Nonprofit best practices to recruit P2P fundraisers and supporters

Erin Booker

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July 22, 2024

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8 minutes

Nonprofit Trends

P2P Fundraising

Who (or What) are peer-to-peer fundraisers?

Peer-to-peer fundraisers are people who support a nonprofit organization or cause through grassroots fundraising that includes reaching out to their personal network of friends, family, and colleagues. These individuals serve as ambassadors for the organization and help raise awareness about its mission and programs while raising money with social fundraising efforts.

Back up; for more information on P2P, check out the ultimate guide to peer to peer fundraising.

12 Best practices to recruit P2P fundraisers and supporters

Depending on your organization, cause, and community, there are an infinite number of levers you can pull to get supporters to take the step from donor to peer-to-peer fundraiser. Here are best practices to recruit P2P fundraisers and supporters.

Choose an interesting challenge
Encourage team fundraising
Gamify your fundraising campaign
Reward fundraisers with swag
Provide a fundraising toolkit
Craft a compelling story
Streamline the signup process
Simplify social sharing
Provide regular updates
Make donating easy
Bookend the campaign with parties
Celebrate the wins

1. Choose a unique challenge

If you want people to jump in, you've got to tempt them with something exciting, interesting, and new. Bonus, if it's a cool peer-to-peer fundraising challenge, your peer-to-peer donor count will go up as well. The best fundraising campaigns relate to your mission, so start there, and once you find an activity that works for you, test it over a few years to make it the best it can be.

2. Encourage fundraising teams

You don't want to be on your own, and neither do your fundraisers. Not only will you see exponentially greater fundraising results due to more people raising money, but the collaborative nature of team fundraising motivates some people more than head-to-head competition.

3. Add a little friendly competition

Whether you go with team captains or individual peer-to-peer fundraisers, using a fundraising thermometer or P2P leaderboard is a way to inject a sense of competition into your peer fundraising event. Other ways to gamify your P2P campaign are social shoutouts or rewards for major donors and donations.

4. Offer swaggy incentives

Speaking of rewards... who doesn't want a mug or a t-shirt or a pair of branded snowshoes? Tempt your volunteer fundraisers with something they're proud to use and motivated to win. Don't overlook experiences or intangible goods, though... we'd still put out an immense effort if it resulted in the opportunity to throw a pie in our elementary principal's face.

5. Support your supporters

As you well know, getting people to donate to your cause isn't easy, so take as much of the burden off your individual fundraisers as possible. Providing a compelling story, branded fundraising page, social media templates, fundraising email templates, and pre-written communications will emphasize the fun of fundraising on behalf of your nonprofit. Bonus! If you set everything up ahead of time, your P2P fundraisers' public outreach will be on-brand.

Lucky for you, Funraise has everything you need to provide what your fundraisers need in the Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers' Toolkit.

When it comes to supporting your supporters, Chris Hammond, CEO of Corporate Giving Connection and peer-to-peer evangelist, has this to say on the Nonstop Nonprofit podcast:

...the best piece of advice I would give is, create a plan and take the time to build the collateral and the kit that you need...if you take that time to actually create that kit and make it something where somebody is actually just executing [sharing the fundraiser] and they don't have to think through or develop tools, it makes it much easier and you'll be surprised on who will be willing to do the fundraising on your behalf.

6. Make storytelling the star

Nonprofit storytelling is an art and a science. The magic of sparkling writing plus the proof of impact... it's what we strive for every day! And once you have a formula that works for you, don't be afraid to splash that around everywhere, starting with your favorite dedicated, donors. They already support your cause, now's your chance to show them what's truly possible with a little teamwork.

7. Create a streamlined registration process

We're talking about getting the best peer-to-peer fundraising software in the biz—Funraise! This fundraising platform for nonprofits offers all the peer-to-peer fundraising software by Funraise you could dream of—including a streamlined registration and setup process that makes happy and successful fundraisers.

Customized Campaign Website Builder
Customizable Supporter Pages
Mobile Fundraising
Automated Emails
Fundraising Progress Bars
Facebook Fundraiser Integration
Endurance Fundraising Tools
Donor Feeds
Fundraising Minimums

But this is just a dry, lifeless list of peer to peer fundraising platforms—talk to us to get to the good stuff and to hear how P2P fundraisers on Funraise raise $1,220 on average, 2x the amount of top P2P programs.

8. Deliver simple social sharing

Have we talked about the exponential power that social media platforms like Facebook have on P2P fundraising? We should, because it's impressive. How about 83% more impressive? When fundraisers use Funraise's Facebook integration, they raise 83% more on average.

Just one social media post can provide the social proof that potential donors need to start an avalanche of individual donations. Your independent fundraisers' social media presence is the cherry on top of the social proof sundae.

9. Implement regular status updates

As we noted earlier, there's nothing worse than feeling alone when you're on a mission to make impact (you know this.) So turn your active fundraisers into effective fundraisers by keeping them in the loop. Send a weekly text or update personal fundraisers when you hit a fundraising milestone and help them hold onto the passion y'all share for your cause.

