Recurring Giving Management

Recurring giving is a cornerstone of sustainable digital fundraising. This section outlines the platform requirements for managing monthly and other recurring donation programs, which help organizations cultivate long-term donor relationships and forecast revenue more reliably. The proposed platform must offer flexible, donor-friendly recurring options, while enabling staff to manage, migrate, and reconcile recurring gifts effectively.

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🗓️ Support for Multiple Frequencies & Billing Dates

The platform must fully support recurring donations with multiple frequency options, including:

• Monthly
  
  
• Quarterly
  
  
• Annually
  
  
• Custom-defined frequencies
  
  

Donors should be able to select their preferred billing date when initiating a recurring donation. This flexibility ensures the platform can align with both donor preferences and internal reconciliation schedules.

“I like to give monthly, but I wish I could choose the 15th instead of being charged the same day I first donated.” — Donor

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📩 Automated Donor Notifications (Expiry, Declines)

The system must automatically notify donors of upcoming issues with their recurring gifts, including:

• Credit card expiration notices
  
  
• Failed transaction alerts
  
  
• Prompts to update payment information
  
  

Notifications should be customizable and sent via email and/or SMS. Additionally, staff alerts for upcoming card expirations and failures must be available to support proactive retention efforts.

“We need a system that reminds donors when their card is about to expire—and alerts us so we can help them update it.” — Advancement Team Member

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⬆️ Post-Donation Upsells (One-time to Monthly)

The platform should support automated upsell prompts to encourage one-time donors to become monthly supporters. This can occur:

• On the donation confirmation page
  
  
• Via follow-up email or text within days of the gift
  
  
• With personalized suggested monthly amounts based on the initial gift
  
  

“After a one-time gift, I was invited to become a monthly donor—it felt relevant and easy to do right away.” — Donor

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🔄 Migration of Existing Plans/Tokens

The platform must support migration of existing recurring giving plans from current systems. This includes:

• Secure transfer of recurring donation schedules
  
  
• Preservation of associated payment tokens
  
  
• Mapping to constituent IDs for CRM continuity
  
  

The vendor must describe the migration process, testing protocols, and contingency plans to ensure donor commitments are preserved without interruption.

“We can’t afford to lose monthly donors due to a failed migration—we need a tested process and assurance that tokens will transfer securely.” — IT Director

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🧾 Centralized Billing

The system should support centralized billing and recurring donation management:

• Recurring gift records should reside in the CRM where possible
  
  
• Platform must avoid double billing risks
  
  
• Provide administrative tools for managing and reconciling recurring donations at scale
  
  

“We need to see all active monthly donors and billing details in one place—preferably in Salesforce.” — Development Operations Lead

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