Before You Grow Your Sustainer Program, Start Here
Spring is often a time when many of us think about fresh starts: cleaning out what isn't working, strengthening what is, and setting ourselves up for what's ahead. For nonprofit organizations, especially those in the midst of budgeting right now, that same instinct shows up in new campaigns, adjusted revenue goals, and renewed ambition around growth.
And right now, with costs rising and new donor acquisition becoming increasingly competitive, there's one area where that ambition is becoming less of a choice and more of a strategic imperative: your sustainer program.
The organizations best positioned to thrive in the next 3–5 years won't just be the ones growing their sustainer programs, they will be the ones who took the time to build them right and consistently confirm the foundation remains strong as the program evolves.
It's natural to focus on increasing conversion: more monthly donors, more campaigns, more opportunities to grow. And those efforts matter.
But long-term success depends on what happens after a donor says yes.
So before you open the doors wider to invite more people in, let's talk about how to get your house in order and test out that foundation.
Start by Understanding and Strengthening Your Foundation
A strong sustainer program relies on two elements working together: structure and communication.
Program Structure: Clear processes, payment handling, and data flows create a more seamless experience for both internal teams and donors.
Communication: Strong relationships with your sustainers are built through consistent, intentional communication. Sustainers should feel recognized as ongoing supporters and connected to their impact over time.
Take the time to review your structure and communication:
How sustainers are defined across systems and segments
Whether business rules are consistent throughout the sustainer lifecycle
What payment and fulfillment methods are supported (credit card, EFT, direct mail, etc.)
How acknowledgment and onboarding communications are triggered and delivered, including timing, consistency, and whether sustainers are clearly recognized as such from the start
What stewardship touchpoints exist, and where they can be strengthened to reinforce the value of ongoing support
How lapses, expirations, and delinquent payments are managed, including how quickly follow-up occurs and whether there is a defined path to re-engage donors.
What does the donor relations team say to a sustainer when they call to cancel their monthly gift, how is that information tracked, and what is the follow up from there
When are you asking your sustainers for additional gifts across channels – evaluating the messaging and cadence
Then, Test What You Think You Know
This is where a lot of organizations are surprised. There’s Instagram, and then there’s reality – and they don’t always match. The only way to know for certain is to experience your program the way a donor does.
Make a monthly gift and pay attention to everything that follows. How long does the acknowledgment take, and does it recognize you as a sustainer or treat you like a one-time donor?
What does the next 30, 60, and 90 days of communication look like? Are you welcomed into the program, or do you simply disappear into a generic stream of appeals? Do you feel like a valued ongoing partner, or just another name on a list?
Then do it again in another channel. The experience a donor has when converting online may be meaningfully different from what happens through direct mail or over the phone. Map out what is actually happening and identify where there are gaps between what your documentation says and what your experience is.
This level of clarity does more than highlight opportunities. It lays the groundwork for what comes next:
Exploring opportunities to automate and streamline processes
Expanding acquisition and conversion efforts with confidence
Strengthening messaging and communication strategies
Testing offers and upgrade opportunities
Build Before You Grow
Starting with clarity across processes, systems, and communication helps ensure that growth is not only achievable, but sustainable over time.
The opportunity is real — and significant. Sustainers typically deliver 4 to 10 times the lifetime value of a one-time donor, yet for many organizations, recurring revenue still represents a relatively small share of overall fundraising. Industry conversations, including insights shared at this year's TPNA Symposium, reinforce just how much runway remains. Even modest increases in sustainer participation can translate into meaningful impact — and in a landscape where acquisition is increasingly expensive and competitive, those gains become even more valuable.
When the foundation is in place, every new sustainer becomes more than a single conversion. It becomes part of a program designed to build consistency, deepen relationships, and support long-term growth.
Because when you set up your sustainer program intentionally, you're not just adding another revenue stream — you're building a growth engine. One that runs on consistency, strengthens over time, and compounds the impact of every donor who says yes.
Our team specializes in helping organizations assess, optimize, and scale their donor programs with intention, including sustainer initiatives. If you're ready to strengthen what you've built and grow with confidence, let's connect.
Case Study: Our Strategy in Action
The Situation
Fuse began partnering with a large national social services organization to help prioritize and grow their (mostly organically acquired) monthly giving program. As the overarching strategic agency, we were tasked with growing their cross-channel monthly giving program through direct mail, digital, DRTV and telemarketing.
The Solution
Fuse conducted a comprehensive program review to document and test the current systems and strategy for the program. After we identified areas of opportunity, we supported the organization with a focused implementation and growth strategy to maximize performance by channel. We collaborated with the organization’s other agency partners to develop cohesive messaging across various channels to ensure a consistent donor experience.
The Results
Fuse worked closely with the organization to strategically prioritize business process improvements, develop their annual value-based budget and targeted priorities while also working to acquire, convert and retain monthly donors. The result was steady growth with reduced investment, while ensuring a top-notch donor experience. Results in numbers are:
101% increase in Sustainer Revenue within 2 years
57% increase in Sustainers within 2 years
About the Author:
When she’s not navigating life as a wife and mom of two boys (and all the chaos that comes with it), Nicki leads strategy as a Vice President at Fuse Fundraising. With more than 18 years of experience, she specializes in building integrated, data-driven fundraising programs that help Fuse's partners grow revenue, deepen donor relationships, and make smarter decisions across channels.