Missions to Movements
Missions to Movements is the nonprofit marketing and fundraising podcast that helps you grow recurring donors, scale monthly giving programs, and build digital campaigns that convert.
Hosted by Dana Snyder—speaker, strategist, and founder of Positive Equation—this show is packed with actionable nonprofit growth strategies, social media tips, and fundraising best practices.
Each week, you’ll hear how organizations are increasing donor retention, building thought leadership, and using digital fundraising to drive real impact. If you want to learn how to attract monthly donors, master nonprofit marketing, and transform your mission into a movement, this podcast is for you.
Missions to Movements
Inside The Hunger Project’s Monthly Giving Rebrand: 65% Growth + 20 Years of Investor Loyalty
Imagine your monthly giving program is so successful that it sparks 65% growth in new recurring gifts and sustains investor loyalty for over two decades.
In this episode, Andrea Arkow and Ashley Schenk from The Hunger Project have cracked the code and are here to walk through their nine-month rebrand and the strategy behind their award-winning monthly giving community, The Core.
Can you believe more than HALF of their 1,000+ members have been giving for over 20 years?!
They discuss their intentional use of the term investor (rather than donor), how they decreased cancellations by 5%, and what they’ve implemented to balance acquisition and retention, including quarterly newsletters with data and partner stories, community calls, anniversary emails, and a four-part welcome series anchored by a video from their CEO.
No matter what size your organization is or how much budget you have, Andrea and Ashley are packing this conversation with great takeaways to implement for your mission.
Resources & Links
Learn more about The Hunger Project on their website, Facebook, or Instagram, and check out The Core to explore their monthly giving program.
Connect with Andrea on LinkedIn.
Connect with Ashley on LinkedIn.
The Recurring Giving Workshop: A Working Session to Increase Online Donations - 9/24 @ 2 pm ET - RSVP HERE!
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Let's Connect!
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Today I am thrilled to welcome two leaders from the Hunger Project. They are the second ever winners of the monthlies, continuing on in this series. Last week you heard from Megan Walsh and they were both winners during Monthly Giving Awareness Week of the monthlies, in partnership with myself Giving Tuesday and our KD group. So joining me in this episode are Andrea Arcao, manager of stewardship and engagement she really spearheaded the rebrand of their monthly giving community, now known as the Core, and Ashley Sheneck, director of culture and people development, who is really empowering and shaping the culture that sustains this bold work that they're doing.
Speaker 1:So in our conversation today we dive into how the Hunger Project reimagined their monthly giving program to spark, with this rebrand, 65% growth in new recurring gifts, and how they've maintained incredible loyalty, with more than half of their 1,000 core members giving monthly for over 20 years. I did not misread that 20 years. I did not misread that 20 years. You'll hear about the very intentional touch points that reduce attrition, the balance between acquisition and retention, and the biggest takeaways that they have in their focus on the new generation of donors. So, no matter what size your organization is, no matter what size budget you have, they are giving some really great takeaways to implement for your mission. Let's go meet them.
Speaker 2:So I think the challenge for us was really like slowing down and this goes to monthly giving programs in general but really slowing down and connecting the heart and the mind and asking, like, what are we actually trying to create here and how do we hold on to that sense of belonging and legacy while building something that invites the next generation to see themselves in the future that we're trying to create?
Speaker 1:Woohoo. Okay, first off, I am loving this series that we're doing right now. So last week everybody just heard from Megan Walsh it was episode 200 about her organization, the Roots, and today we're focused on the Core. So congratulations. This is the Hunger Project's monthly award-winning monthly giving program, the Core, and a little bit of backstory. So when we received this submission, the Hunger Project has reached nearly 13 million people last year across 10,000 communities, which is incredible. I have Ashley and Andrea here and before we dive into like the minutiae of the magic of this program, will you each share I think it's wonderful to have multiple people that have their hands working in monthly giving communities Would you each share your unique roles and how you're helping to do the stewardship of this community, the growth marketing, like all the different aspects, and I guess, ashley, I'll kick it over to you first.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thank you. So one of the things I would say is that our monthly giving program has always been a steady backbone for us, but we really wanted it to be more than just consistent funding. Rebranding our monthly giving program has been something that I personally have dreamed about launching since I joined the Hunger Project eight years ago. I really wanted our monthly giving program to reflect the heart of our community, to feel alive and to deeply connect to the identity of our investors. So for me, I'll talk a little bit about the rebrand first, because I think it plays a role into like the parts that Andrea and I played.
