Have you noticed a shift in how we both consume and give in society today? From how we buy our groceries to how we watch or listen to entertainment, “people have gotten used to the subscription model—paying a set amount each month for goods or services. Nonprofits have been able to join this consumer shift by rebranding recurring giving programs as subscription donations.” (Bishop, K. 2022, September 30. Classy Blog. 5 Things the Subscription Economy Teaches Us About Recurring Giving)

Consumers and nonprofits alike can gain insight from the benefits of subscription services like Amazon Prime and Disney+ where you set up your payment once and never think about it again. As the subscription economy continues to grow, nonprofits have a unique opportunity to learn from this type of model and put it into practice for their own recurring gift programs. 

Subscription philanthropy is the new way to give.

Donors can benefit just as much as their favorite cause by giving without even thinking after their initial first payment. Nonprofits are implementing modern, automated payment processes for recurring donations where a donor has the convenience of a “set it and forget it” payment process. Donors who aren’t able to commit to a large, one-time gift have the flexibility and room in their budget to make a smaller, monthly gift. This arrangement also affords the donor the opportunity to learn more about the impact of their giving by creating a long-term relationship with their nonprofit, receiving consistent communications on the accountability of the nonprofit meeting mission goals through the donor’s gifts.

Speaking of consistency, recurring giving greatly benefits nonprofits for the sustainability factor. “Did you know that nearly 1/3 of all charitable giving occurs in December? And 10% of all giving is raised in the last three days of the year?” (Network for Good. 2022 Year-End Fundraising Campaign Guide & Timeline.)

This trend places incredible stress and pressure on the nonprofit budget to raise funds to keep operations running efficiently the other 11 months out of the year. A far stronger, healthier model is one where funds are spread across all 12 months of the calendar year, creating a steady, sustainable revenue for operations. For example, instead of a donor giving a $120 gift in December, they could break up that gift to just $10 every month for not only a more affordable option long term for the giver, but a more sustainable budget for the nonprofit.

Nonprofits seek longevity in a donor.

Monthly donors will continue to give month-over-month, year-over-year, often for an average of 5 years or more! Therefore, a $10 monthly donor is more valuable to an organization in the long run than a one-time $100 donor.

CASA Kane County is stepping right in line with subscription philanthropy by offering a new online giving platform called Harness Giving, who has witnessed that “overall, monthly donors give 42% more annually than traditional one-time donors.” (Harness Giving) By implementing this program, we hope to gain and welcome more G.E.M. (Give Every Month) donors!