I became a regular giver to a charity that isn’t one of our current customers. Every month, without fail, I receive an email with the subject line:
“Thanks for becoming a regular donor!”
The problem?
I became a regular donor a long time ago.
As a donor, this is confusing. As someone who works closely with charities on supporter journeys, it’s also a great example of how small automation choices can unintentionally undermine donor trust.
Where the confusion comes from
This email is the out-of-the-box behaviour in Raisely. The default “regular giving welcome” email template is triggered every time a recurring donation is processed — not just the first one.
The default template looks something like this:
The language is very generic, and it doesn’t feel particularly warm or celebratory for someone whose first gift is a recurring commitment. Even worse, when the same message arrives month after month, it loses meaning and creates confusion.
This is something many organisations overlook — often because the email is “working” technically — but the donor experience suffers quietly in the background.
What we recommend instead
Whenever we work with customers setting up regular giving, we strongly encourage them to:
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Rewrite the welcome email so it truly welcomes new regular givers
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Use a proper greeting
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Acknowledge the significance of a recurring commitment
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Include a warm sign-off from a real person (CEO, Chair, or Executive Director), along with contact details so donors know who to reach out to if they need help
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Turn off the monthly sending of this email
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This avoids confusing donors by repeatedly thanking them for “becoming” something they already are.
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Alternatively, if the email must be sent monthly,
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Change the subject line to something like:
“Thank you for your generous support of Charity X”
This removes the time-specific language while still expressing appreciation.
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An example: a regular giving welcome email that works
Here’s an example of a regular giving welcome email we recently drafted for one of our customers:
Hi <Donor First Name>,
Thank you for your generous commitment as a regular supporter. Your recurring gift is a powerful act of solidarity with those impacted by modern slavery.
Because of your ongoing trust, we can provide consistent, critical care to survivors and relentlessly pursue the systemic changes needed to end trafficking for good. You are the driving force behind our mission, and we are honoured to have your support.
You can manage your donation at any time from your account or by clicking the button below.
<<Manage my donation>>
As a regular donor, we won’t send you donation receipts every month. Instead, you’ll receive an annual tax statement in July showing all donations made in the previous financial year.
Please see the attached file for the receipt included with this email.
Warm regards,
First Name Last Name
Role
Charity Name
www.charitywebsite.org.au
A small change with a big impact
Regular givers are some of your most committed supporters. The very first email they receive should reflect that — and it should never leave them wondering whether something has gone wrong.
If you need help refining your regular giving communications or adjusting your Raisely automation, Blaze Your Trail is a Raisely Partner and we would be happy to guide you.
