Inspired by programs generating millions in recurring revenue annually.
What’s inside
Recurring giving is one of the most reliable ways nonprofits can grow revenue as donor acquisition gets harder. The organizations seeing the strongest results aren’t just asking for monthly gifts. They’re building recurring giving programs designed to retain supporters, increase lifetime value, and create more predictable funding over time.
We analyzed some of the strongest recurring giving programs across the GoFundMe Pro network and turned those insights into five practical steps.
Inside, you’ll learn how to assess your current program, identify high-potential donor segments, build trust before the ask, create a stronger conversion path, and steward recurring donors for long-term growth.
Before you grow your recurring giving program, get clear on where it stands today. Start by benchmarking your current program to establish a baseline.
Core recurring metrics:
Different performance patterns can help your organization identify where to focus next. For example, if your monthly donor count is growing but revenue is flat, you may have an upgrade opportunity. If acquisition is strong but churn is high, retention may need more attention.
Put AI to work on your recurring giving data
Export your recurring giving reports and use this prompt with your preferred AI tool to identify patterns, risks, and opportunities:
“I’m analyzing my nonprofit’s recurring giving program. Review the attached data and summarize the key trends in revenue, retention, average gift size, failed payments, churn, and upgrade potential. Then recommend three actions we should prioritize next quarter to increase donor lifetime value and strengthen recurring revenue.”
GoFundMe Pro’s recurring giving dashboard helps you see the signals that drive long-term growth, from active recurring revenue and average gift size to active plans, failed plans, and retention trends.
That visibility matters because small changes in recurring giving performance can add up over time. Organizations on GoFundMe Pro see an average recurring donation of $45 compared to the $28 industry benchmark reported by M+R. They also grow recurring donor relationships. By Year 3 on the platform, recurring donors increase by an average of 113%, and returning one-time donors increase by an average of 169% compared to Year 1.*
Together, that means more donors giving more often, helping organizations build significant, lasting growth.
*Results vary by organization
“We love data at Doctors Without Borders, and our budget decisions are grounded in evidence. To communicate the value of recurring giving internally, we focus on what matters most to budget decision‑makers: predictability, risk reduction, and long‑term return.”
– Doctors Without Borders
The strongest recurring giving programs don’t invite every supporter to take the same next step. They identify who is most likely to start or increase a recurring gift, then tailor the ask to that supporter’s relationship with the organization.
Who to prioritize:
Supporters ready to become recurring donors
Existing recurring donors ready to upgrade
Look for supporters who have given consistently for 12 months or more, engage with your campaigns regularly, attend events, volunteer, or have made additional one-time gifts alongside their recurring donation.
As you define your criteria, keep the donor experience in mind. Not every supporter who can receive an ask should receive one right away. For example, a recurring donor with a failed payment may need support resolving their gift before receiving an upgrade ask.
The goal isn’t to make the audience as large as possible. It’s to identify the most relevant next action for each supporter.
Identifying the right audience helps you decide who to ask. Intelligent Ask Amounts helps shape the ask each donor sees.
Intelligent Ask Amounts uses AI to tailor suggested amounts, highlighted gift options, and frequency defaults based on each donor and campaign goal. Campaigns using Intelligent Ask Amounts have seen up to 7% more revenue compared to a standard default ask array and over 5% higher recurring conversion rates.*
When your goal is recurring giving, Intelligent Ask Amounts can take that personalization a step further. It shows a gentle, branded monthly gift prompt to donors most likely to consider recurring support while keeping the experience focused for donors more likely to give once.
This targeted approach delivers a 38% lift in recurring gift conversions, with no meaningful impact to one-time giving rates.
*Results vary by campaign type, audience, and goals
To grow recurring giving, the National Kidney Foundation needed a way to make the monthly ask feel relevant to each donor.
Using Intelligent Ask Amounts, the organization personalized the donation experience based on factors such as giving history, location, and device, helping supporters see more relevant giving options at the right moment.
That relevance helped make recurring giving feel like a natural next step. During National Kidney Month, the National Kidney Foundation increased new recurring donors by 74% year over year and saw a 22% increase in average recurring gift size on its main donation form.
“We still saw a large number of monthly gifts come in during Kidney Month because when you go to the page, it’s optimized for it. It encourages sustained support without requiring a direct ask.”
– National Kidney Foundation
Before you invite a supporter to start or increase a recurring gift, shape your cultivation strategy to the individual in front of you.