Speaker 2:But for me, the rebrand was about creating something that didn't just describe what people give, but who they are in this new thing. And so at the Hunger Project, we actually use the word investor instead of donor, and that's very intentional, because our supporters are invested not just financially, but they are emotionally invested in seeing people thrive and they're invested in creating a world without hunger, which is actually our vision. So when you hear us talk like, you'll hear us use the word investor, because they don't just give, they want to see transformation and they want to be part of the story and part of that solution. So Andrea and I actually came together. We knew it would take both vision and execution, and our strengths complemented each other perfectly. So my role was really about holding the big picture vision and thinking about how can we reimagine monthly giving in a way that felt authentic to the Hunger Project, aligned with our DNA and deeply connected to our investors. And so together we asked questions like what does it mean to create something that isn't just transactional but transformational?
Speaker 1:How do we honor the history of our monthly giving program, the loyalty the meaning, which is incredible, which I know we'll get to, the retention, which is incredible, which I just want to say speaks to, I think, the term of using investor, because monthly donors traditionally stay for eight plus years, which you've seen in this case, and so I think that speaks volumes, that you reflect that and even your messaging that you use.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's great and I think you know Andrea played a really big role in really evaluating, like the retention. So, Andrea, I'd love for you to just talk about your piece in our monthly giving program as.
Speaker 3:Ashley mentioned, I kind of oversee the monthly giving program. It's not my only job, but it is a key part of my job. So that is kind of everything from acquisition to retention, and then I partnered with Ashley in this in kind of leading this rebrand through to the execution and inviting our investors to participate and to get their feedback and continue building and strengthening our engagement strategies, which we'll talk more about.
Speaker 1:Yes, I think this is such a crucial point I know we're bringing it up at the beginning but having someone who focuses on specifically a sustainer's program at what point in the growth, or just for an organization who might be thinking about this at what point do you think it's critical to have someone who is designated and to your point, andrea, maybe it's not 100% of what you do, but it's a large having somebody who is solely focused on that outside of just like being the executive director or just focused on marketing, but is really focused on this community At what point do you think it's important to think about that?
Speaker 3:I've been at the Hunger Project for three years and it's certainly grown in the percentage of my time that I dedicate. So what maybe was 20% grew when we looked at the highest kind of ROI and realized it was our monthly giving program. So now it's probably closer to 50, 60% of my time it depends on the time of year, but it certainly is something where we've talked about and looked at and I don't know if I have a specific number maybe Ashley does but I think it's something to keep in mind.
Speaker 1:I mean, I think you said it, like you realized, you had a great strong return on investment in this program. So therefore it deserves to be prioritized. When it comes to the staff and it's like do a listener, I'm thinking about you. If you are a solo shop, you have a bazillion things going on. So it's like if this is receiving our highest retention, highest ROI, we should prioritize it to bring on somebody, whether that's fractional or part-time, until it's at the point where it deserves a full-time presence, so that you can work on other things but it is providing for you and is successful. Ashley, you were starting to talk about the rebrand. Can you give us a little bit of a backstory on the core, what it looked like before, maybe like when you first entered the organization eight years ago, and why this rebrand was so important?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would say that you know we have an extremely loyal group of people who have been with us for years and they saw themselves as what we called financial family, and that language carried meaning and tradition and belonging for a long time. Most people joined when they were in their 20s and have been around for a very long time. So when we were looking at the rebrand, I felt like we really needed to pay attention, Like how can we honor the legacy that has been built but create space for new? So we were at, like, this space in time where we've had a large group of people who have been with us for a long time, but it felt really transactional. So we needed to create space that was inviting and something that drew like a sense of belonging.
