- Start with your board, staff and closest volunteersDon't launch to the public cold. Enroll the people already closest to you first. They give you a visible early total, proof the process works in about a minute, and a base of recruiters before you widen the ask. Set a simple goal: 100% of the board enrolled before the public announcement.
- Make a single one-tap enrollment linkFriction kills enrollment. Create one short link that takes a supporter straight to picking your cause — no searching, no account hunting. This link is the hero of every step that follows; everything below is just a different place to put it.
- Enroll at every touchpointPut the link where people already see you: newsletter footer, event signage and slides, social bios and posts, and — quietly powerful — every staff email signature. The goal is for enrolling to never be more than a tap away.
- Run a dedicated launch announcementSend one focused email and social post that explains what it is, why it matters, and the single action to take. One clear ask outperforms a buried mention every time.
- Report the running totalShare the growing number monthly or quarterly. "Our supporters have funded $X just by shopping" makes impact visible, motivates current enrollees, and pulls new ones in. A number that grows is its own best advertisement.
- Thank every enrolleeAcknowledge people when they sign up — a reply, a shout-out, a line in the newsletter. Gratitude keeps enrollees active and turns your happiest supporters into recruiters who bring the next wave.
Sample copy you can adapt
Launch email
Subject: A new way to support us — without spending a dime extra
Hi [Name], we've found a way for you to fund [Org] just by doing something you already do: shopping locally. Pick us as your cause once, and a share of your everyday spending supports our work automatically — no extra cost, no fundraising asks, nothing to remember. It takes about a minute. [Enroll here →] Thank you for being part of this.
Social post
You can support [Org] without spending a cent extra. 👀 Pick us as your cause once, and a slice of your everyday local shopping funds our mission — automatically. One tap, then you're done. Link in bio. 💜 #ShopLocal #[YourCause]
Email signature line
Support [Org] for free as you shop locally → [your one-tap link]
A passive-giving platform built for exactly this playbook
Good Circles gives every nonprofit a one-tap cause link, a live running total, and Founding Nonprofit status for early adopters — free. Supporters pick your cause once, then a share of their everyday local spending funds you automatically (about $72 per active supporter per year, recurring and unrestricted). Launching September 2026.
Claim a Founding Nonprofit spot →The enrollment checklist
- Board and staff enrolled before public launch
- One short, one-tap enrollment link created
- Link added to newsletter, socials, events and email signatures
- Launch email and social post sent
- Running total reported on a set cadence
- Every enrollee thanked
Sources & tools
Free first
- M+R Benchmarks (current year) — Email & list / fundraising charts — Free open/click/conversion benchmarks to set realistic targets for an enrollment-drive email and social campaign.
- Candid Learning — Cultivating individual donors (course catalog) — Free courses on segmenting supporters and crafting asks — the messaging backbone of an enrollment push.
- National Council of Nonprofits — Fundraising & Resource Development — Best-practice guidance on mobilizing supporters and communications that drive a one-time action like enrollment.
- AFP — Donor Bill of Rights & ethical solicitation standards — The ethical baseline for how you ask supporters to enroll and how you communicate the program's terms.
- Google for Nonprofits — Ad Grants for outreach — Up to $10k/month in free search ads you can point at an enrollment landing page to recruit supporters.
Paid — optional labor-savers
- Mailchimp — Segmented email and automation to run a multi-touch enrollment sequence with trackable conversion. Worth it when Worth it when you have a supporter list and want to A/B test and automate the enrollment drive.
- Canva for Nonprofits — Templates for the social graphics, QR flyers, and link cards an enrollment campaign needs. Worth it when Worth it when you need consistent, on-brand enrollment creative across channels quickly.
Last verified 2026-06-16. Figures and rules change — verify at the source before you act.
FAQ
Who should I enroll first?
Start with your board, staff and closest volunteers. They give you a visible early total, real proof the process works, and a base of recruiters before you ask the wider community.
How often should I promote passive giving?
Keep it always-on through evergreen placements like your email signature and newsletter footer, then add a focused push a few times a year and a monthly or quarterly total update.
How do I keep passive giving top of mind?
Report the running total regularly, thank enrollees publicly, and embed a one-tap link in everything you already send so enrolling is never more than a tap away.