Renew first, then ask: what to do with the subscriber who hasn't given yet
A subscriber who doesn't come back next season rarely becomes a donor. The renewal is the relationship.
Last week Jim DeGood, founder of Cultural Catalysts, sent me a question that a lot of arts organizations are wrestling with:
“Which primary ask wins when we have a subscriber non-donor? We need to renew the subscriber relationship and we want to convert them to donation.”
My answer: the renewal wins. But you don't have to pick one. You have to pick the order.
Why the renewal comes first
A subscriber who doesn't come back next season rarely becomes a donor. The renewal is the relationship. If the first thing they hear from you is a gift ask, you're asking for more from someone who hasn't yet said yes to what they already have.
This is the part I've seen pay off. At Texas Ballet Theater, we rebuilt the subscription renewal. Attrition dropped to the lowest in the company's history, and revenue for the 2025–26 season rose 56%.
Step 1: Put a gift option inside the renewal
Add one optional line at checkout: a suggested gift on top of the renewal. Keep it small and simple. No second pitch and no extra page.
The people who say yes here are telling you something. They've just moved from subscriber to donor without a separate campaign.
Step 2: Make the real donor ask after they've used the season
The separate gift ask works better once they've sat in the seats. By midseason they have something to point to: a performance they loved, a program they brought their kids to. Tie the ask to what they've actually experienced, not to the institution in general.
Step 3: Know who's who
After renewal, you should be able to split your subscribers into three groups: those who added a gift at checkout, those who have given before, and those who have never given. Each group gets a different follow-up. If your system can't tell you that, fix it before the next renewal cycle.
Then put those numbers on a one-page renewal report your board can read.
Three questions to ask before your next renewal goes out
- Does our renewal include an optional gift line?
- Do we know which subscribers have never given?
- When does our first donor ask land, compared with the renewal?
If your next subscription renewal is on your desk, DM me. I'll give you 20 free minutes on which ask should go first and what I'd change. No pitch.
Thanks to Jim for the question. If you run a subscription program, which ask goes first at your organization?