I'm the proud host of July's nonprofit blog carnival and this month we are looking at regular giving.

Monthly giving is the backbone of many individual giving programmes, but it can be hard to get right, especially in small charities . This month we'll be looking at how to acquire monthly givers, how to welcome them to your nonprofit and then how to look after them so they keep giving for many years.

Acquiring monthly givers and general advice

The main sources of recruiting monthly givers include:

• Street fundraising
• Door to door fundraising
• Direct response television
• Direct mail
• Panels on trains and in washrooms
• Asking your current supporters to sign up

The effectiveness and popularity of each method depends on where you are in the world and the budget you have available.

As acquisition becomes increasingly expensive it is important that fundraisers think creatively about recruiting new donors.

Pamela Grow shares advice on how to start up a monthly giving programme.

A Small Change on setting expectations for your programmes.

The Fundraising Authority with seven steps to launching a monthly giving program at your nonprofit.

Joanne Fritz at About.com posts eight tips for keeping monthly giving simple.

Kunye Consulting with a view on regular giving from South Africa.

SOFII has a wealth of examples of great monthly giving campaigns and products. Here are a few of my favourites:

• Dogs Trust sponsor a puppy product.
• The story of the origins of street fundraising by Greenpeace.
• Save the Children's Gaza campaign - used SMS and then telephone to convert to monthly giving.

Welcome and thank you

Depending on the type of recruitment you use for regular givers, attrition can be up to 65 per cent in year one. That's why it is so important that you do everything you can to welcome your new donors and make them feel appreciated.

Read how WRVS reduced their first gift attrition by 40% by sending a simple, heartfelt and personalised postcard.

101 Fundraising on calculating retention and building a retention and development strategy.

mGive share how you can use mobile and text giving to build a regular giving community.

Stewardship

Once you've welcomed and thanked your donors, you need to think how you are going to build your communications programme to inspire your donors and make them glad they gave.

Stuart Glen shares a lovely story about how he received a personal thank you for his monthly gift to Child's i.

Over at Pamela Grow's blog, Lisa Sargent shares some thoughts on the importance of on-going communication with your regular donors and getting your back end systems working correctly.

The Clarification blog share seven ways to build rapport with your donors using creative thank you's.

The Nonprofit Consultant blog on how your regular givers are changing.

August's nonprofit blog carnival

Kivi Leroux Miller at Nonprofit Marketing Guide is hosting next month's carnival and the topic is "playing nice with others" so you can get more work done, and done effectively, in a nonprofit environment.

Thanks for reading July's carnival - do get in touch if you have any questions or comments.

P.S. You can become a "Friend of the Carnival" and sign up for regular updates from Joanne Fritz, the nonprofit guide at About.com and manager of the carnival.

A couple of days later than usual, here is my latest round-up of articles worth reading. Enjoy.

Amanda dissects a thank you letter she received from Sightsavers.

The Fundraising Collective reflect on the 2013 IoF Convention.

Lucy finally quits supporting a charity after over a decade of support. It couldn't happen to your organisation could it?

 Kevin skips Twitter for a week. What did he learn?

 Agents of Good are donor focussed.

Future Fundraising Now share another stupid nonprofit ad.

Sean with a great way to destroy your individual giving fundraising.

Five questions determine if you can know a charity's effectiveness.

Nancy shares a lovely story about her 107 year old aunt and relationship building.

Karen gives us 13 quick tips on acquisition and retention.

Change Fundraising on when to refuse a donation.

The latest series of posts by the Veritus Group is on staff retention.

Seven steps to setting up a major gift solicitation meeting from the Fundraising Coach.

Seth on marketing magic beans.

I had a great time at the IoF Convention last week. It was great to chat to so many fundraising folk and to attend some thought provoking sessions. I'll share some of my learnings next week.

In the meantime here are some articles that have caught my eye recently. Enjoy the sunshine!

From the IoF Convention:

Notes from Tony Elischer's inspiring Monday plenary.

Alan Clayton on why we cannot fundraise alone.

Simon Shriver shares his notes from convention.

Elsewhere:

The PFRA launch a newsletter for councils. There's some good info on face to face fundraising that fundraisers can use too.

Kevin on turning buzzwords into action.

Rosie shares her favourite charity newsletter and some tips to improve yours.

Karen shares her newsletter tips too.

Two posts on capital appeals. Richard Turner on the private phase and Simon George on feasability studies.

Ten copywriting tips from Dr Seuss by Stuart Glen. 

Cause 4 Opinion ask where are the UK's social innovators?

Veritus Group look at emotional intelligence and major gift fundraising.

Donor Dreams Blog: Why spray and pray fundraising strategies don't work anymore.

Lucy with ten tips to get the best deal every time.

Penelope Burk discusses what causes donor burnout.

Good Works with eight tips for donor retention.

Nonprofit brand: who are you? A guest post worth checking out at Future Fundraising Now.

Another great retention article (and a simple calculation to help you) on 101 Fundraising.

Pamela Grow on the importance of getting your backend systems in place for monthly giving.

Four ways to create a culture of giving at your nonprofit.

Today is the start of the annual Institute of Fundraising Convention. If you are going along, then do come and say hello - it would be lovely to meet you.

As I've been working on my presentations over the weekend, it means I'm a bit late with the reading round-up. Sorry for the delay!

The Fundraising Collective on Impossibly Monstrous Projects.

Barbara Talisman: Donors don't have to give anything.

Are you adding to your donor's 'experience CV'? asks Amanda.

Charlie on how to make your story stand out.

Stuart Glen joins the blogging scence and shares his thoughts on in-memory giving.

Tom Peters goes from outraged to open minded about the use of big data.

Copyblogger looks at the evolution of permission marketing.

Fututre Fundraising Now with nine ways to be an antil-donor fundraiser.

Veritus Group share 26 conversation tips.

Kivi wants to know if your nonprofit is ready to be super relevant?

Why screaming goats and random cats matter. Conor Byrne gives his opinion.

20 symptoms of fundraising trouble by Reinier at 101 Fundraisin.

This list of fundraising ideas that Change Fundraising will never do made me smile.

Paul shares some bits and bobs about mobile.

Charity Chicks reflect upon Once Upon I Wish I'd Thought Of That.

Do you know your failure rate asks the Agitators?

The best fundraising offer that Agents of Good never got.

Beth wants to know if you are a giver, taker, or matcher?

Karen Zapp: Ignoring Supporters. Donors and members retaliate.