Hopefully, you're not really asking that question. But seriously, if you haven't really thought about recurring donations or why they're so important, you're really missing out on a incredible opportunity to better equip your people to give regularly and generously. If you're a church or non-profit and you've been around for more than a year, you already know that during the summer months and around the holidays, giving usually dips to extreme lows as people go away on vacation and get busy with life.
It's no secret that pure forgetfulness is probably the biggest reason people don't give as much, or as often as they plan to. When people are able to set up recurring donations and you encourage them towards that option, it really evens out the erratic availability of financial resources that many organizations struggle with. By building, maintaining, and growing a steady base of regular supporters, you can better meet the needs you're serving, and continue to expand your influence. Giving regularly and automatically also gives your donors all the benefits of feeling connected and an integral part of the mission that they care so much about, without the pressure (and oftentimes guilt) that comes with trying to remember, or finding time to give.
Also, for many people, it just makes more sense for them practically to give smaller, regular gifts, rather than trying to plan for and remember to give one (or a few) larger lump sums. Clover Donations makes it easy for donors to choose the exact date and frequency their gift will be given each month. They can set up giving on a weekly basis, every two weeks, or monthly. On top of that, those who opt for weekly or bi-weekly giving can also select the specific day of the week they'd like to give, so it's very flexible to align with their financial plan and yearly giving budgets.
Now, one fear you might have is that monthly automatic giving could make donors feel less involved. It's the fear that when they are are not actively sitting down to write a check or filling out their information on a giving form, donors might tend to feel the impact of their gift a little less. That's why it's so important that after a donor commits to a recurring giving schedule, you send them a "thank you," along with their receipt each time their recurring donation is processed. This way, the donor is reminded of their support and how important they are to you! Organizations who do this effectively usually see almost 80% of recurring donors continuing to give for extended periods of time because they still feel involved. With Clover Donations, this is all set up for you, and the thank you note on their receipt is fully customizable so you are able to send the exact message you want to your donors. It's just one more way we help you build lasting relationships with your supporters.
If you'd like to get a peek at how recurring giving works with Clover Donations, you can take a look at a couple examples we've created (links below). To get the full experience however, make sure you sign up for an account at www.cloverdonations.com so you can try out everything for yourself.
https://cloverdemos.cloverdonations.com/cavalier-foundation/
https://cloverdemos.cloverdonations.com/collective-artists/
As always, if you have any questions or would like to learn more about recurring donations, need help setting up your forms, or anything else, just give us a call at (805) 527-8900, or send an email to support@cloverdonations.com