Speaker 1:I love that, okay. That drew like a sense of belonging. I love that, okay. How long did that take to come up with the rebrand? And when you released it, did you celebrate it with the existing group first and then go out to everybody else, kind of like walk through? How did that process happen?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, that's a good question. I have to take myself back a little in time and Andrea can really actually speak to this pretty powerfully. But we had a really good opportunity to re-envision because we heard a range of perspectives. So for some, the name financial family felt a little transactional, like it reduced their role to dollars and cents, when in reality they are so much more than that. But for others, the name carried, like I mentioned, a very deep meaning and it represented their connection to being the financial backbone of our organization and part of a global human family.
Speaker 2:So I think the challenge for us was really like slowing down and this goes to monthly giving programs in general but really slowing down and connecting the heart and the mind and asking, like, what are we actually trying to create here and how do we hold on to that sense of belonging and legacy while building something that invites the next generation to see themselves in the future that we're trying to create? So you asked about the process and I think we launched a nine-month process with workshops and focus groups with both internal and external stakeholders. So we did a combination of both.
Speaker 1:Very cool. Yeah, Andrea, in the midst of anything you wanted to add to that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I can add more to just the rebranding process because I think we tried to approach it in a really thoughtful way, knowing that there were a lot of our investors that saw themselves as financial family members, so we wanted to be delicate with that.
Speaker 3:We actually had the opportunity to work with a branding consultant. He generously donated his time to us so he helped us to kind of bring in some of our long-time investors and through workshops and focus groups we asked them what does it mean to be part of this community? We also brought in various staff members and other stakeholders and throughout that process of the focus groups and workshops, words that kept coming up were heartbeat, foundation and lifeblood again and again, and it became clear that the program needed to feel like something that people are at the center of, something that was really vital to the mission itself. And so as part of that process, we dove really deep into the meaning of different names and the reality that names. They become vessels, they carry history and identity and aspiration all at once. Was that piece of the right name needed to feel like it belonged to our long-time investors, while also being bold enough to let new ones out of that process.
Speaker 3:The core emerged as a natural fit.
Speaker 1:Yes, I love all of this that you're saying and what's interesting is there was actually a study recently, a small experiment done, talking about how some organizations not having a name works great and they just say join the monthly donor but for your sense of belonging and community. And then, on the other side, I just got an email from an executive director that I worked with on the naming of her program and she says everyone loves being part of the campers. They love that to their core. They feel like empowered by it, like they're a part of something bigger, and I was like that's exactly the purpose and what you're talking about, that they even felt that way with an older name and all of the hard work that you did to make them feel included and those that are going to join you to have like this innovative, bold name moving forward, which I think is huge Since you've done the rebrand.
Speaker 1:I know there's some exciting statistics with this. What have you seen? And it was done when was it? In 2024? September A year ago, woohoo, okay. So what has the result been since the rebrand? Well, I think, big picture wise.
Speaker 2:like our longtime monthly investors already saw themselves as the core of the movement, and it also provided for us new audiences to come in in a fresh and compelling way. So since the rebrand, we've seen that vision come to life and new reoccurring gift plans are up almost 65% compared to the prior year and cancellations are down about 5%. So it tells us, you know, that this isn't just a name that resonates emotionally, it's also driving real growth and stronger retention for us, Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Were you using? I know you use fundraise up. Were you using them before the rebrand, or was that new too?
Speaker 3:We started using them in 2021. So we had a few years under our belt with them.
Speaker 1:Okay, huge, because technology is important too in the retention and acquisition of growth, making it really easy and frictionless, especially for monthly giving. So, speaking of retention, I want to dive into the incredible loyalty that you've had. So more than half of the 1,000 plus now core members, have been with you for over 20 years Like huge snaps. I'm sure listeners are like what did she just say? But that's the truth. Like once you start it, I'm on year five for the organization that I've been a part of and I give to five of them now. But what do you think are the specific retention strategies, and maybe even just the name of investor is very different, but have really helped keep that connection over a long period of time.
