How well do Recurring Upgrade tools work? A case study experiment

A Funraise donation form asking for a donor to upgrade.
April 17, 2026
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The traditional recurring journey goes like this: Donor comes in, gives. Nonprofit adds donor to communications. After a hopefully-not-random amount of time goes by, nonprofit asks donor to become a sustaining member.

We have a better idea: Give your entire recurring donation program an upgrade and start the recurring conversation from the beginning. Funraise's Recurring Upgrade feature gives one-time donors the opportunity to upgrade at the time of their initial donation.

Funraise's Recurring Upgrade feature automatically suggests a monthly donation option to one-time donors giving less than $100. And it's super easy to test: add this feature to any Funraise Giving Form with a simple on/off toggle.

How much impact could you create with an additional 124% in recurring revenue?

Amazing Facts ran an A/B test to see just how big of an impact Funraise’s Recurring Upgrade feature would have on recurring gift revenue, and the results were an incredible 124% increase.

Their test donation form had the monthly upgrade option turned on, while the default donation form left the upgrade tool off.

Here are the amazing results of that 60-day test. On the form with the Recurring Upgrade activated,

  • Recurring revenue surged by 124%
  • The number of recurring gifts jumped 59%
  • The average recurring gift skyrocketed 40.6%—from $46 to $65

Compound it! You know Funraise's donation form has an astounding 50% conversion rate, right? Combining this high-performing donation form with a Recurring Upgrade tool will result not just in more recurring donors, but in a meaningful relationship with your supporters from the start, not just another ask.

So, would we endorse testing out the Recurring Upgrade option? It gets our 124% approval!

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