Best Practices for Increasing Recurring Donations at the End of the Year

Jennifer Speak • December 12, 2025

As year end giving approaches, many organizations focus on one time gifts to help close the year strong. While those gifts are important, recurring donations play an even bigger role in long term stability. Monthly donors provide consistent, predictable support that helps organizations plan ahead, grow programs, and weather changes in funding. With the right strategy in place, year-end is the perfect time to invite supporters to become ongoing partners in your mission.


Here are proven best practices to help you increase recurring donations and build sustainable support using clear messaging, strong donor engagement, and the right technology.


Make Monthly Giving the Priority

One of the most effective ways to grow recurring donations is to offer monthly giving in all your fundraisers. Messaging also plays a major role. Phrases like “Make a lasting impact” or “Support our work all year long” help donors see the value of consistent giving. Adding examples that show what a small amount can do each month helps donors visualize the impact over time.


Simplify the Donation Process

A smooth donation experience is critical for conversion. Donation forms should be mobile friendly and easy to complete in just a few steps. Questions should be kept to a minimum so donors can finish quickly without feeling overwhelmed. Allowing autofill and offering digital wallet options (such as Apple Pay and Google Pay) remove barriers and increase completion rates. Pinwheel is designed to support fast, user friendly recurring donation setup, offers a variety of payment methods, and does not require that donors set up an account.


Show Impact in Clear, Tangible Terms

Donors are more likely to commit to monthly giving when they understand exactly what their ongoing support accomplishes, especially at year end when they can see how a monthly gift extends the impact of their holiday generosity into the new year. A monthly gift might fund snacks for an after-school program, provide equipment for a youth sports team, or cover volunteer training programs. Stories, photos, short videos, and real quotes help donors emotionally connect to the mission and reinforce that recurring donors are sustaining your work all year long.


Create a Recognizable Recurring Donor Community

Giving your recurring donor program a name adds identity and strengthens connection. Whether it is a Sustainers Circle, Monthly Champions, or another branded group, donors appreciate feeling like they belong to something meaningful. Small perks such as early access to updates, exclusive content, or an annual thank you gift help reinforce that connection. When donors feel valued and recognized, they are far more likely to stay engaged.


Communicate Regularly and With Purpose

Strong stewardship is essential for retaining recurring donors. Consistent updates that share real stories and measurable progress remind supporters why they chose to give each month. Thank you messages should acknowledge the ongoing nature of their generosity, not only the initial setup. Recognizing milestones such as one year of giving is another powerful way to strengthen loyalty and increase long term retention.


Track Performance and Adjust Your Strategy

Data plays a key role in growing recurring donations. Monitoring conversion rates, average monthly gift size, and retention gives you insight into what is working and where improvements can be made. Testing small changes to the marketing, donation form, and follow up emails can uncover opportunities for growth. Using Pinwheel to connect donations, people records, fundraising campaigns, and email communications in one place makes it easier to automate follow ups, segment recurring donors, and analyze performance over time.


Make the Ask Personal When the Timing Is Right

Some of the most successful recurring gifts begin with a personal invitation that follows a one-time donation. After a donor makes a single gift, a follow up message inviting the donor to convert that contribution into a monthly commitment can be very effective. Events also create natural opportunities to extend this invitation, especially when supporters have just experienced the mission in action. Outreach from board members, staff, and volunteers can be especially powerful because many individuals are influenced by personal relationships.


Turning Year End Momentum Into Year Round Support

End of year giving is a time when supporters are already focused on generosity and impact, making it the ideal moment to review your fundraisers and year-end campaigns with recurring giving in mind. By positioning recurring donations as a simple way to extend that impact throughout the year, organizations can turn seasonal giving into reliable year round support. With clear messaging, strong stewardship, and tools like Pinwheel that connect giving, communication, and reporting in one system, recurring donations become more than just transactions. They become lasting partnerships built around shared purpose.


Happy fundraising!

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