Speaker 3:Yeah Well, part of it, as we've talked about, was that monthly giving was part of the Hunger Project's DNA from the beginning and it really was the bedrock for how many of our earliest investors got involved. Ashley mentioned that some of our investors joined in their 20s and have been with us for three or four decades. It's part of who they are Absolutely so. We try to nurture that, to make sure that they always feel part of something larger than themselves. We highlight their role in every story of impact. Larger than themselves. We highlight their role in every story of impact and we also try to keep communication two-way, inviting them to share their experiences, not only to receive updates.
Speaker 3:So in terms, of specific engagement strategies. Every quarter we send them a dedicated newsletter with a partner story, impact data, organizational updates, and we started also including a spotlight of a fellow core member each episode. In the off months they still receive our global updates and our monthly newsletter, so there always is a rhythm of connection. Additionally, I know that not every organization may choose to send their monthly receipts through their donation platform, but we actually see that as an important touch point, so we regularly update those monthly receipts. We know that there may be people that are part of the Corps who are not subscribed to our emails, so that's just one other way we could reach people through stories and data and content. Yes, we also have hosted what we call core community calls to gather people and build a sense of belonging with them and occasionally sending surveys, which I want to call out one important part of this.
Speaker 3:Actually, as an organization, we are not afraid to pilot and to take risks. One of our guiding principles is leverage, and so in our work to end chronic hunger, that means stepping into action to catalyze systemic change. As it relates to the core, we are looking at what is missing and, if we provide it, what could change someone's sense of belonging. So it's a willingness to pioneer, to be nimble, strategic and creative with limited resources, test and refine. Loyalty does come from identity and community, but also from members seeing that they're part of an organization that is responsive and dynamic and committed to impact.
Speaker 1:I love that. You said that you're not afraid to pilot and take risks and to do some tests. Does that stem from leadership? What do you think lets you all feel empowered to do that leadership? What do you think lets you all feel?
Speaker 2:empowered to do that At the Hunger Project, like we live and breathe our principles, and so it's holistically throughout our organization. Yes, it comes from leadership, but I think it's also in who we are, not just what we do. So you'll constantly hear us talk about like hey, let's just step back for a minute, let's look at asking the deeper questions that's going to guide us, like what is our vision here? And that guides everything. So it makes risk feel a little bit less risky, I think. But I would say it's really what I think is the driving success around this program is that willingness to like say hey, what's missing? That if we provided, would cause the breakthroughs that we need to see. So, yeah, I love being able to be nimble and strategic and Andrea and I's partnership, I think, allows for us to really enhance that way of being.
Speaker 1:I think Awesome, awesome, love that perspective. The program's been around for a long time. I'm sure you've seen things work really well, some things that maybe you've sunset over the years. What have you found the most effective? And I also like that you added that you do a survey to get that like two-way perspective. What touch points or communications over the years have you found to be the most effective or well-received by the audience?
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, over the years, we actually haven't always had someone that has been dedicated, even as part of their job, to overseeing our monthly giving program, so of course, that has made a huge impact, and what I found over the last few years at trying different things is that it's not one single touch point, but it's really looking at designing the entire investor journey. When I came on, we didn't actually have an onboarding experience for our new core members, our new monthly investors. We tried to step back and look at how are we welcoming people, how can we make sure that they feel that they are part of our heartbeat right from the start, and so that actually led us to create a four-part welcome email series Ah, this sounds so familiar to what I talk about.
Speaker 3:Right, yes. So, our onboarding series starts with a video from our CEO and president, and then throughout the series and other communications throughout the year. We really try to bring in voices from across our programs. From there we layer in touch points, anniversary emails to celebrate milestones, our quarterly newsletters and, of course, the core community calls bringing together members to directly connect with one another and our team.
