What Mature Programs Need Next: Building the Next Chapter of Monthly Giving

What does it actually take to grow a monthly giving program that's already been running for 30 years?Dave Raley sits down with Erin Shuler, Sustainer Advisor at Catholic Relief Services, to use CRS's Footsteps in Faith program as a real-world case study. With 13 years at CRS and 5 years laser-focused on their sustainer community, Erin brings the kind of hard-won wisdom you only get from stewarding something with deep history, fierce donor loyalty, and real complexity. This one's for anyone who's past the "how do we launch?" question and asking, "what do we do next?"Key topics they talk about:Maturity as both asset and challenge: Decades of donor loyalty, rich data, and serious scale are massive advantages. But program gravity is real. Erin shares how CRS unified fragmented touchpoints into one coherent donor journey — and why having one person "sleeping on the cot" changed everything.Sustaining revenue through funding disruption: When CRS faced major government funding cuts, their sustainer base became a lifeline. Erin describes how leadership doubled down on monthly giving investment — and how a brand-new donor wrote in saying joining was "an absolute necessity."The human side of retention: Cancellations aren't always relationship endings. Erin shares the story of a donor family quietly draining their savings to keep giving every month. She and Dave dig into what it looks like to treat those moments with grace rather than a guilt trip.Aging donors and alternative giving vehicles: QCDs, DAFs, IRAs: Erin is watching monthly donors transition to lump-sum giving through these channels. The question isn't whether to allow it. It's how to honor their Footsteps in Faith identity no matter how the gift arrives.Growth: conversion, acquisition, and what's actually working: Checkboxes, email invites, back-of-newsletter callouts — CRS keeps monthly giving visible at every touchpoint. Dave and Erin discuss the balance between converting existing donors and acquiring new sustainers, and how digital has overtaken mail as the primary growth engine.Also in this episode, they talk about:Designing a donor journey that evolves with life stage and giving capacityThe "affirm, engage, appeal" framework for ongoing donor careMarking milestones: anniversary cards, handwritten notes, and the Power of MomentsChurn prevention and why most lapsed giving has nothing to do with donor intentBest-in-class retention: what it costs, what it takes, and where most orgs underinvestWhat are YOU doing to grow — and keep — your most faithful donors? Drop your thoughts in the comments. We'd love to hear from you!Key ResourcesCatholic Relief ServicesErin Shuler on LinkedInSustainableGiving.orgThe Rise of Sustainable Giving book by Dave RaleyDave Raley on LinkedInThe Power of Moments book by Chip & Dan HeathSpecial thanks to our team at Sustainable Giving: Tom, Michelle, Victoria, Kirsten and Abigail.