A Live Interview with Reshelle Scheffler | Donor Experience Sessions: Chicago

What does a high-performing monthly giving program actually look like in practice? In this live interview from DX Sessions Chicago, Reshelle Scheffler of the Greater Chicago Food Depository shares how her team grew their sustainer base by 44% in a single year — including 2,100 new monthly donors acquired in just seven weeks during the SNAP benefits crisis — while maintaining a 91.7% retention rate. This is a candid, data-rich conversation about the real systems, human touchpoints, and strategic decisions behind one of the most impressive monthly giving programs in the food bank sector. In this interview, you'll hear about: • How the team responded to a 1,200% surge in new monthly donors during a national emergency • The outbound thank-you call strategy that surprised donors and deepened loyalty • Why suppressing monthly donors from year-end campaigns led to 50% fewer unsubscribes • Exclusive volunteer repack sessions that drove 19% additional gift conversion in a single event How they're tracking retention by channel — and what the data shows • The "less is more" communication philosophy and how they're testing its limits • Three things Reshelle would implement tomorrow to improve monthly retention 🧠 Get more insights on our blog: https://fundraiseup.com/blog/ 🆙 Explore the power of Fundraise Up https://fundraiseup.com/features/ 📽️ Subscribe on YouTube    / @fundraiseup   💬 Connect on LinkedIn   / fundraiseup   00:00 Introduction & Greater Chicago Food Depository Overview 02:09 Monthly Giving Metrics: 10,500 Donors & 91.7% Retention 04:25 Responding to the SNAP Crisis: 1,200% Surge in New Donors 07:56 The 30-Day Welcome Journey & Outbound Thank-You Calls 13:35 Volunteer Repack Sessions & Face-to-Face Donor Engagement 17:18 The "Less Is More" Email Strategy & Suppression Wins 20:53 What's Next: Direct Mail, Anniversary Touches & Top 3 Retention Tips