From just 17 monthly donors in 2009 to nearly 400 today, the Cat Adoption Team (CAT) has built a creative and effective recurring giving program that has raised over $1 million dollars. In this episode, we’re chatting with Shanda Chroust-Masin, Development and Communications Director at CAT, to learn how their “Meow Team” has become an incredibly loyal base of brand ambassadors.

The most pivotal needle-mover? Leaning into playful, on-brand messaging (think “State of the Meownion” updates and “Cat Person” window clings), paired with strong volunteer engagement and donor stewardship.

Shanda shares ALL the tactics behind their growth: how they leverage volunteer relationships and embed monthly giving asks into evergreen experiences like adoptions and newsletters, plus their strategies for delighting donors with small but impactful touches.

This case study is packed with lessons you can apply right away!

Resources & Links

Learn more about CAT on their website and check out their Meow Team. To connect with Shanda and the CAT team, email shandacm@catadoptionteam.org or development@catadoptionteam.org.

The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE!

This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

Imagine your monthly giving program is so successful that it sparks 65% growth in new recurring gifts and sustains investor loyalty for over two decades.

In this episode, Andrea Arkow and Ashley Schenk from The Hunger Project have cracked the code and are here to walk through their nine-month rebrand and the strategy behind their award-winning monthly giving community, The Core.

Can you believe more than HALF of their 1,000+ members have been giving for over 20 years?!

They discuss their intentional use of the term investor (rather than donor), how they decreased cancellations by 5%, and what they’ve implemented to balance acquisition and retention, including quarterly newsletters with data and partner stories, community calls, anniversary emails, and a four-part welcome series anchored by a video from their CEO.

No matter what size your organization is or how much budget you have, Andrea and Ashley are packing this conversation with great takeaways to implement for your mission.

Resources & Links

Learn more about The Hunger Project on their website, Facebook, or Instagram, and check out The Core to explore their monthly giving program.

Connect with Andrea on LinkedIn.

Connect with Ashley on LinkedIn.

The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE!

This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!

When Roots Ethiopia first attempted to build a monthly giving program, it was cumbersome and collapsing under its own weight.

Fast forward to today? That SAME program has transformed into a fundraising powerhouse with 93% donor retention, 34% of all donors giving monthly, and over $134K in annual recurring revenue.

Meghan Walsh, founder and board chair of Roots Ethiopia is back on the show to share it all: the handwritten cards, real-time donor reports, and a simple $20/month offer that shaped their results.

You’ll hear all about the nitty gritty tech tools, donor segmentation tactics, and community-building efforts, why she’s moving all donation asks toward a “monthly-first” approach, and how she's preparing to scale even further with automations and new acquisition campaigns.

Resources & Links

Learn more about the incredible mission of Roots Ethiopia on their website. You can also connect with Meghan on LinkedIn.

Meghan is using Bloomerang, FundraiseUp, Handwrytten, and Small Shop Strategies.

Tune in to Episode 179: How Automations Can Save You Time + Increase Donor Relations to learn more about Rachel Bearbower.

The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE!

This show is brought to you by iDonate. Your donation page is leaking donors, and iDonate's new pop-up donation form is here to fix that. See it in action.

Let's Connect!

• Send a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn and let us know what you think of the show!
• My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.
• Want to book Dana as a speaker for your event? Click here!