diff --git a/commands/donate/cmd.go b/commands/donate/cmd.go
index 5bfb72c..b1c04f4 100644
--- a/commands/donate/cmd.go
+++ b/commands/donate/cmd.go
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ func (c *CmdDonate) Run(
 	amount := githubv4.Int(c.Amount)
 	isRecurring := githubv4.Boolean(c.IsRecurring)
 	privacyLevel := githubv4.SponsorshipPrivacy(githubv4.SponsorshipPrivacyPublic)
+	receiveEmails := githubv4.Boolean(false)
+
+	sponsorIds := map[string]string{}
 
 	// For each recipient create a GH sponsorship that is:
 	//	- $1
@@ -72,26 +75,56 @@ func (c *CmdDonate) Run(
 		row := row
 		logger.Infof("donating %s:%s", row.SponsorID, row.RecipientID)
 
-		var m struct {
-			CreateSponsorship struct {
-				ClientMutationID string
-			} `graphql:"createSponsorship(input:$input)"`
+		failed := false
+
+		sid, ok := sponsorIds[row.SponsorID]
+		if !ok {
+			var q struct {
+				RepositoryOwner struct {
+					ID string
+				} `graphql:"repositoryOwner(login: $login)"`
+			}
+			var vars map[string]any = map[string]any{
+				"login": githubv4.String(row.SponsorID),
+			}
+
+			err := client.Query(ctx, &q, vars)
+			if err != nil {
+				logger.WithError(err).Error("failed to get sponsor id")
+				failed = true
+			} else {
+				sid = q.RepositoryOwner.ID
+				sponsorIds[row.SponsorID] = sid
+			}
 		}
-		id := githubv4.String(fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", row.SponsorID, row.RecipientID))
-		sponsorLogin := githubv4.String(row.SponsorID)
-		sponsorableLogin := githubv4.String(row.RecipientID)
-		var input githubv4.Input = githubv4.CreateSponsorshipInput{
-			ClientMutationID: &id,
-			IsRecurring:      &isRecurring,
-			Amount:           &amount,
-			SponsorLogin:     &sponsorLogin,
-			SponsorableLogin: &sponsorableLogin,
-			PrivacyLevel:     &privacyLevel,
+
+		if !failed {
+			var m struct {
+				CreateSponsorship struct {
+					ClientMutationID string
+				} `graphql:"createSponsorship(input:$input)"`
+			}
+			id := githubv4.String(fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", row.SponsorID, row.RecipientID))
+			sponsorId := githubv4.ID(sid)
+			sponsorableLogin := githubv4.String(row.RecipientID)
+			var input githubv4.Input = githubv4.CreateSponsorshipInput{
+				ClientMutationID: &id,
+				IsRecurring:      &isRecurring,
+				Amount:           &amount,
+				SponsorID:        &sponsorId,
+				SponsorableLogin: &sponsorableLogin,
+				PrivacyLevel:     &privacyLevel,
+				ReceiveEmails:    &receiveEmails,
+			}
+
+			err := client.Mutate(ctx, &m, input, nil)
+			if err != nil {
+				logger.WithError(err).Errorf("failed to create sponsorship for %s", row.RecipientID)
+				failed = true
+			}
 		}
 
-		err := client.Mutate(ctx, &m, input, nil)
-		if err != nil {
-			logger.WithError(err).Error("failed to create sponsorship")
+		if failed {
 			/* autoquery name: UpdateDonationDonateAttemptTs :exec
 
 			UPDATE donations
@@ -99,16 +132,15 @@ func (c *CmdDonate) Run(
 			WHERE id = ?;
 			*/
 			_ = db.UpdateDonationDonateAttemptTs(ctx, row.ID)
-			continue
-		}
+		} else {
+			/* autoquery name: UpdateDonationDonateTs :exec
 
