8 Ways to Incentivize Sustainable Giving

The much-anticipated 2025 M+R Benchmarks study came out recently. One of the most comprehensive benchmarking reports released every year, it’s an industry phenomenon that many fundraisers look to understand the state of online fundraising. 

The results are in, and the headline is that sustainable recurring giving is driving online philanthropy. 

While giving one-time gifts was flat (0%), monthly giving grew by 5%, continuing a clear trend over the past several years – recurring giving is driving growth.

If you’d like to learn more, I put together a brief tour of some of the sustainable giving metrics that stood out to me:

Above: Highlighting key sustainable giving insights from the 2025 M+R Benchmarks report.

Sustainable Giving continues to be a bright spot in the fundraising landscape. 

So today, let’s look at a topic I’m asked about regularly – how can you persuade donors to become sustainers? 

One of those ways is to incentivize conversion.

8 Smart Incentives to Grow Your Recurring Giving Program

Incentives can play a powerful role in helping donors take the next step – and that includes becoming sustainers. Here are eight proven ways nonprofits can inspire recurring giving, drawn from real-world examples and best practices.

1. Matches and Challenge Grants

Matching and challenge grants offer a compelling reason to give by increasing the impact of each donation. A matching gift – where a major donor or funder agrees to match new recurring donations – creates urgency and value. Challenge grants work similarly but don’t require donations to be given in order for funds to be released. While matching gifts tend to be strongest, both can significantly increase conversion rates.

💡 Takeaway: Matching and challenge gifts are powerful ways to incentivize potential donors to start a recurring gift by extending the impact the donor can have on their giving.

2. Multipliers

Multipliers stretch donations by pairing them with donated goods or services. For example, a $10 recurring gift might enable $100 worth of medical supplies due to donated products or professional services. Even if you don't receive gifts-in-kind, volunteer time and pro bono work can be utilized to calculate and show multiplying donor impact.

💡 Takeaway: Multipliers help donors feel their gift has exponential value, making recurring support a smart investment.

3. Bonus Materials

Offer exclusive content as a thank-you for becoming a recurring donor, like e-books, videos, behind-the-scenes access, or expert resources. These bonuses tap into your organization’s unique expertise and can feel personal and meaningful to supporters.

💡 Takeaway: Bonus materials provide immediate value to donors and encourage commitment by offering something useful in return.

4. Premiums (Front-End and Back-End)

Premiums are physical gifts tied to giving. Front-end premiums are sent before a gift to spark reciprocity (think calendars or notepads), while back-end premiums are rewards for enrolling (such as books, mugs, or tote bags). Choose items that align with your mission and donor identity to avoid seeming transactional.

💡 Takeaway: Premiums work when they feel authentic, offering meaningful value or a symbolic connection to your cause.

5. Deadlines and Goals

Deadlines create urgency (“Why now?”) while goals provide clarity on the need (“We need 100 monthly donors by June 1”). This strategy taps into people’s natural drive to help achieve tangible milestones, especially when those goals are close to being reached.

💡 Takeaway: Use clear goals and real deadlines to motivate action and show donors how their support fits into the bigger picture.

6. Benefits

Think membership-style perks – discounts, early access, exclusive content, or event invites. These ongoing benefits reward loyalty and make being a monthly donor feel like joining a community with privileges.

💡 Takeaway: Benefits turn monthly giving into a relationship with ongoing value, increasing retention and satisfaction.

7. Bounce Backs

Bounce backs involve sending donors something they can personalize and return, like a birthday card for a sponsored child or a holiday greeting for beneficiaries. It’s an interactive way to involve donors emotionally and encourage sustained support.

💡 Takeaway: Bounce backs foster deeper donor engagement by creating hands-on, meaningful ways to connect with your mission.

8. Sweepstakes, Raffles, and Games

While less common, gamified incentives like sweepstakes can work – if done legally and ethically. Raffles offer a chance to win a prize for donating, while sweepstakes allow entry with or without a donation. Use them sparingly and always with legal review.

💡 Takeaway: Raffles and sweepstakes can spark interest, but require careful compliance—use with clarity and caution.

Incentives can play a positive role at every stage in the journey of a recurring donor.

Each of these strategies helps would-be sustainers cross the threshold from interested to invested. The key is to align incentives with your brand, your cause, and – most importantly – your donors.

I describe these incentives at length in Chapter 16 of The Rise of Sustainable Giving. 

If you’ve found this list helpful, I think you’ll find the book a rich source of ideas and inspiration to grow recurring giving. You can pick up a copy today from us directly at a discount, or via Amazon if you prefer.

Turning Interest Into Impact

The benchmark study confirmed what many of us have seen firsthand: recurring giving is the fastest-growing form of giving online. And it’s no wonder—sustainers provide stability, predictability, and greater lifetime value for nonprofits. But becoming a monthly donor isn’t always an automatic next step.

That’s where thoughtful incentives come in.

Whether it’s a match that multiplies impact, a behind-the-scenes bonus, or a simple goal that creates urgency, the right incentive at the right time can help donors move from intention to action. The key is to keep these tools donor-centric and mission-aligned.

Recurring giving may be growing fast – but with the right strategies, your program can grow faster.

Until next week… Surf’s Up! 🌊

  - Dave

About the Author | Dave Raley

Consultant, speaker, and author Dave Raley is the founder of Imago Consulting, a firm that helps nonprofits and businesses who serve nonprofits create profitable growth through sustainable innovation. He’s the author of the book The Rise of Sustainable Giving: How the Subscription Economy is Transforming Recurring Giving, and What Nonprofits Can Do to Benefit. Dave also writes a weekly innovation and leadership column called The Wave Report, and the co-founder of the Purpose & Profit Podcast — a show about the ideas at the intersection of nonprofit causes and for-profit brands. Connect with Dave on LinkedIn.

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