In this article:

1. How to request the ability to use pre-set recurring forms

2. How to use pre-set recurring forms correctly

3. What does this policy look like in practice?

4. What will ActBlue be doing to ensure adherence to this policy?

5. Who can I talk to about what this policy might mean for my program?

Recurring contribution programs are vital to grassroots fundraising. They provide steady funding for groups, make budgeting more manageable, and help donors invest in and stay connected to causes. ActBlue has a suite of tools to help organizations ask for recurring contributions, one of which is pre-set recurring forms.

ActBlue policy requires groups using pre-set recurring forms to explicitly ask donors for recurring contributions immediately before the donor clicks the link to give. 

Entities need to contact us and receive approval to use pre-set recurring forms. Once we approve your request and activate the feature, all entities are required to abide by the policy (detailed below).

How to request the ability to use pre-set recurring forms

Email your ActBlue account representative or contact our support team if you want to use pre-set recurring forms. Our team will be in touch, walk you through the feature and our policy, and answer any questions you may have.

How to use pre-set recurring forms correctly

All organizations using pre-set recurring forms to collect recurring contributions must include an explicit ask for a recurring contribution immediately before the donor clicks the link to give. In addition, any pre-set dollar amounts in the links must reflect what is in the ask. For example, if you ask for a seven-dollar monthly donation, that is the amount you need to have pre-set on your form. This policy applies anywhere a donor might click a pre-set recurring link, including in emails, text messages, and on websites. If multiple pre-set recurring links exist in a single communication, you must include recurring language near each link. The goal is for donors to know you are prompting them to make a recurring donation when they click on your link.
We require his language on all monthly and weekly recurring asks that use the pre-set recurring feature. All other aspects of working with recurring contributions remain the same.

What does this policy look like in practice?

The donation ask must clearly and conspicuously state that you are asking for a recurring contribution, and any pre-set dollar amounts in the links must reflect what is in the ask. You can use words like “a month,” “monthly,” “weekly,” or something similar. Make sure it’s clear to the donor that you’re prompting them to make a contribution that will recur more than once. 

Here are examples of recurring asks you could use:

• Will you make a monthly contribution?
• Donate monthly now!
• Make a $3 monthly contribution
• Support us with a monthly contribution
• Will you pitch in $5 a month?
• Please make a $7 recurring contribution to help us meet our goals 
• Can we count on you to make a monthly commitment? 
• Make a monthly contribution and receive this free sticker. Donate monthly now!
• Please use the links in this email to start a monthly donation

Here are some examples of how this text could look in practice:

What will ActBlue be doing to ensure adherence to this policy?

We will contact any organizations using pre-set recurring forms out of compliance with this policy. We will limit the use of the feature until the organization properly adheres to the policy. Repeated failure to do so will result in a group no longer having access to this feature.

Who can I talk to about what this policy might mean for my program?

Please contact us to request the ability to use pre-set recurring forms or have questions about our policy or how to use recurring tools. We are always eager to brainstorm fundraising ideas and help you get the most out of our platform.

If you have any questions, please contact our support team using the email address you use to access your ActBlue account.