Monthly Giving Pitch
Standalone message making case for recurring support
The Prompt
The Prompt
Create a donor-centered monthly giving appeal for [ORGANIZATION NAME] to convert recent one-time donors into sustainers.
The monthly giving appeal should:
- Be written for recent one-time donors in [CITY/COMMUNITY] who support [MISSION/CAUSE]
- Deliver: 3 subject lines, 1 preview text (60–90 chars), and a 300–400 word body
- Structure the body in this order: (1) Hook tied to [CURRENT NEED/SEASON]; (2) Why monthly matters for steady services; (3) Suggested monthly amounts [SUGGESTED AMOUNTS: e.g., 15/25/35] with a coffee comparison (e.g., “about [COFFEE COST]”); (4) Annual impact math for each amount using [IMPACT METRIC/UNIT COST EXAMPLES]; (5) Flexibility (“change or cancel anytime”); (6) Address “I already gave” graciously; (7) Benefits of joining [SUSTAINER PROGRAM NAME] ([BENEFITS LIST]); (8) 1–2 sentence donor quote: [DONOR TESTIMONIAL SNIPPET]; (9) Clear CTA line + button copy options (2–3) linking to [LINK]; (10) P.S. that reinforces ease/impact
- Use [TONE]: FORMAL (professional, concise), WARM (friendly, grateful), or CASUAL (conversational, upbeat)
- Write at a 6th–8th grade reading level; 1–2 sentence paragraphs; a few skimmable bullets
- Emphasize reliability of monthly gifts (e.g., “keeps lights on, staff scheduled, clients served”)
- Include optional fee note: invite ACH/bank transfer; offer “add $1–$2 to cover fees—totally optional”
- Be donor-centered (“you”), concrete (name [PROGRAM EXAMPLE], cite [IMPACT METRIC]), and specific about outcomes this month
- End with sign-off: [SIGNER NAME], [SIGNER TITLE], and a reply-to line for questions
Aim for specificity, warmth, and clarity. Avoid jargon, guilt, crisis-only framing, or comparisons that disparage other services. Do not overpromise. Keep the monthly ask manageable, show annual impact math, and make flexibility explicit. The copy should be usable as both an email and donation page intro with minimal edits.How to Customize
- Replace all [BRACKETED] fields with your specific information
- Adjust tone and length as needed for your audience
- Review and personalize before using
Pro Tips
- Test this prompt with your preferred AI tool before using in production
- Always review AI output for accuracy and appropriateness
- Customize outputs to match your organization’s voice and brand
Related Prompts
(See other prompts in the fundraising category)
Example Outputs
Compare scenarios: We tested this prompt with 3 different nonprofit contexts. Each scenario shows outputs from GPT-5, Claude, and Gemini. Select a model above each scenario to compare.
Small Community Org
Volunteer-led rural food pantry serving a small Appalachian town; recent one-time donors are local neighbors who gave to a holiday drive.
View scenario details
Subject lines - Warm meals through winter: make your gift monthly for Cedar Grove neighbors - Join the Neighbor Table Monthly Circle and keep Kanawha Valley fed - From one-time to every time: your steady help powers holiday meals
Preview text Keep lights on, shelves stocked, and Weekend Backpack Bags ready all winter.
Body When the heat kicks on, grocery budgets shrink. This month and through the holidays, more Cedar Grove and Kanawha Valley families will come for pantry groceries, holiday fixings, and Weekend Backpack Bags for Kids.
Your monthly gift keeps help steady. It lets us plan routes, stock staples, and be ready—no matter the weather. Monthly support keeps the lights on, staff scheduled, trucks fueled, and neighbors served.
Would you make your one-time gift a monthly habit? - $15/month (about $3.50 a week) - $25/month (about $6 a week) - $35/month (about $8 a week)
Here’s what a year of your monthly gift can do: - $15/month = $180/year - About 120 pantry meals - 20 Weekend Backpack Bags for Kids - About 7 cases of shelf-stable milk - $25/month = $300/year - About 200 pantry meals - About 33 Weekend Backpack Bags - 12 cases of shelf-stable milk - $35/month = $420/year - About 280 pantry meals - About 46 Weekend Backpack Bags - About 17 cases of shelf-stable milk
You’re in control—change or cancel anytime. Prefer ACH/bank transfer? It reduces fees. Or add $1–$2 to cover fees—totally optional.
Already gave this fall? Thank you. Your gift helped stock our shelves for busy holiday distributions. A monthly gift is a simple next step that carries that care into every month.
Join the Neighbor Table Monthly Circle and enjoy: - Quarterly impact email with local stories - Invites to member volunteer nights - One consolidated tax receipt each January - Optional name listing on our pantry wall
“I can’t be there every distribution day, but $25 a month lets me show up for neighbors all year. It feels good to know kids have weekend food.”
Ready to keep neighbors fed all winter and beyond? Join here: https://cedargrovepantry.org/monthly Button options: - Start your monthly gift - Join the Neighbor Table - Give $25/month
P.S. It takes about two minutes to set up, and you can update it anytime. Your steady gift this month helps fill holiday meal boxes and Weekend Backpack Bags for kids right here in Cedar Grove.
