Recurring donation statistics every nonprofit should know in 2026

Recurring giving has become one of the most important fundraising models for nonprofits. But is your recurring giving program keeping pace with today's fundraising trends?

This guide brings together the latest recurring giving statistics from trusted nonprofit research. 

Use these benchmarks to check your recurring giving program, compare your performance with the broader nonprofit sector, and identify opportunities to strengthen your recurring fundraising strategy.

Recurring donation statistics at a glance

Recurring donation statistics every nonprofit should know

1. How fast is recurring giving growing?

Recurring giving is booming. For example, one study found recurring donation revenue grew about 36.25% between 2023 and 2025. Nonprofits saw significant gains in monthly gifts even as donor pools tightened.

2. What percentage of nonprofit donors give recurring gifts?

More donors are giving on a schedule. In fact, about 57% of donors are now enrolled in a recurring giving program. This jumped from 46% just one year prior, reflecting widespread adoption of sustaining gifts.

Source: Prenger Solutions; Double the Donation

3. How much of online fundraising comes from recurring donations?

Recurring giving already makes up a big slice of online revenue. Around 27% of all online donations come from monthly donors. In other words, more than one-quarter of digital giving is recurring gifts rather than one-time gifts.

Source: M+R Benchmarks

4. What is the average recurring donor retention rate?

Recurring donors are much stickier than one-time givers. Year over year, about 79% of recurring donors stay active. That means roughly four out of five monthly donors continue giving the next year.

5. How does recurring donor retention compare to one-time donors?

Recurring donors vastly outlast one-time donors. Studies show recurring donor retention (79%) is roughly 2.5 times higher than one-time donor retention (32%). One-time donors often lapse quickly, whereas sustaining donors almost always renew.

Source: NonProfit PRO

6. How long does the average recurring donor stay?

The typical recurring donor gives for 7.5–8 years. In one analysis, recurring donors were active for about 8 years on average, while one-time donors averaged only 1.5–2 years

Source: LinkedIn / NeonOne

7. How likely are recurring donors to keep giving year after year?

Recurring donors tend to remain donors at very high rates. For example, 71% of monthly donors were still giving after one year. Even after two years, over half (54%) of monthly donors remained active. By contrast, only about 19% of new one-time donors give again.

Source: NonProfit PRO; LinkedIn

8. How much more are recurring donors worth over their lifetime?

Recurring donors are roughly twice as valuable over their lifetime as one-time donors. The average recurring donor lifetime value is about $7,288, compared to around $3,607 for the average one-time donor.

Source: NonProfit PRO

9. How much does the average recurring donor give each month?

Recurring donors give modest amounts per month. The latest data show an average monthly gift of about $30. A $30 gift may seem small, but multiplied over thousands of donors and many months, it becomes a reliable income stream. 

10. How much predictable revenue can recurring donors generate?

Recurring donors create very predictable income. For example, one scenario shows that 100 donors giving $24/month (about $288/year each) would yield $87,000 in active monthly revenue by year 5, assuming typical retention.

11. Do nonprofits with recurring donors raise more money?

Nonprofits with strong recurring programs do tend to raise more overall. For instance, between 2018 and 2022, the average nonprofit saw its recurring donor base grow by 127%, and its recurring revenue grow by 144%.

Source: GivingUSA

12. What percentage of annual fundraising revenue comes from recurring gifts?

While exact percentages vary, recurring gifts now make up a substantial slice of online fundraising (about 28%). On an annual basis, many nonprofits report that recurring donors provide a stable baseline of income.

Source: Thrive Management Group

13. Why do donors choose recurring giving?

Many donors opt in without being explicitly asked. In one survey, 58.6% of monthly givers said they started their gift without a direct ask. Nearly 41.6% reported they joined recurring giving after seeing the nonprofit’s ongoing impact.

Source: Nonprofit Tech For Good

14. How often do recurring donors increase their gift amount?

A study found that 50% of recurring donors make additional one-time gifts (like year-end appeals). As for increases, ongoing gratitude and recognition often lead donors to give more over time.

Source: CFSEM

15. When should nonprofits ask new donors to become recurring donors?

Fundraising experts recommend converting new donors early. One guideline is to encourage one-time donors to switch to monthly giving within the first 30-60 days of their gift. 

Source: Virtuous

16. How many recurring donations happen on mobile devices?

Mobile is a huge channel: in 2025, about 43% of all online donations (one-time and recurring) came via mobile devices. Since many donors start giving on phones or tablets, recurring donors are likely part of that mobile audience too.

17. Which digital channels generate the most recurring donors?

There’s no single answer, as effective channels vary by organization. However, email remains a top driver: 33% of donors say email is the tool most likely to inspire giving.

