Your Rally Point Episode 23: Monthly Giving Is the Future of Nonprofit Fundraising (Here’s How to Get It Right)

Nonprofits don’t have a donor problem—they have a predictability problem.

In this episode of Your Rally Point Podcast, James Martin sits down with Dana Snyder, founder of Positive Equation, to break down why monthly giving isn’t just a “nice-to-have,” but the most sustainable path forward for nonprofit fundraising.

Dana has spent nearly a decade helping nonprofits build recurring revenue models that stabilize budgets, increase retention, and reduce the constant scramble for one-time gifts. If your organization is tired of living campaign to campaign, this conversation is well worth the listen.

👉 Learn more about Dana’s work at https://positiveequation.com/

Why Monthly Giving Changes Everything

Most nonprofits still optimize for one-time donations, especially during year-end and GivingTuesday. The problem? One-time gifts are expensive to acquire and difficult to retain.

Dana explains that while average one-time donor retention often hovers around 30–40%, monthly donor retention regularly reaches 80–90%, with the average monthly donor giving for eight years.

That difference isn’t incremental—it’s transformational.

Monthly giving allows nonprofits to:

• Forecast revenue with confidence
• Reduce donor acquisition pressure
• Build deeper donor relationships
• Shift from survival mode to sustainability

As Dana puts it, recurring donors aren’t just supporters—they’re committed believers in your mission.

The Subscription Economy Has Already Trained Your Donors

Your donors already live in a subscription-first world.

From Netflix and Spotify to software, food delivery, and memberships, people are conditioned to say “yes” to monthly commitments. The mistake nonprofits make is assuming generosity works differently.

It doesn’t.

“If you ask for a one-time gift,” Dana explains, “that’s what you’ll get. But if you prompt monthly giving first, people will respond to that instead.”

The lesson is simple but uncomfortable: your prompts determine your results.

Why Most Monthly Giving Programs Fail

Many organizations technically “offer” monthly giving—but bury it.

Common mistakes include:

• Hiding monthly giving as a checkbox on a donation form
• Leading all messaging with one-time asks
• Treating monthly donors the same as everyone else
• Failing to brand or name the program

Dana argues that monthly giving must be treated like a product, not a payment option.

That means:

• A named program (with identity and meaning)
• A dedicated landing page
• Monthly-only donation forms
• Clear impact storytelling
• Social proof from other monthly donors

When done right, monthly giving feels like belonging—not billing.

Start by Calling the Right People

Not every donor is wired for monthly giving—and that’s okay.

Dana recommends starting with:

• Donors who’ve given three or more times in the last 18–24 months
• Donors below major gift thresholds
• Supporters who consistently engage with your content

These donors already believe. Your job is to invite them into a long-term relationship, not squeeze another one-time gift out of them.

Why Mobile Matters More Than Ever

Monthly giving doesn’t live on desktop—it lives on mobile.

James and Dana both stress that many nonprofits lose donors simply because:

• The donate button is hidden in mobile navigation
• Monthly giving isn’t visible on mobile pages
• Forms aren’t optimized for Apple Pay / Google Pay

If donors have to hunt for how to give monthly, they won’t.

Your website should clearly signal: “This is how we invite you to belong.”

A Simple Challenge for Your Team

Dana leaves listeners with a practical challenge:

Before the end of the year:

• Add a monthly giving ask to at least one campaign
• Test it with a small donor segment
• Measure the response

You don’t need perfection—you need momentum.

As James notes, the problem isn’t lack of generosity. It’s failing to create pathways for donors to show up consistently.

About the Guest: Dana Snyder

Dana Snyder is the founder of Positive Equation, author of The Monthly Giving Mastermind, and host of the Monthly Giving Podcast. She helps nonprofits transform one-time donors into long-term partners through proven monthly giving strategies.

👉 Learn more at: https://positiveequation.com/
& find her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danarsnyder/

Ready to Go Deeper?

If you want more conversations like this—focused on real results, not vanity metrics—subscribe to the Your Rally Point Podcast wherever you listen.

And if you’re ready to build a mobile-first, donor-centered giving strategy that actually converts:

👉 Book a demo at https://www.rallycorp.com/demo

Because sustainable missions require sustainable revenue—and monthly giving is where it starts.

Subscribe for practical nonprofit growth insights at Your Rally Point Podcast here