Monthly donor questions that show what keeps a regular gift going
Ask monthly donors why they give, how setting up went and what would make them give more or stop. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What monthly donor survey questions tell you
Monthly donor survey questions ask your regular givers why they set up the gift, how easy it was, whether they still feel it matters and what would make them raise it or cancel. Regular gifts are the steadiest income a charity has, and donors rarely explain a cancellation. These answers show the warning signs while there is time to act.
Ask a few weeks after the first gift about the setup, and once a year about updates and confidence. Send the survey by email to your regular givers or put the link in your own welcome email, and pick five or six questions. Ask the cancellation question gently, and follow it with the pause message.
Each written answer is read as it arrives and given a category, a theme, a type and a sentiment, so a donor thinking of stopping gets an urgency and an owner in the inbox. On every plan, a workflow can add each answer to Google Sheets for the team that manages regular gifts.
- Questions
- 14
- Best asked
- A few weeks after setup and once a year
- Industry
- Nonprofits
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 14 regular giving questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
Starting the gift
Ask about the start of the gift, so your setup page and welcome fit the way donors want to give.
- 01Multiple choice
Why did you set up a regular gift?
Names the main reason the donor gives monthly, from spreading the cost to steady support for the cause. Results shows the share of each, so your welcome messages can speak to those reasons.
- 02Customer effort
How easy was it to set up your monthly gift?
A customer effort score for setting up the monthly gift. Ask it a few weeks after setup. A low score points at the form or the payment step.
- 09Date
Which day of the month suits your gift best?
Lets the donor pick a date on a calendar for the gift. Results shows the dates picked, so payday patterns are easy to spot. Move the collection day for donors who ask.
- 10Dropdown
How long have you given monthly?
How long the donor has given monthly. Use it to split the other answers, since a donor in the first six months and one with five years behind them need different messages.
Staying in touch
These questions show whether your updates keep donors confident that the gift still matters, and how they want to manage it.
- 04Multiple choice
How often do you hear from us about your regular gift?
How often the donor hears from you: too rarely, about right or too often. Results shows the share of each, and a large share for too often is a cancellation risk.
- 12Stars
How useful are the updates you get as a regular giver?
A star rating for the updates regular givers get. Results shows the average and the share who rated 4 or higher. Read it with how often donors hear from you.
- 05Big scale
How confident are you that your monthly gift still matters?
How confident the donor is that the monthly gift still matters, from 1 to 10. Falling confidence can come before a cancellation, so follow the average year by year.
- 03Yes / No
Do you know how much you give each month?
A plain yes or no on whether the donor knows the monthly amount. Results shows the share who said yes. State the current amount clearly in any upgrade ask.
- 14Multiple choice
How would you rather manage your gift?
How the donor would rather manage the gift, from an online account to mail. Results shows the share of each, a guide for whether to build a page where donors manage their own gift.
Raising or stopping the gift
Read these together before you plan an upgrade ask, and act fast on anyone close to canceling.
- 06Text
What would make you raise your monthly amount?
An open question on what would make the donor raise the monthly amount. Each answer arrives with its theme, so an upgrade ask can lead with what donors named most.
- 08Slider
What monthly amount feels comfortable for you?
The monthly amount that feels comfortable, on a slider. Results shows the median and the middle half. Compare it with what donors give now before you set upgrade amounts.
- 13Text
What do you want your monthly gift to pay for?
An open question on what the donor wants the monthly gift to pay for. Each answer arrives with its theme, so updates can show the work donors care about most.
- 07Multiple choice
What would make you cancel?
Lets donors pick anything that would make them cancel, from money worries to no sign of impact. Results shows bars per reason. Too much contact is the one you can fix this month.
- 11Call to action
You can pause your gift instead of stopping it
A message with a button that tells donors they can pause instead of stopping. Use logic to show it to donors who picked a reason to cancel, and point the button at your pause page.
Tips for asking about regular giving
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Ask twice in the first year
Ask about setup a few weeks after the first gift, and about updates and confidence at the end of the first year.
- 02
Offer a pause
Show the pause message to donors thinking of canceling, and make pausing as easy as stopping.
- 03
Watch the contact question
When many donors say they hear from you too often, cut the asks before you cut the updates.
- 04
Thank before you ask for more
Show regular givers what their gifts paid for before any upgrade ask, and use the comfortable amount as your guide.
Add these questions to a survey
From the library to the first answers.
- 1
Open the library
In the Usertick survey editor, choose From library, filter by industry and topic, and add several questions at once.
- 2
Or paste your own list
Paste questions reads up to 10 questions from any text on Free, 100 on Starter and 200 on Pro and above, keeps your wording and picks an answer type for each.
- 3
Choose where it runs
Show the survey on your website, send it by email, share its link and QR code, or switch it to a conversation.
- 4
Read the answers
Results counts every score and choice, and Usertick reads each written answer and files it by topic, on every plan.
Templates and more questions about regular giving
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
A few weeks after the first gift for the setup questions, and once a year for the rest. Usertick sends to your regular givers now or on a date you schedule up to 30 days ahead, and there are no recurring sends, so schedule each round yourself.
Five or six: why the donor gives, how easy setup was, their confidence that the gift matters, how often they hear from you and one open question.
Yes, in a short separate survey with the question on what made them cancel and one open question. Send it by email or link soon after the gift stops.
Yes, when the first question is a star rating, effort score, emoji, yes or no, multiple choice or dropdown question. Put the effort score or the reason for giving first.
Yes. The question library comes with every plan, the free plan included, and the free plan covers 150 responses a month across your surveys.
Yes. Once a question is in your survey, reword it, change its options or its answer type, and add logic to skip it for some answers.
Yes. The library is translated into Usertick's built-in languages, and in any other language it shows in English for you to translate.
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