How Can We Help?
City Fruit relies on individual donors for its funding. In the year 2023, individual giving made up 9% of total revenue. In 2022, individual contributions made up almost 18% of total revenue. Compared to many US gleaning and food access nonprofits, City Fruit’s individual donation make-up falls around the middle of the range, with many having as low as 2% of funding from individuals and others having proportions as high as 25%.
In order to increase the amount of individual donors and have a more steady, sustainable income stream, City Fruit aims for recurring donors through its Sustaining Membership program. These donations are more reliable than one-time donations from individuals, even larger ones. Membership benefits are extended to all recurring donors who commit to a monthly contribution of $7 (~$85 per year) or more. The past few years have seen a large increase in recurring donors, often credited to new spending trends related to an increase in monthly subscription services.
While many recurring donor programs for nonprofits do not offer anything in return, City Fruit offers a number of benefits for Sustaining Members. These include the ability to reserve fruit at our Fruit-For-All events, discounts on our Master Fruit Tree Steward program, discounts on our Tree Care Services, and discounts at a number of local nurseries and cideries. This approach has multiple benefits. Firstly, it serves as an expression of gratitude for our Sustaining Members.
If one shops frequently at nurseries, cideries, or our tree care services, the membership practically pays for itself. Secondly, it provides an incentive for people to become Sustaining Members. Lastly, people who may have not previously been aware of City Fruit can learn about us through Sustaining Membership advertising at participating local businesses and subsequently get involved with City Fruit and/or become a Sustaining Member.
Overall, City Fruit’s Sustaining Membership program has been very successful in incentivizing recurring donations and building a stronger and more diverse revenue stream.