Sustainers: Still Taking Checks?
Posted on Wed, Oct 20, 2010
By Amy Morrison, Account Executive, Telemarketing Department
In this fast-paced environment we all work in, I’m all for “working smarter, not harder.” Besides, what fundraiser out there has extra time – or brain cells – to spare?
That is why I am surprised that so many organizations continue to take check sustainers. Here are a couple of questions to ask yourself if your organization is:
Are you making your best donors work harder than they should have to, to support your organization?
A key component to motivating a donor to give monthly is the promise of no more mail renewals and thus more of their money going directly to the mission, which makes donors happy.
These donors are making it clear that they are committed to your mission on an ongoing basis and they don’t have to be asked if they’re still on board. Their dedication should be rewarded. Don’t waste their time (and yours!) hounding them for a monthly check. Rather, make better use of everyone’s time by focusing on your collective achievements through a newsletter or other cultivation piece.
Acquiring sustainers is already an upfront investment, why increase the cost?
To help ensure donors actually do remember to send in their check every month, organizations often mail out a reminder. If you estimate this costs $0.60 per mailing -- that becomes $7.20 per donor over the course of a year. Then multiply that across the total check sustainer file – say 1,000 sustainers – and that becomes $7,200. In this era of this era of budget tightening I’d rather use that $7,200 on acquiring new gifts or investing in the mission than getting active donors to do what they already promised.
Are your check sustainers sticking around for the long-haul?
All too often, even with the monthly mail reminders, many check sustainers are not consistent in their giving – even within the first six months of joining. For most organizations, it takes about 3-8 months for them to recoup the cost of acquiring a sustainer. Considering this upfront investment, you probably can’t afford to add a fair-weather, check sustainer to your monthly giving pool. Plus, getting this donor to reinstate their monthly giving only adds to this investment. Overall – you may find that you’re falling further behind in growing your sustainer pool than making advances in your monthly cashflow.
Are there donors out there that will consistently send in a check every month without fail? Yes, but they are few and far between. Plus, your organization may very well be better off getting these donors to write a $60 check twice a year, rather than a $5 or $10 check per month.
Monthly giving, after all, is all about making donations easier and more effective for the donor – and for you. So do your best donors – and your staff — a favor and stop taking check sustainers. And if you have a bunch already on file – give them a call and/or send them an email to tell them how giving monthly via credit card or electronic funds transfer (automatic withdrawal right from their checking account) will mean in putting more of their dollars directly toward mission you both share.
Any check sustainers on YOUR file? Are you trying to migrate them toward a more automatic payment method? Share with us what’s worked (or hasn’t!)