-		/* autoquery name: UpdateDonationDonateTs :exec
-
-		UPDATE donations
-		SET donate_ts = UNIXEPOCH()
-		WHERE id = ?;
-		*/
-		_ = db.UpdateDonationDonateTs(ctx, row.ID)
+			UPDATE donations
+			SET donate_ts = UNIXEPOCH()
+			WHERE id = ?;
+			*/
+			_ = db.UpdateDonationDonateTs(ctx, row.ID)
+		}
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 720234f..bd26c6e 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -7,12 +7,10 @@ require (
 	github.com/alecthomas/kong v0.8.0
 	github.com/google/go-github/v55 v55.0.0
 	github.com/google/uuid v1.3.0
-	github.com/jpillora/backoff v1.0.0
 	github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3 v1.14.17
 	github.com/pressly/goose/v3 v3.15.0
 	github.com/shurcooL/githubv4 v0.0.0-20230704064427-599ae7bbf278
 	github.com/sirupsen/logrus v1.9.3
-	golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20230905200255-921286631fa9
 	golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.12.0
 	golang.org/x/sync v0.3.0
 	golang.org/x/tools v0.13.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index b08de6c..72a056b 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ github.com/google/go-querystring v1.1.0/go.mod h1:Kcdr2DB4koayq7X8pmAG4sNG59So17
 github.com/google/uuid v1.3.0 h1:t6JiXgmwXMjEs8VusXIJk2BXHsn+wx8BZdTaoZ5fu7I=
 github.com/google/uuid v1.3.0/go.mod h1:TIyPZe4MgqvfeYDBFedMoGGpEw/LqOeaOT+nhxU+yHo=
 github.com/hexops/gotextdiff v1.0.3 h1:gitA9+qJrrTCsiCl7+kh75nPqQt1cx4ZkudSTLoUqJM=
-github.com/jpillora/backoff v1.0.0 h1:uvFg412JmmHBHw7iwprIxkPMI+sGQ4kzOWsMeHnm2EA=
-github.com/jpillora/backoff v1.0.0/go.mod h1:J/6gKK9jxlEcS3zixgDgUAsiuZ7yrSoa/FX5e0EB2j4=
 github.com/kballard/go-shellquote v0.0.0-20180428030007-95032a82bc51 h1:Z9n2FFNUXsshfwJMBgNA0RU6/i7WVaAegv3PtuIHPMs=
 github.com/mattn/go-isatty v0.0.19 h1:JITubQf0MOLdlGRuRq+jtsDlekdYPia9ZFsB8h/APPA=
 github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3 v1.14.17 h1:mCRHCLDUBXgpKAqIKsaAaAsrAlbkeomtRFKXh2L6YIM=
@@ -57,8 +55,6 @@ golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20190308221718-c2843e01d9a2/go.mod h1:djNgcEr1/C05ACk
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20210921155107-089bfa567519/go.mod h1:GvvjBRRGRdwPK5ydBHafDWAxML/pGHZbMvKqRZ5+Abc=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.13.0 h1:mvySKfSWJ+UKUii46M40LOvyWfN0s2U+46/jDd0e6Ck=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.13.0/go.mod h1:y6Z2r+Rw4iayiXXAIxJIDAJ1zMW4yaTpebo8fPOliYc=
-golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20230905200255-921286631fa9 h1:GoHiUyI/Tp2nVkLI2mCxVkOjsbSXD66ic0XW0js0R9g=
-golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20230905200255-921286631fa9/go.mod h1:S2oDrQGGwySpoQPVqRShND87VCbxmc6bL1Yd2oYrm6k=
 golang.org/x/mod v0.12.0 h1:rmsUpXtvNzj340zd98LZ4KntptpfRHwpFOHG188oHXc=
 golang.org/x/mod v0.12.0/go.mod h1:iBbtSCu2XBx23ZKBPSOrRkjjQPZFPuis4dIYUhu/chs=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20190603091049-60506f45cf65/go.mod h1:HSz+uSET+XFnRR8LxR5pz3Of3rY3CfYBVs4xY44aLks=