Give Your Sustaining Gifts That New Car Smell!

Imagine going to a dealership to buy a car—with cash. In reality, that’s not within the budget for most folks. There’s a similar concern when we ask our donors for a big donation to support a larger need. We’ll likely get the response “we can’t afford to donate that much.” However, if we break it down into small chunks, then many of them may be able and interested.

It’s easy to get excited about that large donation check, but sometimes we forget just how much those small gifts can add up to. One of my favorite nonprofits just sent me a thank you for being a major donor. I was a bit confused because my monthly gift to them is fairly small. (I’d love to send them a check for a few thousand dollars, but according to my online bank balance, it would bounce!) Turns out, however, over the last 10 years, my donation has added up to a much larger sum than I would normally imagine giving.

Think about the car ads on television. The full cost of the car is rarely displayed, since the final price tag might seem overwhelming. Instead, the monthly payment is promoted, which is likely more “do-able” to viewers. That’s why the advertisers focus on the smaller payments.

Advertise your smaller payment options by focusing on pledges and recurring gifts. Over time, those small, recurring payments can help give your nonprofit the large sums needed to keep the lights on and services provided. Help your donors see the benefits of those small sustaining gifts or pledge payments.

Personally, I like to donate to nonprofits who send me thank you letters (not just because I like to get new ideas for my own thank you’s), because I like the idea of practicing good stewardship. I’ve talked to some nonprofits and have heard they don’t send acknowledgement for pledge payments or recurring gifts; but could you imagine them saying the same thing about that $10,000 donation? Yes, those periodic small payments or multiple small-pledge payments can add up to more than the amounts the occasional major donors give. I’m not saying you need to send a monthly letter to each recurring donor, or a weekly letter to your payroll deduction givers, but I am saying that a year-end summary of giving or a routine thank you once or twice a year can be great reinforcement for a much appreciated donation.

So give your sustaining donors the attention and excitement a major donor would get. Make them feel like they’re walking in with enough cash to buy that new hospital wing, gym equipment, or new car!

Want to learn more about entering and managing pledges and recurring gifts in Raiser’s Edge? Take the Raiser’s Edge: Gifts 2 online instructor-led class.

New to gifts? You can learn all the basics, as well as best practices, in the Raiser’s Edge: Fundamentals—Gifts 1 instructor-led course.

Need help creating your thank you mailings? Learn about creating donor acknowledgement letters and more in the Raiser’s Edge: Mail 2 instructor-led course.