Ever wonder what your gift means to a non-profit? It’s so easy to imagine your gift getting lost in the shuffle, and tempting to believe it’s only the big gifts that really make a difference. In just a few (albeit, impersonal) clicks, donating has never been easier . . . and yet I find so many of my peers on the sidelines of giving.

In my last five years of non-profit marketing, I have seen the power in telling a story that would have otherwise been silenced. I’ve experienced the heartbeat of a cause and grown to understand the landscape of the social crisis that my organization serves—but I’ve also learned a lot about what a single gift means to a nonprofit. I have seen how every gift counts.  Quite literally, I have been the person opening envelopes, and in some cases, counting crumpled dollars or loose coins that I believe were given with such great faith and passion. The heroism behind the biggest checks is the very same heroism that opens envelopes and fills them with precious dollars and cents.

And yet, so many of us wait. We wait until we can give more or do more. We wait until we reach the place where we can “really make a difference.”

It’s time to debunk the myths about giving, and get a real glimpse at the power that is packed into every penny given to the causes that renew our souls and change our cities for the better.

What I’ve learned in my time behind the curtain of non-profit management, and have confirmed for myself as a relatively young donor to causes I love, is this: you have to start somewhere. So, start out as a monthly donor! You may be cringing at the idea of committing to a recurring payment when so many of us have no idea what next month, let alone six months from now, can really hold. Hear me out.

I know I am in the non-profit marketing space and as much as I enjoy that and see the value in that (hopefully you do too), you would probably be way more excited to know that every single dollar you’re giving goes directly to the front-line needs and not the base cost of fundraising. Just like the saying goes, “ya gotta spend money to make money,” well, the same is true for non-profits. We gotta spend money to earn donations.

The 2017 Fundraising Effectiveness Survey (conducted by the Fundraising Effectiveness Project) found that gaining a $100 donation costs nonprofits an average of $95. And after investing all that just to acquire that one-time donation, the average donor retention rate is only 45%.

Yikes.

Between the overhead costs and the unpredictability of keeping your donors engaged, the challenge of planning for strategic growth and wide-spread impact is an uphill battle nearly every nonprofit can relate to.

But you know what solves both of those problems? Monthly giving! Instead of pouring funds and resources into securing your next donation, more of your gift can go straight to the cause. Not to mention, the average retention rate for monthly donors is as high as 80%. Meaning, nonprofit leaders can count on your donation. With a steady stream of sustainable income, more robust plans can be made to deepen that organization’s impact. You’re shoring up their ability to plan for growth, anticipate the means to do it, and envision new and powerful ways to change the world.

I can honestly tell you that my monthly donations to two different organizations are not huge, and it’s easy to assume they might go completely unnoticed. But I know it’s noticed, and I know it makes an impact because those dependable contributions are what organizations can count on month after month.

I know it’s the end of the year and there’s a lot of noise about giving that one-time, tax-deductible gift maybe it’s Christmas or holiday-themed–I say that as someone contributing to that exact noise! But if you want to get off the sidelines of giving and join a mission in a meaningful way, I’d challenge you to consider monthly giving. Start out with the cost of your go-to coffee order if you have to, and sign up to have it automatically sent to your charity of choice. You probably won’t miss the coffee funds,

Go find the thing that you believe in and give to it without reluctance. Don’t be afraid to faithfully sustain whatever is closest to your heart. Now, imagine what your city would look like if everyone did the same.