Technically speaking, a recurring gift with an end date is a pledge. A recurring gift has no end date and there is not commitment on the part of the donor.  In the example that you use, a $15 gift for 24 months is really a pledge of $360. Also worth noting that the accounting treatment on a recurring gift is different than a pledge. So choose wisely. 

 

In general, all the research we have done around online giving and recurring gifts points to not adding an end-date option. By adding what seems like a very subtle option has a drastic impact on your fundraising revenue in the long-run. 

A series of tests showed that adding an end-date option did more harm than good. Donors who normally would not have normally put an end-date on the recurring gift starting doing it because it was suddenly an on-screen option. 

And all our data says that you absolutely want most donors making recurring gifts to the organization. Recurring donors have better Lifetime Value and retention rates than single-gift or pledge donors.