With gratitude, Lena Ortiz Executive Director Questions? Just reply to this email.
AI Evaluation Details (Score: 8.8/10)
This is a highly usable, well-structured monthly giving appeal that hits all required elements with appropriate warmth and specificity. The copy balances donor-centeredness with concrete impact, uses accessible language, and addresses common objections gracefully. Minor weaknesses include slightly mechanical impact math formatting and a coffee comparison that doesn't quite align with the monthly amounts as specified.
- • Excellent structural adherence—all 10 required elements present in correct order, from seasonal hook through P.S.
- • Strong donor-centered language throughout ('you're in control,' 'your steady gift') with concrete local details (Cedar Grove, Kanawha Valley, Weekend Backpack Bags)
- • Impact math is clear, specific, and compelling, showing three different metrics per giving level to appeal to different donor motivations
- • Gracious handling of 'I already gave' objection that validates past giving while framing monthly as a natural next step
- • Warm, conversational tone appropriate for small community org without being overly casual or unprofessional
- • Effective use of short paragraphs and bullets for skimmability; reading level appears appropriate for 6th-8th grade
- • Strong P.S. that reinforces both ease and immediate seasonal impact
- • Benefits list well-integrated and appropriate for volunteer-led organization scale
- • Coffee comparison math is slightly off—prompt asks to compare monthly amounts to coffee cost ($3.50), but copy divides monthly by ~4 weeks rather than showing '$15/month is about the cost of 4 coffees.' The weekly breakdown is useful but doesn't fulfill the specific 'coffee comparison' instruction as clearly as it could
- • Impact math formatting, while accurate, reads somewhat mechanically with repetitive 'About' qualifiers—minor polish could improve flow
- • Donor quote integration is good but could be set off visually (em-dash, italics notation) to make it more scannable as testimonial rather than body copy
Mid-Size Professional Org
Urban arts education nonprofit serving teens on Chicago’s South Side; recent one-time donors came from a spring showcase.
View scenario details
Subject lines - South Side teens are enrolling now—will you go monthly? - Keep our studio open after school this fall—join Canvas Crew Monthly - Before classes start: turn your gift into steady support
Preview text (60–90 chars) Your steady gift powers Open Studio Afternoons—flexible, change anytime.
Body (300–400 words, WARM tone) Back-to-school is here on the South Side. We’re enrolling new teens and setting up fall classes—stocking sketchbooks, prepping canvases, and getting Open Studio Afternoons ready right after school.
This is when monthly gifts matter most. Your steady support keeps the studio lights on, staff scheduled, and students welcomed—every day, not just the day you give.
Would you consider becoming a Canvas Crew Monthly member at one of these easy levels? - $15/month — about $3.75 a week (less than a coffee) - $25/month — about $6.25 a week (around a $5.25 latte) - $50/month — about $12.50 a week (two coffees)
Here’s the real, annual impact your monthly gift makes: - $15/month = $180/year = 18 student studio hours (at $10/hour) - $25/month = $300/year = 12 sketchbook + supply kits (at $25 each) - $50/month = $600/year = 10 hours of a teaching artist’s time (at $60/hour)
You’re always in control—change or cancel anytime in two clicks.
And if you’re thinking, “I already gave,” thank you. Your recent one-time gift helped us get through summer. Going monthly now makes sure teens can count on us all year, including this month’s after-school rush.
When you join Canvas Crew Monthly, you’ll receive: - Early invites to student showcases - Behind-the-scenes studio updates - Member sticker and digital badge - One annual consolidated receipt
“Knowing my monthly gift keeps the lights on and the studio open after school makes me proud to be part of the Collective.”
Prefer to reduce fees? Choose ACH/bank transfer at checkout, or add $1–$2 to cover fees—totally optional.
Ready to turn your impact into something teens can count on every week? - Start my monthly gift → https://southsidearts.org/give-monthly - Join Canvas Crew Monthly → https://southsidearts.org/give-monthly - Make it monthly → https://southsidearts.org/give-monthly
P.S. It takes just a minute to set up, and your monthly gift starts helping teens in Open Studio Afternoons right away.
With gratitude, Marcus Lee, Development Manager Questions? Reply to this email or contact giving@southsidearts.org (we read every note).
AI Evaluation Details (Score: 7.4/10)
The output is comprehensive and follows the template meticulously, delivering all required elements with clear structure. However, it misses the requested CASUAL tone (delivering WARM instead), contains mathematical errors in the coffee comparison, and feels somewhat formulaic despite good donor-centered language.
