Once-off giving will always be essential, especially in emergencies, but what has been missing is a way for people who want to stay involved to do so in a consistent and structured way – this is the gap Donors For Life is here to fill.
South Africa (23 July 2026) – In times of disaster, medical emergencies, overwhelming education costs or a charity struggling to make ends meet, countless South Africans have turned to crowdfunding as a source of help.
Time and again, our nation has responded with heartfelt generosity, rallying around families and individuals in their darkest hours – showing just how deeply South Africans care, and how quickly we come together when a friend, neighbour or community member’s need becomes urgent.
While crowdfunding is remarkably powerful at bringing people together in a crisis, keeping that relief flowing over the long haul is much harder.
According to Donors For Life, many beneficiaries experience a wave of early support, only to watch it fade as the spotlight shifts, even though their daily struggles remain just as real.
This is the gap Donors For Life, a monthly giving initiative created by BackaBuddy and Paysoft Impact, has been born to bridge. More than a monthly giving programme, Donors For Life gently connects people to the causes close to their hearts, inviting them to step into an ongoing journey of support and become part of something far bigger than a single contribution.
The model is designed to shift crowdfunding from reactive, once-off donations toward structured recurring monthly support, creating a more stable foundation for long-term need. Rather than changing what crowdfunding is, Donors For Life reflects a shift in what it is being asked to carry, particularly in a context where demand for support continues well after a campaign.
Catherine Swanepoel, co-founder of BackaBuddy and the Donors For Life programme, says the initiative responds to a reality that has always existed within crowdfunding, but is becoming more visible as the scale and duration of need increases across South Africa.
“Crowdfunding is incredibly powerful at responding to urgency. It brings people together at the exact moment they are needed,” says Catherine.
“The challenge is what happens after that moment passes. Donors For Life exists because need does not stop when attention moves on, and many of the challenges people face continue long after the initial response.”
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What to Put Beside Your Boerie on the Braai This Heritage DayThe intention is not to replace existing crowdfunding behaviour, but to evolve it in a way that reflects how support actually functions in practice.
“We are not trying to fix something that is broken; we are responding to something that is incomplete,” explains Catherine.
“One-off giving will always be essential, especially in emergencies, but what has been missing is a way for people who want to stay involved to do so in a consistent and structured way that reflects ongoing need. Donors For Life is about helping people find meaning through giving. When supporters join, they are not simply donating; they are becoming part of a community united by a shared belief in a cause.”
Rising living costs and South Africa’s socioeconomic environment make this gap particularly significant for non-profit organisations, which are often operating under sustained pressure across healthcare, education and social welfare with limited and unpredictable funding.
In this context, the sustainability of funding becomes as critical as the immediacy of response, particularly for organisations expected to deliver long-term support within short-term funding cycles.
The programme also works alongside organisations on two fronts: strategy and storytelling. On the strategy side, that means setting clear recurring giving goals, defining a donor community worth belonging to, and building or optimising the campaign and donation pages that support it.
On the storytelling side, it means helping organisations communicate impact more effectively, plan and execute marketing and launch campaigns, and retain donors through long-term relationship building.
“What we are building with Donors For Life is the infrastructure that allows good intentions to translate into ongoing impact, without friction, and in a way that is sustainable for both donors and organisations,” shares Chad Roberts, Founder and Managing Director of Paysoft Impact.
He adds that predictable giving enables longer-term stability for organisations supporting beneficiaries.
Megan Bedingham, Founder of The Royal Drakensberg Education Trust, who participated in the Donors For Life programme, says the programme guided her team through the practical steps of building a sustainable donor community, while also challenging them to refine their thinking and sharpen their fundraising strategy.
“The mentorship, insights and support have been instrumental in helping us understand how to grow and nurture a village of donors who share our vision for education and community development.”
When giving becomes predictable, charity organisations are able to plan, stabilise and grow their support structures. That is where real long-term change becomes possible.
While still in its early stages, Donors For Life signals a shift in how crowdfunding may function in South Africa going forward, particularly where need is ongoing rather than once-off.
In practical terms, it points to a move away from support driven by moments of urgency, toward support that continues over time. For South Africa, this matters because much of the need being responded to does not end when attention moves on. It points to a future where organisations spend less time chasing funding and more time delivering impact, where support is defined by continuity, and where the impact after giving becomes just as important as the act of giving itself.
Sources: Donors For Life
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