Recurring Donation Statistics: Trends & Insights for Nonprofits
Is recurring giving the answer to lagging fundraising programs? Read on to discover the state of recurring donations with some key statistics and trends.
Lindsey Baker Bower
Is recurring giving the answer to lagging fundraising programs? Read on to discover the state of recurring donations with some key statistics and trends.
We’ve all seen the alarming statistics – individual giving is going down as shifting priorities and economic changes impact donors’ ability to give to the causes they love.
But what if there was a way to create a stronger, more loyal donor base – one that sustains your mission in the long term while enjoying a more fruitful relationship with you?
Recurring giving might be the answer you’re looking for.
Let’s look at some recurring donation statistics to see what’s trending and determine how recurring donations might just solve some common fundraising problems.
Download our free Monthly Giving Insights report for more recurring donation statistics and key takeaways.
In 2024, the number of donors decreased by 4.5%, and donor retention rates decreased by 2.6%.
Small to midsize donors (giving anywhere from $1 to $5k) decreased by 14%, while major to supersize donors (giving anywhere from over $5k to over $50k) saw a modest increase of 3.5%.
These smaller donors make up 96.9% of all donations, with the smallest donors accounting for over half of the more than $10 billion contributed in 2024.
These smaller donors either moved on to other causes or, more likely, didn’t feel compelled to give at all.
Wait a minute – this isn’t a recurring donation statistic! But understanding the current giving landscape is crucial for understanding what’s going on with recurring giving.
Fundraisers everywhere need to find a way to connect with and retain small to midsize donors – and recurring giving can help!
While total giving increased by 3.5% in 2024, a relatively flat amount when adjusting for inflation, monthly giving increased by 5%.
In fact, 31% of all online revenue came from monthly giving – meaning nearly one in three online donations were monthly in 2024.
While fewer people may be interested in giving overall, more donors are interested in becoming long-term, sustainable partners for the causes they care about.
If your organization doesn’t have a monthly giving program, it’s time to start one.
Need some inspiration? Pittsburgh Kids Foundation (PFK) scaled their fundraising efforts by creating a community of monthly donors they call the Dream Team.
Donations to their Dream Team donation form, powered by Donorbox, now account for 41% of their overall contributions as their community continues to grow. Check out the full story here or watch this short video!
Launch Your Monthly Giving Program
Beyond popularity, monthly giving programs can bring in major funds.
With the average monthly donation being $52, or $624 a year, compared to the average one-time gift of only $128, there’s a potential to see an annual increase of 387.5%.
One-time donors will always be important. However, you can no longer afford to ignore recurring donors, especially at the monthly level.
The resulting increase in annual giving might mean the difference between keeping your mission going and having to close the doors on members of your community in need.
Currently, around 57% of donors are enrolled in a giving program. This is up 46% from the previous year – and that growth isn’t projected to slow down anytime soon.
This increase could have something to do with the subscription model, which has been on the rise since the introduction of streaming services. 83% of consumers in the United States subscribe to a streaming service, showing they’re comfortable with signing up for scheduled payments in exchange for something valuable.
Donors want an easy way to support causes they care about, tapping into a model they know and use regularly.
They “subscribe” to your mission – so your recurring giving program should give them something in return! Send exclusive content and updates, share your plans, and make these donors feel welcome.
90% of nonprofits offer a monthly giving option on their donation forms, and 15% offer an annual recurring option.
More and more donors are used to seeing recurring giving as an option on their favorite organizations’ donation forms, which could explain why more are choosing to participate.
I don’t want to sound like a broken record, here – but if you don’t have at least a monthly giving interval on your donation form, you’re at best missing out on crucial donations and at worst disappointing a would-be recurring donor.
When we dove into our Donorbox data, we found something interesting about the number of donation intervals available and how it impacts donation amounts.
Forms displaying 3 to 4 recurring donation interval options tend to yield the highest average donation amount per campaign, with the combination of “one-time, daily, monthly, and annually” topping the chart.
The most common combination of intervals among all orgs is one-time + monthly (52.15%), followed by one-time (22.52%), and one-time + monthly + annual (7.06%).
We’ve established that monthly giving is a popular opportunity for increased contributed income. But what other intervals are your donors interested in?
Look at your donor data to see if any patterns emerge. For example, if many donors only give once a year, perhaps an annual donation interval would be a welcome opportunity for them to automate their giving – ensuring you don’t miss out on their generosity.
On Donorbox donation forms, users have the option to add up to four recurring donation intervals. They can also set one as the default and one as the recommended interval, which marks it with a heart.
We’ve found that Donorbox donation forms with the monthly interval set as the recommendation bring in a 196% higher donation value than those with the one-time option set as the recommended interval.
You should, of course, put multiple giving intervals on your donation form. But to really take things to the next level, recommend the monthly interval so all donors know the best way to support your cause.
First Responders Children’s Foundation makes monthly giving both the recommended and default interval, ensuring donors know how crucial this option is to their mission.
You won’t get something unless you ask for it. The old adage holds true when it comes to recurring donations!
A pop-up message that asks a donor to upgrade their one-time gift to a recurring gift results in a 64% increase in recurring donations.
It’s time to add a gentle nudge for donors to consider upgrading their gift. Luckily, Donorbox makes it easy with Recurring Donation Upsell.
This feature prompts one-time donors to upgrade to a monthly gift, so anyone using your donation form has the potential to transform into a monthly sustainer. You can even customize your messaging to better fit your branding.
Sure, transforming a one-time donor into a monthly supporter sounds great in practice. But does it pay off in the long run?
Yes! We found that 97% of donors who convert to monthly supporters using Recurring Donation Upsell stick around to surpass their original one-time gift amount.
Most donors who upgrade stay around long enough to surpass their value as a one-time donor. In addition to bringing more crucial funding to your organization, this also means you have more opportunities to build a solid relationship.
Once a would-be one-time donor converts to a monthly sustainer, they’re in it for the long haul – and you should treat them like the important part of your mission that they are.
We’ve thrown a lot of info at you! Let’s break it down a bit.
Here’s a summary to help you apply these recurring donation statistics to your fundraising strategy:
To meet and surpass your fundraising goals, it’s time to implement a tried-and-true solution – adding multiple giving intervals to your donation form, with a focus on monthly giving.
At Donorbox, our recurring donation features are easy to use and empowering for both you and your donors. Whether you’re starting a monthly giving program from scratch or looking to scale your existing one, we have you covered.
Lindsey spent years wearing many hats in the nonprofit world. Whether she was helping arts nonprofits with their messaging and content, planning a fundraising gala, writing an NEA grant proposal, or running a membership program with over 400 members, she learned how to navigate – and appreciate! – the fast-paced world of fundraising. Now, she loves sharing those hard-earned lessons with the Donorbox community.
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