- • Excellent completeness—includes all 10 structural elements in correct order with proper formatting
- • Strong donor-centered language throughout ('you,' 'your impact,' 'you're in control')
- • Clear, concrete impact metrics with specific annual math that makes monthly giving tangible
- • Gracious handling of 'I already gave' objection without guilt
- • Good readability with short paragraphs, bullets, and skimmable format at appropriate grade level
- • Professional sign-off with reply-to invitation creates accessibility
- • Effective P.S. that reinforces ease and immediate impact
- • Tone mismatch—requested CASUAL but delivered WARM/professional (lacks conversational, upbeat energy expected for arts org)
- • Coffee math errors: $15/month is $3.75/week but comparison says 'less than a coffee'; $25/month is $6.25/week but compared to '$5.25 latte' (doesn't work mathematically)
- • Subject lines are functional but lack the creative spark expected from an arts organization
- • Preview text at 73 characters is good but could be punchier for CASUAL tone
- • Feels template-driven rather than authentically voice-specific to a South Side arts collective
- • Minor: 'two clicks' claim about canceling is specific enough to be verifiable/risky if untrue
Large Established Org
Regional conservation nonprofit with staff scientists and volunteers restoring Lake Erie shoreline; donors include boaters and families across Greater Cleveland.
View scenario details
Subject lines - Spring planting is here—become a Lake Guardian in Greater Cleveland - Your gift helped our shorelines—monthly giving keeps it growing - From one-time to ongoing: help Lake Erie every month
Preview text Spring planting is here. Your steady monthly gift powers the Urban Shorelines Project.
Body Spring along Lake Erie means planting, rooting, and restoring. Thanks to your recent gift, the Urban Shorelines Project is on track this month to install 2,500 native shoreline plants and run water-quality tests from the Cuyahoga River mouth to Euclid Creek.
Monthly giving is how this work stays steady. Your reliable support keeps lights on, crews scheduled, volunteers equipped, and water testing continuous—week in, week out—so we can plan restoration days and deliver what our shoreline needs.
Choose a monthly amount that fits: - $20/month — about $4.75 a week (roughly one coffee) - $35/month — about one nice coffee every 3–4 days - $60/month — about two coffees a week
What your gift can do over a year: - $20/month ($240): plant up to 80 native shoreline plants; or equip 16 volunteers for workdays; or supply 6 monthly water-quality test kits. - $35/month ($420): plant up to 140 plants; or equip 28 volunteers; or provide roughly 10 monthly test kits. - $60/month ($720): plant up to 240 plants; or equip 48 volunteers; or fund 18 monthly test kits.
You’re in control. You can change or cancel anytime. Prefer ACH/bank transfer? Great—it reduces fees. You can also add $1–$2 to cover fees—totally optional.
Already gave? Thank you. Your one-time gift made an immediate difference. A modest monthly gift now sustains the work so we can schedule staff, train volunteers, and restore more shoreline all season.
Join Lake Guardians Monthly and enjoy: - Quarterly science briefings with our ecologists - Invitation to members-only restoration days - Interactive impact map access - Annual consolidated tax receipt
“As a Lake Erie kayaker, I see the difference native plants make. My monthly gift is a steady way to protect the water I love.”
Make your impact steady for Greater Cleveland’s urban shoreline.
CTA: - Start my monthly gift (https://greatlakesalliance.org/sustain) - Become a Lake Guardian (https://greatlakesalliance.org/sustain) - Give monthly to restore Lake Erie (https://greatlakesalliance.org/sustain)
P.S. It takes two minutes, is easy to adjust anytime, and your steady support helps us plant, test, and restore every month.
With gratitude,
Dr. Aisha Patel Director of Development Great Lakes Conservation Alliance Reply with questions or reach us at give@greatlakesalliance.org
AI Evaluation Details (Score: 8.4/10)
This is a strong, professional monthly giving appeal that follows the template precisely and delivers donor-centered, concrete messaging. The formal tone is appropriate, structure is complete, and the copy is immediately usable. However, the coffee comparison math contains errors that would need correction before deployment.
- • Excellent adherence to template structure—all 10 required elements present in correct order
- • Strong donor-centered language with concrete impact metrics and specific program naming (Urban Shorelines Project)
- • Appropriate formal tone that remains warm and accessible, with short paragraphs and skimmable format
- • Effective handling of 'I already gave' objection with grace and reframing
- • Clear annual impact math that makes monthly gifts tangible (80 plants, 16 volunteers, etc.)
- • Professional subject lines that balance gratitude, seasonality, and the monthly ask
- • Good use of reliability language ('keeps lights on, crews scheduled, volunteers equipped')
- • Benefits list is specific and compelling for the audience (science briefings, restoration days)
- • Coffee comparison math is incorrect: $20/month is not '$4.75 a week' (that would be ~$20.50/month), and the other comparisons are similarly imprecise or confusing
- • The phrase 'about one nice coffee every 3–4 days' for $35/month is awkward and harder to visualize than a simple weekly comparison
- • Minor: 'Reply with questions or reach us at...' could be tightened to just the email address for cleaner formatting
- • The impact math uses 'up to' and 'roughly' inconsistently—could be more precise or consistently approximate
Test Summary: Generated Nov 2, 2025 • 3 scenarios • 9 total outputs • Average quality score: 8.42/10 • Total validation cost: $0.1705