By Abby Jarvis, Head of Research at Neon One

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Recurring giving is an increasingly popular way for people to support their favorite causes. And, when Neon One started researching how recurring donors were impacting the nonprofit sector and what inspires them to make those gifts, we quickly found tons of useful data.

But, while data is really good for understanding what happened, it’s much trickier to use data to understand why something happened.

So, when the team wanted to learn what actually motivated people to create recurring donations, we turned to the experts—recurring donors, themselves.

Here’s what we learned.

What Motivates People to Make Recurring Donations?

The folks at Neon One launched a survey that asked 2,006 donors about their giving behavior, preferences, and motivations. 718 of those respondents had a history of making recurring donations, and their answers gave some fascinating insights into what inspired them to make that ongoing commitment.

Most Recurring Donors Weren’t Asked

58.6% of people said they created recurring gifts without being asked to do so. Only 25% gave because they were asked by a nonprofit.

At first glance, you may be tempted to say this means you don’t need to ask people to make sustaining gifts. Don’t fall into that trap! 

Yes, recurring giving is popular, but donor bases of this type are relatively small. You can and absolutely should invite the people in your community to give this way.

What this does mean is that asking for recurring gifts isn’t the only way to get them. Being visible in your community, inviting people to make an impact, and spotlighting your recurring giving on your site, social media, and other channels are also important.

Recurring Donors Want to Make a Difference

Recurring donors were asked what inspired them to give to nonprofits (just in general—this question was about all of their giving, not just sustaining gifts). Each person could choose multiple responses, and the most common answer by far was a personal connection to the nonprofit’s work or mission. 71.2% cited that as a driving motivator.

The second-most common answer (60.3% of the panel) was that they wanted to make a positive difference in their community. The third-most common answer, which 31.8% of the respondents chose, was that they were motivated by a moral or religious duty.

Asking them specifically about their recurring donations yielded similar results. By far the most common answer was that they wanted to provide ongoing support for a cause they care about—77.16% of them chose that response!

Recurring Donors Support Visible Nonprofits

So if people set up recurring gifts because they want to make a difference—and if they do so without being asked—what interactions actually make them start giving?

This is another question that allowed people to choose multiple responses. The most common answer, which was chosen by 41.6% of our recurring donors, was that they gave after noticing a nonprofit doing important work. Seeing an appeal on social media was the second-most common response, and the third was that they actively sought out an organization to support.

Combine these answers with recurring donors’ responses about what motivates them to give. What do you notice?

This is a passionate group of people who often give, not because they’re asked, but because they want to support a cause that’s personally important to them by giving money to an organization doing important work in their community. 

That’s tremendous—and it’s valuable information for any fundraiser that wants to build a recurring giving program.

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Want to learn even more about recurring donors? Explore transaction data from more than 4,000 nonprofits and survey responses from hundreds of donors to uncover practical insights you can use to build your own recurring giving program. Download the 2026 Recurring Donor Report!

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How to Use This Information at Your Nonprofit

How can you actually use these findings in your own organization?

Ask for Recurring Donations, But…

Recurring giving is an increasingly popular way for people to support their favorite nonprofits. But the average nonprofit still only had around 25 recurring donors in 2025. 

That fact, combined with the fact that most donors said they gave despite not being asked, is a signal that they’re giving despite not being asked. Not because asking doesn’t work.

Include appeals for recurring gifts in your communications. Talk about your recurring giving program and invite people to participate. It will work!

Not every donor will read every appeal. And some people who create recurring gifts will do so even if they’d never supported your organization before.

…Focus On Being Visible Elsewhere, Too

That’s why it’s so important for you to be visible on other channels. Share your work on your social media channels! Talk about it on your website! Show up at community events! You never know what interaction will inspire someone to support your work in a really significant way.

Reiterate Supporters’ Impact

Whether you’re posting about your work on Facebook, updating your website’s homepage, or sending a formal appeal, be intentional about showing the people in your community how their support will make a difference. 

The kind of person who creates an ongoing donation to a nonprofit is generally the kind of person who really wants to make a tangible difference in the world. Anything you can do to signal that a recurring donation will make a real impact will help you build your recurring giving program.

Start by making yourself (and your recurring giving program) visible both online and in real life. That will help you reach new audiences and make existing supporters aware of how their gifts can make a difference. Then, invite people to get involved through more formal appeals and fundraising letters.

Now’s the Perfect Time to Focus on Recurring Donors

Recurring donors are passionate people who want to make a difference in the world, and they’re ready and willing to do so by making an ongoing gift to their favorite nonprofits. Now, you just need to reach them!

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