When it comes to charitable giving, recurring donations are a bit like the superhero of the nonprofit world. They offer steady, reliable support that allows organizations to plan ahead and make a lasting impact. But did you know that monthly giving is beneficial for donors, too? Let’s explore why recurring donations are truly a win-win for everyone involved.
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
What Is a Recurring Donation?
First, let’s make sure we’re on the same page by explaining what we mean by recurring donations.
Recurring donations are financial contributions set up to automatically repeat at fixed intervals. For example, a donation could be set up as monthly, quarterly, or annually. That means that each month/quarter/year, the donation is automatically processed in the amount the donor chose. Unlike one-time donations, recurring donations provide a consistent and dependable source of funding for nonprofit organizations like ICPADS.
How Recurring Donations Benefit Nonprofits
Recurring donations are immensely beneficial to nonprofits, which is why ICPADS set a goal in January to increase the number of recurring donations we get this year. Here are some of the reasons why recurring donations are so important to our work:
- Stable Funding: Recurring donations offer nonprofits a predictable and ongoing source of income, which is crucial for budgeting and planning. At ICPADS, this stable funding gives us peace of mind that we can cover our bills and expenses each month.
- Efficiency: Handling individual, one-time donations can be administratively intensive. Recurring donations help us streamline our operations.
- Strengthening Community: Having a base of recurring donors builds a close-knit community of committed supporters. For ICPADS, this means that we have an engaged network of people who are as committed to our mission as we are.
How Recurring Donations Benefit the Donor
Recurring donations are also helpful for individuals who want to support a nonprofit regularly. For example:
- Convenience: Once set up, recurring donations require no additional effort on your part and allow you to continue to support the causes you care about.
- Flexibility: You control the amount and frequency of your donation, and most systems, including ours, allow you to cancel or modify the donation at any time.
- Impact: Knowing that your support is ongoing allows you to see the long-term impact of your generosity. At ICPADS, we share regular updates on how your contributions are making a difference.
How to Set Up a Recurring Donation
One of our primary goals is to increase the number of recurring donations, and we’ve made it as simple as possible for you to set one up.
- Go to our donation form.
- Select or enter the amount you’d like to donate.
- Make sure ‘Select Donation Frequency” is set to monthly, quarterly, or annually.
- Click ‘Continue to Payment.’
- Enter your name, email, and password (the login information will allow you to edit or cancel your donation in the future).
- Enter your billing details.
- Hit Complete.
- You will receive an email receipt (all donations are tax-deductible!).
Your donation is now set to repeat based on your chosen interval (monthly, quarterly, or annually). At that interval, our system will automatically process your donation, and you will get a receipt each time a donation goes through.
If you ever want to edit your donation, cancel, or change your billing information, just go back to our donation page and click Log In in the top right corner. (The link to log in is also in every receipt email).
Joining Hands for a Better Tomorrow
So that’s what you need to know about recurring donations and how they benefit us and you!A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has set up a recurring donation this year and those who have contributed in countless other ways—through volunteering, donating goods and supplies, and spreading the word about our mission. Together, we are creating a community that cares.