By Jeff Muller, Crossroads Insights LLC

Some describe ours as being a “subscription economy.” Per Federal Reserve data, in just the past two years (between 2022 and 2024) the average number of automated monthly payments for U.S. consumers has increased from 39 to 48, up from fewer than 20 just six years prior. This has conditioned donors to feel comfortable making regular, automated payments for things they value. Such trends are encouraging for those who make, or are considering making, monthly sustainer giving a part of their organization’s mid-level giving program.

I spoke with three mid-level experts—Ishmam Rahman from the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Valerie Vierengel from the National Audubon Society, and Andrew Wiley from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)—about how mid-level shops can think about incorporating sustainer giving into their programs. Here are the key takeaways from those conversations:

Determining Whether a Sustainer Program is Right for You

The team at IRC is in the process of formally launching a new mid-level sustainer track. According to Ishmam, “The idea comes from donor behavior. We’ve seen that a lot of donors prefer the consistency of monthly giving, and some are giving at levels that add up to mid-level thresholds over time. To us, it makes sense to recognize and engage these donors in a way that matches their level of commitment.”

While Ishmam notes that there are operational challenges—including coordinating across teams to track cumulative giving from sustainers, making sure to flag when someone has “crossed over” into the mid-level, and ensuring that stewardship is integrated and not duplicative—they say the benefits far outweigh the challenges. These include increased retention rates, high average one-time gifts, and deep engagement with the mission.

Ishmam concludes with an encouraging early analysis of the program. “What we’ve seen so far is really positive. Donors appreciate being acknowledged for the full scope of their giving, not just the size of an individual gift. It makes them feel that their commitment is valued no matter how it’s structured. This has positively impacted both their one-time giving and sustainer gift upgrade rate.”

Deploying Sustainer Giving to Address Current Economic Trends and Challenges

We are currently experiencing economic uncertainty as federal funding cuts and threats of a recession are causing real concern for many nonprofits. Add to that the worrying trends identified by the Fundraising Effectiveness Project—with the most recent report showing a continued decline in the number of donors, falling by another 1.3% year-over-year and retention rates slipping from 18.3% in 2024 to 18.1% in Q1 2025—and it is becoming increasingly clear that organizations must do all they can to engage and retain donors while building more predictable and dependable revenue sources. This trend has led Val and the team at Audubon to reconsider the rationale for their mid-level sustainer program.

“In the past, the mid-level programs I worked on were defined by who had the capacity to be in this exclusive club. While these programs often included sustainers and donors who accessed the club level with cumulative giving, we struggled with that because we felt they were different donor profiles from a donor who could give the qualifying amount in a single gift. Often, these non-single gift qualifiers didn’t know or even care that they’d been included in our special giving club.

“Now, with a shrinking donor pool, we must do everything we can to retain our best donors. So, I’ve shifted my thinking and welcome these other segments into our mid-level giving program because it gives us an opportunity to focus on them with tailored messaging and a custom donor experience.”

Building Trust is Key to a Successful Sustainer Program

Two recently published studies identified a lack of faith in charities and an absence of trust as significant barriers to philanthropy. Given that a sustainer program requires that a donor feel comfortable entrusting an organization with their credit card and other personal information, it is essential that there is a focus on building trust in order to have a successful monthly giving program. As Andrew notes, “our sustainer donors are practically investors in WWF.”

He says that WWF has built a culture of transparency and accountability by ensuring their sustainer donors receive the same treatment as all mid-level donors—known at WWF as Partners in Conservation—including having a direct point of contact, regular access to staff and information via webinars and in-person gatherings, and consistent reporting on the activities of the organization. He adds, “Some of our closest, most active Partners are monthly donors. Many have given for more than a decade, and a significant number make additional contributions through DAFs, IRAs, and other giving vehicles. They trust us to care for their data and private information, and we take that responsibility seriously.”