The Psychology Behind Monthly Giving: A Millennial's Perspective

Honestly, I’m tired of being asked to give monthly.

As a Millennial who’s worked in the nonprofit sector for years, I understand the intentions and benefits of recurring giving programs. They can help organizations build budgets, create sustainable income, and ensure the organization's longevity. Lately, however, monthly giving feels off. It’s treated like just another subscription, right there next to Netflix, Spotify, or the gym I haven’t gone to in months.

It’s become impersonal. Distant. This is how I have felt for a long time, and I truly believed that this was simply how things were going to be. That is, until I encountered a nonprofit that understood the psychology behind recurring giving.

They didn’t treat me like a cog in their wheel. They showed me that they genuinely wanted me to be a part of something greater than myself; they wanted me to be a steward of their cause.

They knew that what I really wanted wasn’t just convenience; I wanted connection. I wanted to feel like my monthly gift was doing more than simply keeping the lights on. And they made sure to develop this connection without flooding my inbox or guilt-tripping me into giving more.

They made our connection feel mutual. Every time I gave, they gave something back. This was typically a personal update, a thank-you call or text, or a brief and straightforward reminder that I mattered.

They confidently confronted potential subscription fatigue not by ignoring me out of fear that I would remember that I was donating monthly and end my subscription, but by making a consistent monthly effort to make each month meaningful. They would send photos of those my subscription supported, or exclusive content like videos from their clients, or content I seriously enjoyed sharing with my friends and family. 

And they made a real effort to include me in their mission. I received several personal invitations to visit their facility, meet the team, and see the work firsthand.

That’s what stuck with me. The consistency. The care. The effort to make a genuine connection with me.

Through that experience, I saw what monthly giving could really be. Not a mechanical process, but a meaningful relationship. Not a bill, but a bridge between me and the work I believed in.

When done right, recurring giving doesn’t have to feel like a subscription; it can be a real effort to help your loyal supporters feel like they belong.