Giving Circle: Build a Legacy of Support

Primary Goal

Recruit 100 new recurring donors within the campaign timeline.

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Secondary Goals

• Raise awareness of recurring donations and their ongoing impact on the organization's mission.
• Convert one-time donors into recurring donors by showcasing the value and convenience of ongoing support.
• Strengthen financial stability through consistent, reliable recurring gifts.
• Build a membership community that fosters deeper engagement and meaningful connections with the organization year-round.

Objectives

• Educate supporters about the significance of recurring donations in driving sustainable change.
• Provide clear and compelling calls-to-action that encourage recurring donation sign-ups.
• Showcase the exclusive benefits and impact of joining the recurring giving program to inspire loyalty.
• Cultivate a sense of belonging and commitment among recurring donors by creating a membership experience.

Key Metrics Worth Tracking

• Recurring Donor Growth: Track the increase in new recurring donors throughout the campaign and measure success against the goal of 100 new sign-ups.
• Donor Retention Rate: Monitor how many recurring donors stay committed over time, aiming for a retention improvement benchmark (e.g., 85%+ retention rate).
• Recurring Revenue Increase: Measure growth in recurring giving amounts, focusing on both the number of active memberships and the average gift size increase.
• Engagement Metrics: Monitor email open rates, click-through rates, and social media engagement (likes, shares, comments) to assess donor engagement.

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Donor Segments

• One-Time Donors: Individuals who have made a single donation but haven’t yet committed to recurring giving.

• Mission-Engaged Individuals: Volunteers, advocates, and supporters who are passionate about your cause but may not yet be regular donors.

• Prospective Donors: Potential supporters who have shown interest (e.g., newsletter sign-ups, event attendees) but need a compelling reason to commit to ongoing contributions.

• Lapsed Donors: Past donors who have stopped giving but remain interested in the mission and could be re-engaged through the recurring giving program.

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Donor Engagement Journey

Awareness Stage

Introduce supporters to the idea of the Membership Circle as a unique way to create ongoing impact.

• Channels: Email campaigns, social media posts, website banners, and personalized invitations.
• Key Message: "Discover how your ongoing support can drive lasting change."
• Tactics: Share compelling stats about the impact of recurring donations and feature stories that highlight how consistent giving fuels long-term success.

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Consideration Stage

Highlight the value and exclusivity of joining the Membership Circle.

• Motivators:
  • Exclusive benefits (e.g., access to private events, behind-the-scenes updates).
  • Testimonials from existing members sharing the value of being part of the community.
  • Personal stories from beneficiaries showing how recurring gifts have transformed lives.
• Key Message: "When you join the Membership Circle, you’re not just donating—you’re driving change every day."

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Decision Stage

Provide a clear, compelling reason to act now.

• Call-to-Action (CTA): "Join today and unlock exclusive member benefits like [specific benefit]."
• Tactics:
  • Simplify the sign-up process with a user-friendly landing page or donation form.
  • Create urgency with limited-time offers (e.g., “Join this month and receive a special welcome gift!”).
  • Reinforce the impact of recurring donations with real-time metrics (e.g., "Your monthly gift of $25 can [specific impact statement].").

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Post-Join Engagement

Build loyalty and deepen the connection with your Membership Circle members.

• Welcome Experience:
  • Send a personalized thank-you email or video.
  • Provide immediate access to member benefits, such as an exclusive impact report or a welcome event invitation.
• Ongoing Engagement:
  • Share consistent updates on the impact of their recurring gifts through emails, newsletters, and social media.
  • Offer opportunities for members to engage further (e.g., exclusive events, volunteer opportunities, or behind-the-scenes tours).
  • Regularly acknowledge their contributions through personalized messages, milestone recognitions, or shoutouts in organizational communications.
• Retention Strategy:
  • Survey members to understand their preferences and interests.
  • Celebrate member anniversaries or milestones to maintain a strong sense of connection.

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Website‍

Convert visitors into recurring donors with a dedicated membership page that highlights benefits, impact, and ease of joining.

Key assets - Create a compelling membership page showcasing tiers, benefits, and testimonials, paired with a custom donation form offering recurring options tied to specific impact levels. Use actionable CTAs like "Join the Membership Circle Today" and include social sharing buttons to encourage donors to share their commitment post-donation.

Email Marketing‍

Engage donor segments (current, lapsed, prospective) with value-driven emails throughout the campaign.

Key assets - Develop a pre-written email series for each phase—launch, updates, final push, and thank-you—emphasizing the impact of recurring gifts with personalized, urgency-driven messaging tailored to donor engagement levels.

Social Media

‍Create engaging posts and ads focusing on the sense of community, membership perks, and impact stories of recurring donations.

Key assets - Create impactful visuals and copy featuring testimonials, progress updates, and interactive elements like milestones, using evergreen hashtags such as #JoinTheCircle or #RecurringImpact to maximize reach and engagement.

Paid Digital Ads‍

Use targeted ads to reach potential recurring donors, using clear CTAs and showcasing membership benefits.

Key assets - Use static and video creatives showcasing testimonials and the benefits of recurring giving, complemented by retargeting ads that prompt non-recurring donors to commit, with impact-driven CTAs like “Join now to sustain change year-round."

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Campaign Requirements

Launching your Giving Circle Campaign successfully requires a few key elements and steps. Below are the core requirements and optimized next steps. For full details, templates, and additional resources, download the PDF campaign guide.

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1. Donately Account
   • Why It’s Important: A Donately account is essential for setting up your campaign’s donation forms and tracking recurring gifts. Donately’s features will help you manage the process of creating membership tiers and automating donation receipts for the Giving Circle.
2. Campaign Landing Page
   • Why It’s Important: A dedicated landing page for the Giving Circle campaign highlights the unique benefits of joining as a recurring donor. This page should showcase membership perks and make it easy for donors to sign up for recurring gifts.
3. Membership Benefit Tiers and Content
   • Why It’s Important: Define and communicate the exclusive benefits for different levels of recurring donations (e.g., access to private events, recognition, or special updates). This gives donors a tangible reason to join the Giving Circle.
4. Custom Donation Form
   • Why It’s Important: Customized donation forms allow donors to select different membership tiers (e.g., Bronze, Silver, Gold) based on their recurring gift. These forms can be easily integrated with your landing page to streamline the donation process.
5. Automated Messaging for Recurring Donors
   • Why It’s Important: Developing tailored messaging is key to communicating the benefits of becoming a recurring donor. Prepare thank-you acknowledgements for every receipt, social media posts, email campaigns, and membership welcome messages that focus on the long-term impact of joining the Giving Circle.
6. Internal Team Coordination
   • Why It’s Important: Align your team to manage donor engagement, membership tracking, and marketing. Ensure that roles are assigned for tracking recurring donations and promoting the campaign across digital channels.
7. Set Up Tracking and Analytics
   • Why It’s Important: Monitoring key metrics such as the number of recurring donors, donation amounts, and conversion rates is essential for understanding the success of the campaign. Donately’s reporting tools make it easy to track these in real-time.