be and which causes they care most about supporting this year.
• A lot of people just made one-time gifts to you at year-end, and motivating them to donate again within a few months is excellent for donor retention.
• You (hopefully) have the breathing room to prioritize this. You’re not buried under year‑end deadlines, which means you can run a thoughtful campaign.

This is the season to entice people to come aboard your monthly giving program! The tips below will ensure a more successful campaign, and also apply to your year-round monthly giving promotion.

A monthly giving campaign requires extra persuasion

A one‑time gift is often emotional and spontaneous.

A monthly gift is a commitment.

Donors need more reassurance, more motivation, and more clarity about what they’re signing up for. This is where Cialdini’s 6 principles of persuasion are especially useful. (If you ever took a Marketing 101 class, you’re already with me!)

Let’s walk through each principle and how it looks in practice for monthly donor recruitment.

1. Reciprocity: give something, get something

Reciprocity is simple: When someone receives something of value, they’re more inclined to give in return.

For monthly giving, this might look like:

• Promising a welcome gift or swag item for monthly donors who join by a certain date, at a certain level
• Giving monthly donors early access to content, reports, events, and behind‑the‑scenes updates
• Sending a handwritten note or a surprise thank‑you before making the ask.

The “gift” doesn’t have to be expensive, but it should carry some exciting energy.

2. Commitment & consistency: build on a decision already made

This is one of the most powerful principles at play in monthly giving.

When someone has already given once, they’ve signaled: “I care about this cause.”

So running a campaign directed at your existing one-time donors is a smart way to focus.

Get creative with dynamic fields in your emails to pull in information about each donor—like when they last donated, or their lifetime contributions to your organization—to make them feel seen and valued.

3. Social proof: show them they’re not alone

People want to know: “Do others like me do this?”

They want to see and hear from people who are already part of the program.

Effective social proof looks like:

• Short quotes from existing monthly donors (ideally with photos)
• Short video testimonials explaining why they give monthly
• Language like “Join 570 supporters who give every month”.

This content validates the decision. And there’s a bonus: Asking existing monthly donors to share their “why” has the added benefit of strengthening existing relationships.

4. Likability: let people hear from people

Fundraising campaigns perform best when the message comes from a person, not an organization. This might mean:

• A staff video showing what monthly giving achieves for your specific org
• A program leader sharing a story that illustrates monthly giving in action
• An influencer with a genuine connection to your mission promoting the program.

People are more persuaded by people they like, trust, and relate to. This is especially true when you’re asking for an ongoing commitment, so hit record!

5. Authority: reinforce trust and credibility

Before committing to a recurring gift, donors want to know:

Is this organization stable?

Will my gift actually be used well?

Can I trust them long‑term?

You can prove your credibility through:

• Impact data and outcomes
• Earned media placements
• Testimonials from clients
• Third‑party validation and partnerships
• A detailed explanation of how monthly gifts are used.

This doesn’t need to be heavy or formal, but it does need to be present on your website and woven throughout your communications.

6. Exclusivity & identity: make it feel like belonging

One of the most effective monthly giving strategies is positioning your program as a membership with exclusive benefits.

Think:

• A named monthly giving program
• Language that reinforces identity (“You’re part of…” “You’re with us because you believe…”)
• Access to special perks, gifts, and content
• Opportunities to be honored or featured on social media, at events, etc.

Because humans are selfish beings (with the capacity to be very kind!), and most of us…dare I say all of us…care about status and recognition.

Putting it all together

The most successful monthly donor acquisition plan doesn’t rely on a single tactic. It combines:

• Smart fundraising tech that prompts donors at the checkout point
• A clear value proposition repeated again and again
• Psychological principles that reduce hesitation and increase commitment

Now is the time to audit your donation flow, bump up those monthly gift prompts, and run a campaign specifically designed to recruit monthly donors.

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For more tips and case studies, I highly recommend checking out recordings of the Monthly Giving Summit hosted by my friend Dana Snyder.

And if you run a monthly donor recruitment campaign, ping me on LinkedIn to let me know how it goes!