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Recurring Donations and Frequency

The schedule on which a donor gives to a nonprofit organization can vary from once to many times. We use specific terms to define this frequency.

Gift Frequency

This refers to how often a donor gives within a single period and is expressed as a decimal number that is the average frequency of the segment being viewed. Note that some segments, like automated recurring donors, have a much higher frequency than others (e.g. single-gift donors). Increasing average frequency tends to not only lift revenue but also retention.

Recurring Donor

A donor with an automated recurring gift with a period of at least monthly in the period. While other frequencies may be present, we find frequencies of less than monthly don’t have the same increase in donor value. We also count automated recurrences, as the value is stronger than self-managed monthly giving (e.g. billpay). It’s worth noting that the value and retention of credit card versus EFT/ACH (bank-based) recurring donors differ, with EFT being generally superior and also having lower fees—but both are sufficiently high to combine in most cases.

Recurring Gift

A gift given within every 45 days of a set time period. The 45-day donation time will be based on the latest available data and allows for a two-week grace period after what would be considered a missed recurring monthly payment.

Non-Recurring Donor

A donor that gives a gift less often than monthly. A non-recurring donor could give more than one gift in a period but the time between when the gifts are given is longer than a month.

Lapsed Recurring Donor

A recurring donor who stopped giving a recurring gift within 45 days of the latest gift.