Speaker 1:Yeah, can you explain? Just a core community call how do you normally format those?
Speaker 3:Well, we've had since the rebrand we had, I think, four so far, so we're still kind of figuring out what works for everyone and polling our team and the members who have enjoyed them. Each one has kind of a different focus. The first was, I think, when we rebranded and it was first announcing it to them separately, you had asked kind of letting them in and, you know, making sure and kind of workshopping it with them so that they were kind of fully understanding. But also we had a leadership change earlier this year and so it was spending time with this community talking about what that meant and they had the opportunity to hear from our new CEO as well.
Speaker 1:Awesome, very cool. Okay, so a little bit. Are they normally 30 minutes an hour we?
Speaker 3:have done a little bit different. Are they normally 30 minutes an hour we have done. Our first one was a 90-minute workshop, but we try to kind of keep it to 30, 45 minutes, which is more realistic. But one thing to point out is that those calls are not for every investor right. There are certain investors that want to engage deeply, especially in our investor base, but we have plenty that aren't interested in attending those and in much prefer the steady, simple communications.
Speaker 1:Yep that they can receive on their own. Yeah, From a growth perspective, what is your continued? Are you testing different things, especially just coming up to end of year? How does the core ask fit into your communications?
Speaker 3:experience at the same time. So on the acquisition side, we work with our marketing colleagues on digital strategies like paid ads and targeted campaigns to invite people to join the core. On the experience side, we're really working to segment our engagement and offer multiple ways for members to connect so they can engage at different levels. But really our you know. So for holiday season and Giving Tuesday and things like that, we do have different ways that we segment audiences and try to incorporate a monthly Giving Ask where it makes sense, whether it's special language for the core or, you know, inviting them to consider taking this next step if they haven't already. Inviting them to consider taking this next step if they haven't already A big part of this strategy though, is elevating the voices of the next generation.
Speaker 3:I think Ashley talked about that. It's actually part of our strategic plan. So we're asking what can we learn from younger audiences and what kind of messaging would inspire them to commit monthly? So we try to learn from that and design touch points that will shape the story of belonging.
Speaker 1:I love this. I just had a really fascinating interview. It hasn't been released yet on the show, so stay tuned.
Speaker 1:Everyone with Kevin at DonorVoice and he was talking about how they did a mass direct mailing and the majority for this organization was the younger demographic. So they purposely were not focused on the envelope experience for checks. And he's like I could count they sent out over 70,000 mail pieces. And he's like I could count on my hand and drop 70,000 mail pieces. And he's like I could count on my hand and drop down a couple of fingers the amount of checks that we received. Like you are know your demographic and how are you providing and utilizing the space of this piece specifically for what you're talking about, the generation that you're speaking to and how they're going to work with you?
Speaker 1:And he and he said it wasn't, it was 50 year olds. Like 50 year olds aren't sending checks and so which is so true? And I think in our mind we think about what was 50, 20 years ago. Right, we were writing checks. I remember working as a cashier and we still had like the check thing at Publix where you would slide it through. That doesn't exist anymore at when we're doing e-commerce, payments and shopping. So what are you seeing with the core? Does it lean younger than your other donor base, or is it pretty much a blend?
Speaker 3:I would say not yet. So, like we've talked about, we have the majority of our membership of the core are long-time investors, so you're looking to find the next generation that was going to grow with you.
Speaker 3:Absolutely yeah, and so I think we're beginning to see those. As you know, subscription giving and, because of that, monthly giving is on the rise. So I think we're beginning to see the starting points of that, but we're still trying to figure out, you know, what resonates and what would cause those younger people to, for something to click and for them to stick around with us.
Speaker 1:Love that. Super cool and I'm sure that goes into the language. And yeah, Ashley, go ahead.
