Recurring Donor Engagement & Retention Sequence
A done-for-you nonprofit automation built for the Donor Relations Manager, connecting Twilio, Mailchimp, and ActiveCampaign so the work below happens on its own.
What this automation does, step by step
Recurring donors are automatically enrolled in a dedicated communication track separate from one-time givers, receiving a thank-you message after each processed charge along with a brief impact update every quarter showing specifically what their ongoing support has funded.
Any recurring gift that fails to process, due to an expired card or insufficient funds, triggers an automatic, friendly email asking the donor to update their payment method, recovering gifts that would otherwise just quietly lapse.
Donors who hit their one-year giving anniversary receive a personalized note recognizing the milestone.
Because recurring donors hear from the organization in a way that feels like partnership rather than another ask, retention on the monthly giving program has climbed steadily since the sequence went live.
- Bloomerang or DonorPerfect
- Zapier or Make.com
- Stripe
- Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign
- Twilio
Using different software? We build around what you already have, so you never have to switch tools to automate.
The manual way vs. the automated way
Without automation
Done by hand, this depends entirely on a donor relations manager remembering to check in, update records, and follow up, with no safety net if something slips. It rarely feels urgent in the moment, but it adds up fast.
With this automation
- Win-back sequences triggered by inactivity, not guesswork
- Renewals and memberships that never lapse silently
- Referral and loyalty programs that track themselves
- Segmented campaigns built from actual purchase history
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