Turning Campaign Momentum into Sustained Support
As foundations wrap up days of giving campaigns this spring and ramp up for convention fundraising this summer, the 2025 FFE Industry Survey Insights Report highlights an important opportunity: converting short-term engagement into sustained donor commitment.
Across the nonprofit sector, organizations continue to invest in recurring giving programs as a way to build more predictable, resilient fundraising channels. While these programs take time to scale, the data strongly holds that they are a powerful driver of long-term donor retention and lifetime value—particularly when paired with intentional follow-up after campaign initiatives focused on new donor acquisition.
Recurring giving performance currently varies widely across fraternal foundations. Women’s organizations continue to show stronger outcomes in both participation and retention. The survey insights reinforce that recurring giving programs are built on consistent messaging, a thoughtfully designed donor journey, and sustained strategic investment, rather than short-term campaign tactics alone.
For leaders, this raises an important question: How are we extending the impact of our peak fundraising moments?
Giving days and campaigns successfully generate awareness and first-time gifts—but without a defined pathway forward, that momentum can quickly fade. Recurring giving offers a clear next step, helping convert one-time donors into ongoing supporters with deeper engagement and greater long-term value.
As foundations plan ahead, the opportunity is not simply to grow recurring giving programs, but to intentionally integrate them into the donor experience. The opportunity remains to position sustained support as a natural and compelling continuation of the donor’s initial engagement with the foundation.
These insights are made possible through participation in the FFE Industry Survey and help inform peer benchmarks as leaders evaluate donor strategies, revenue stability, and long-term fundraising growth. See the full list of participating organizations in the 2025 Industry Survey and the 2024 Compensation & Benefits Survey.
Fundraising Program: Recurring Giving (2025 Industry Survey)
- Women’s organizations averaged 157 monthly recurring donors, men’s organizations averaged 97
- Monthly donor retention: 92% for women’s groups, 83% for men’s groups, with an industry average of 86% among reporting orgs (compares strongly with nonprofit norms of 80–90% retention)
- For North American nonprofits, it takes approximately 3 years to grow from 0 to 100 recurring donors, and about 11 years to reach 1,000 recurring donors (Dataro), underscoring the need for early investment and long-term strategy
These insights are made possible through participation in the FFE Industry Survey and help inform peer benchmarks as leaders evaluate donor strategies, revenue stability, and long-term fundraising growth. See the full list of participating organizations in the 2025 Industry Survey and the 2024 Compensation & Benefits Survey.