Speaker 2:I was just going to say like to pair on, to like the check writing, for example, like different errors of the hunger project have created new openings. So you asked like oh, what did it look like prior to the core? You know, long ago we did have a designated person who only did financial family, and so things have evolved and changed and now we are at a new place where we get to have Andrea on board. But even with the checks, we still have longtime investors who it is so meaningful them to pull out a checkbook, write a check every month as if it was their mortgage and send it back to us. So we still are really like, even nimble and agile in the way that we accept payment for what works for different demographics.
Speaker 1:Totally. And yeah, it's knowing your audience of what you're sending out to who. Yeah, my touch point on that was, like for the segments, when you're reaching out to the younger generation, you might not be leading with the Czech language because that's probably not gonna be relevant versus the others that you think it might.
Speaker 2:You need those QR codes with the younger generation.
Speaker 1:Yes, totally, for many organizations that are listening and again, I'm so thrilled that you were part of the monthlies this year. What do you think would be like? Top two, maybe three takeaways for organizations that are listening that they could implement, no matter their size, in regards to their sustainer programs? Ashley, maybe I'll start with you for one.
Speaker 2:That's a loaded question, but I, you know I'm really big on leading with vision and the right team to carry it. So the first thing I'd say is lead with vision and make sure you have the right team. Like you, don't start with touch points, start with vision. So if you don't have a clear picture of what you're building towards, you'll end up layering things that don't actually connect. So slow down long enough to ask the deeper questions like what do you want this community to feel? Like, what role do you want them to play? What will make them proud to belong here? And then, when you define that, everything else has something to align to and people will rise to meet it. So good.
Speaker 1:Always the why Always Andrea. What's one from you?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think one of the biggest kind of lessons that we learned from the rebranding experience was treating names as vessels, so revisiting our brand with fresh eyes, whether you are looking to actually rebrand or even if you are, you know, happy with your existing name, remembering that there's a connection that people might have to that name. It's not just the name of a monthly giving program. It's about the meaning that you create behind it. A name on its own can be empty and only carries the identity, purpose and values that you consistently pour into it, and so that's why naming mattered a lot to us. You know we wanted to make sure that people weren't just signing up for that transaction, but signing up to belong.
Speaker 1:Louder for those in the back. Yes, like I love all of this, and this is partly why you won the monthlies and so just really, really, really honored to have you all both on the show today. Where can people connect with both of you and where can they learn more about the Hunger Project? Ashley, I'll go to you first.
Speaker 2:I would say that listeners can connect with us at THPorg or find us on Instagram, facebook and LinkedIn. Andrea and I also really love to connect personally on LinkedIn, so we always find that to be a really great resource. We've had the opportunity to connect with peer organizations. We also did some learning through that. Individuals who have reached out to us on LinkedIn conferences. We're both open to connect, so feel free to reach out to us Again on LinkedIn is the best way.
Speaker 1:Perfect.
Speaker 2:Get in touch with us.
Speaker 1:I might be reaching back out to have you both speak at the Monthly Giving Summit coming up in February, so keep your LinkedIn inboxes open, andrea. Anything you want to wrap with?
Speaker 3:Yeah, we've been honored to come on and talk with you, and so we're really grateful for that opportunity. Like I said, we don't have all the answers. We're still learning and trying new things. So I guess for any organizations that are listening that have found a really good engagement strategy, specifically about the younger generation, I'd love to hear from you If you've experimented with approaches that build real community and belonging. We'd love to know what works and see if it's something that we might be able to try ourselves.
Speaker 1:Awesome. Reach out to Ashley and Andrea on LinkedIn. Check out their organization. I will link to everything in the show notes. Congratulations again. I hope you have a fantastic fall and giving season and hope to see you at the monthly giving summit coming up soon in February. Thank you so much for tuning into today's episode of Missions to Movements. If you enjoyed our conversation and found it helpful, I would love for you to take a moment to leave a review. Wherever you're listening, your feedback helps us reach more change makers like you and continue bringing impactful stories and strategies to the show. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button too, so you'll never miss an episode and until next time, keep turning your mission into a movement.