Recurring giving works best when it’s treated as a program, not a checkbox on a donation form. GoFundMe Pro’s campaign templates help you create a dedicated recurring giving experience with launch-ready layouts, guided content entry, Intelligent Ask Amounts, and real-time progress tracking built in.
That structure helps supporters understand the value of sustained giving before they’re asked to commit. Once they do, simple self-serve tools help them manage and grow their support over time.
This approach has helped earn GoFundMe Pro the Sustainable Giving certification, a third-party recognition of the role purpose-built, recurring giving tools can play in helping nonprofits build lasting donor relationships and sustainable revenue growth.
The Foundation Fighting Blindness wanted to grow Beacon Champions, its recurring giving program, by building stronger relationships with monthly donors.
With GoFundMe Pro, the team gained full visibility into its sustainer base, including 100% of sustainers’ contact information. That foundation made it easier to segment donors, personalize communication, and focus the donor journey on impact, connection, and long-term engagement.
Beacon Champions grew by 12% in eight months and continues to evolve into a more connected, mission-driven community.
“For the first time, we really know who our monthly donors are. That’s allowed us to shift our mindset from simply asking for support to building relationships. We can now communicate in a more meaningful way, show the impact of each gift, and help supporters feel connected to the work they make possible.”
– Foundation Fighting Blindness
Once you’ve identified the right audience and earned their trust, it’s time to make the ask.
Ask essentials:
For one-time donors, connect the ask to consistency. Show how a monthly gift helps your organization plan ahead, sustain programs, and keep showing up for the communities you serve.
For existing recurring donors, start with recognition. Acknowledge the support they already give, show how it has added up, and invite them to increase their gift when the timing is right.
A strong ask needs a page that can carry it. Campaign Studio helps you build branded recurring donation pages that explain why monthly support matters, show what it makes possible, and make the next step feel simple.
Start from proven templates, customize your message and design for each appeal, and publish in minutes with no code required. White-labeled URLs and custom receipts help keep your brand consistent from end to end.
Every template draws on insights from a giving community of over 200 million, grounding page structure and design in what moves donors to commit.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation makes recurring giving feel accessible and meaningful with a simple, mission-connected ask: give $11 a month in honor of 9/11. By tying the gift amount to its origin story and keeping the monthly commitment within reach, the organization gives more supporters an easy way to join the cause and contribute to lasting impact.
Recurring giving is also central to the foundation’s long-term growth strategy. Over the next few years, Tunnel to Towers plans to double its donor base so it can help even more military personnel, first responders, and their families.
“We’ve been really intentional—making monthly the default, simplifying choices, and framing the ask around a clear, emotional value prop. The goal is for monthly to feel like the obvious way to give, not the backup option.”
– Tunnel to Towers Foundation
Recurring donors are your most committed supporters. How you engage them after the first gift can determine whether they stay.
Even strong recurring donor relationships can be interrupted by expired cards, address changes, or bank fraud protections. GoFundMe Pro helps reduce that risk by updating the plan status, notifying the donor by email, and retrying the next three scheduled transactions automatically before suspending the plan.
Your team can also see why a donation was declined, update payment details, and reprocess the transaction without waiting for the next scheduled attempt.
As you build or refine your stewardship strategy, use the checklist below to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for improvement across the recurring donor journey.
Do new recurring donors receive a welcome message within 24 hours?
Do communications come from a real person or recognizable team?
Do recurring donors receive impact updates throughout the year?
Do you recognize recurring donors at key milestones?
Do you have a plan for upgrades, additional gifts, surveys, and event invitations?
Do you segment recurring donors out of communications that may not apply to them?
Do you have a clear process for failed payments, expired cards, and canceled cards?
Do your systems support automated stewardship and payment recovery?
Second Harvest of Central Florida wanted recurring donors to feel connected beyond their first gift.
The organization welcomes new Meal Makers monthly donors into the program and keeps them engaged year-round through email, direct mail, thank-you calls, newsletters, and personalized touches, such as birthday cards and facility tours.
By creating consistent opportunities for connection and recognition, Second Harvest of Central Florida helps recurring donors feel valued, informed, and connected to the impact they make over time.
Growing recurring giving is an ongoing process of learning, testing, and improving. As you put the ideas in this playbook into practice, consider what other organizations have learned along the way.
The advice looks different from each organization, but the pattern is the same: the strongest recurring giving programs never stand still.
As your program grows, GoFundMe Pro can help you stay focused on the right next step, with the insight, tools, and partnership to keep building on what works.
Reach out to your Account Manager or start a conversation with our team.
Get inspired by programs generating millions in recurring revenue annually.