Source: Nonprofit Tech For Good

18. What is considered a good recurring donor retention rate?

Industry reports suggest 78–80% is a healthy annual retention rate for recurring donors. Nonprofits meeting or exceeding this are doing well compared to peers.

Source: TrustRadius

19. What is a healthy recurring giving revenue benchmark?

A solid recurring program often aims for 25–30% of online revenue from recurring donors (as seen in many sector reports).

20. What percentage of Millennial donors participate in monthly giving?

Monthly giving is especially popular with Millennials, with 40% choosing to support nonprofits through recurring donations. 

Source: Daxko

21. How much more expensive is it to acquire a new donor than to retain an existing one?

Acquiring a new donor costs up to five times more than retaining an existing one, which makes donor retention one of the most cost-effective fundraising strategies for nonprofits.

22. How likely are monthly donors to keep giving over three years compared to one-time donors?

A donor who gives monthly is about nine times more likely to still be supporting your nonprofit three years later than someone who makes a one-time gift. 

23. What payment frequency do recurring donors prefer?

94% of recurring donors choose monthly contributions. That makes monthly giving the standard for recurring donation programs. 

Source: BlueWing

24. What percentage of recurring donors prefer weekly, annual, or quarterly giving?

Alternative giving schedules are uncommon. Only 3% of recurring donors give weekly, 2% give annually, and just 1% choose a quarterly schedule. 

25. What percentage of recurring donors started giving because a nonprofit asked them?

About 25% of recurring donors started giving because a nonprofit asked them. 

Source: Nonprofit Tech For Good

26. How much recurring donation revenue is lost because of failed payments?

Between 20% and 30% of monthly donations can be lost because of failed payments. Even small improvements in payment recovery can help nonprofits keep more recurring revenue. 

27. What percentage of new recurring donors cancel within the first six months?

The first six months are the most critical for donor retention. Between 30% and 50% of new recurring donors cancel their gift during this period. 

Source: Dataro

28. What percentage of recurring donors give because of a personal connection to the mission?

78% of recurring donors give because they have a personal connection to the mission. It is the most common reason people choose to support a nonprofit through recurring donations. 

Source: NonprofitPro

29. Which months are most effective for launching recurring gift appeals?

October through December are the peak months for acquiring new recurring donors. Launching recurring gift appeals during this period can help nonprofits attract more monthly supporters. 

30. What share of recurring gifts is started on GivingTuesday?

About 12% of all recurring gifts are initiated on GivingTuesday. It is one of the strongest single days of the year for acquiring new recurring donors.

Source: GivingTuesday

31. Which nonprofit sector has the largest average recurring gift?

The education sector has the largest average recurring gift at about $71.76 per month. 

32. How many nonprofits use pop-ups to gain monthly donors?

36% of nonprofits use pop-ups to encourage one-time donors to become monthly donors. It is one of the tactics organizations use to grow their recurring giving programs. 

33. How do recurring donors prefer to pay?

91% of recurring donors use a credit card for their monthly gifts. Only 8% pay through ACH, while 1% use PayPal. 

Source: Nonprofit Tech For Good

How does your nonprofit compare? Benchmark checklist

Use this quick checklist to see where you stand:

• Program existence: Do we have an active recurring giving program?
• Revenue share: What percentage of our online and total revenue comes from recurring donations?
• Retention tracking: Are we tracking our recurring donor retention rate? (Aim for 78–80%.)
• Average gift: Do we know the average monthly gift? Can we raise it through campaigns?
• Growth: Is the number of our recurring donors growing year-over-year?
• Mobile experience: Is our donation form optimized for recurring giving?

If you answered no or “not sure” to any, there’s an opportunity to improve your recurring giving strategy.

Turn recurring giving into sustainable fundraising with BetterWorld

BetterWorld offers the tools you need to build a successful recurring giving program:

• 0% platform fees: Keep more of every donation.
• Dedicated recurring donation pages: Easy sign-up forms optimized for monthly gifts.
• Automated recurring donations: Once donors enroll, payments and thank-yous happen automatically.
• Donor management: Track and segment recurring donors for personalized stewardship.
• Automated receipts: Donors get instant, customizable receipts by email.
• Real-time reporting: Monitor recurring revenue, retention rates, and lifetime value in dashboards.
• Mobile-friendly donation experience: Our forms adapt to any device to maximize mobile donations.
• Donors cover processing fees (95% do): Let donors choose to cover processing fees. As a result, nearly 100% of each donation can go toward your mission. 

Ready to grow your recurring giving? Learn how BetterWorld’s tools can make recurring fundraising a sustainable engine for your mission. 

Schedule a demo today!