Key takeaways
- Call donors who have given more than once or recently gave online.
- Ask for a modest monthly amount tied to their past giving, and explain what it does.
- Confirm the amount, start date and payment method, and tell donors how to change or cancel.
Who to call
The best prospects for monthly giving are donors who already give regularly: repeat one-time donors, recent online donors and people who gave in response to an emergency appeal. Start with donors who have given at least twice in the past two years.
Before you call
- Set suggested monthly amounts based on each donor's last gift (for example, about a tenth of an annual gift).
- Prepare a one-sentence description of what monthly gifts make possible.
- Make sure you have a secure way to set up recurring payments, such as a link or your processor's phone flow.
The script
Opening
“Hi, is this [donor name]? This is [your name] calling on behalf of [organization]. I'm calling to thank you for your support and to ask whether you'd consider joining our monthly donors.”
Thanks and impact
“Your gift in [month] helped [specific result]. Thank you.”
The ask
“Monthly gifts let us plan ahead, so we can [concrete benefit, such as: keep the hotline open every night]. Would you consider giving [$15] a month? You can change or stop it anytime.”
If yes
“That's wonderful. Let me confirm: [$15] a month, starting [date], on [payment method]. You'll get an email confirmation, and you can contact us anytime to change it.”
If not now
“I completely understand. Thank you for everything you've already done. We're grateful to have you.”
Common replies
- “I'd rather give once a year.” “That's great too, and we're grateful for it.” Don't push.
- “What if I need to stop?” Explain exactly how to change or cancel.
- “Can you send me information?” Send a short email with the link the same day.
After the call
- Send a confirmation the same day with the amount, start date and how to change it.
- Thank new monthly donors again after the first gift processes.
- Track monthly donors separately so you can see retention by group.
How KFG helps
Kensington Fundraising Group runs respectful monthly giving and renewal calls for nonprofits, in English and Spanish. See all our call scripts and the rules in our fundraising call rules guide.