10. Make the giving experience easy and accessible

We're not just thinking of independent fundraisers here, we also need to think about the P2P donors' experience. P2P fundraisers can take care of donor acquisition, but when it comes to conversion rates on your donation form, you'll need a giving experience that doesn't frustrate or confuse P2P donors. As with regular donors, make the donation process easy, and you'll see donation amounts and donor retention rise.

11. Make fundraising a (literal) party

Who doesn't love a party? Chris Hammond has a suggestion that we love: begin or end your future campaigns with a par-tay. We'll let Chris explain:

Chris' client, Dizzy Feet Foundation, had been doing annual galas that raised upwards of $200k but cost $150k. For their 10 year anniversary, they wanted something special, so Chris suggested a month-long P2P fundraiser culminating in an in-person peer event for fundraisers and their networks.

Ultimately, we put together this cocktail party at this beautiful home in Santa Monica... because of the excitement that happened in person and these personal stories that were shared, they raised over $200,000 in one month.

The only way we can improve on this is by having a party before and after!

12. Celebrate the big and little wins

So you've heard we love celebrations and confetti, guilty as charged. But so do your grassroots fundraisers. Sure, have a party or two (or three), but don't forget about the little wins—a leaderboard can help with that, and so can social or website callouts. Whatever it takes to keep your fundraisers motivated—get creative!

Mobile phone with donation form and donation charts floating around the phone.

Woman looking at fundraising chart with button to book a call.

Yellow shapes in background with donation form in front with stylized text, build an intelligence giving experience.

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Keep your communications tactical

It just makes sense—when your supporters are going grassroots fundraiser for you, there will be a lot of back-and-forth communication. To ensure that they're not overwhelmed—and you're not drowning in emails—plan out your emails, texts, and DMs ahead of time to make the most of every interaction.

Make a brave ask
Provide personalized messages
Send your fundraisers updates via text

Making a communications calendar of the who/what/when/where/why/how and laying down an outline sets expectations on both sides and keeps communication clear.

Think ahead to your next fundraiser

If peer-to-peer fundraising works for you, this won't be the only time you're going through this process. So it's time to think about how you can keep the momentum—and motivation—going. As you wrap up this grassroots fundraiser, keep these suggestions in mind:

Build a repeatable fundraising process

If you're going to run a future campaign, make it easy on yourself and your supporters. Build a familiar, repeatable system that your team and your fundraisers can trust year after year.

Make fundraisers want to come back

Was your fundraiser fun? If it wasn't, will your fundraisers want to fundraise again?

Thank this year's fundraisers

As with regular donors, you'll need to thank your P2P fundraisers. This is par for the course, nbd.

Consider recruiting P2P donors

Draw in those folks that gave to your nonprofit based on the request of your supporters. They're now part of the fold, and you know they know the power of P2P. Ask them to fundraise in your next campaign.

Ask about your fundraisers' experience

Send a survey. These are committed supporters, so there's a high likelihood that they'll respond. And now that you have a deeper relationship with these folks, you need to listen and act on what they say.

FAQ: Recruiting and motivating P2P fundraisers

What are the different types of peer-to-peer fundraising?

There are several different types of peer-to-peer fundraising that organizations can utilize to recruit fundraisers and supporters: DIY fundraising, event fundraising (virtual, hybrid, and in-person), team fundraising, and social fundraising. With the wide variety of causes and communities in the nonprofit world, P2P fundraising is only limited by your imagination.

How do you recruit social fundraisers for your cause?

Recruiting social fundraisers for your cause helps your nonprofit tap into new donor pools and engage supporters in a personal, meaningful way. Here are steps for recruiting P2P fundraisers: identify potential advocates, provide tools and resources, offer incentives, and personalize your outreach. Most of all, show your social fundraisers how their support makes a difference.

How do you encourage peer-to-peer fundraising?

Encouraging individuals to become peer-to-peer fundraisers can increase engagement, build relationships, and ultimately drive more donations during your peer fundraising campaigns. To encourage peer-to-peer fundraisers, do as much of the work as possible for them so they can focus on outreach, set clear fundraising goals, and show the impact.

What is the goal of peer-to-peer fundraising?

The goal of peer-to-peer fundraising is to empower individuals to raise funds on behalf of a nonprofit organization by leveraging their personal networks and connections. But the fundraising goals of a peer campaign go further: expanding your donor base, raising money, and ultimately, creating positive impact in the world.

How can I encourage my peers to fundraise?

Encouraging your peers to become P2P fundraisers and passionate supporters for a nonprofit you believe in can be difficult. The most important thing you can do is share the impact that the nonprofit has had on your sense of community and your own life. Be transparent, honest, and don't be afraid to ask for help.

What are some examples of P2P?

Some examples of successful peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns that you may have heard of are Dressember's wear-a-dress-everyday December annual campaign, Movember's yearly grow-a-mustache or wear-a-bowtie November campaign, and American Heart Association's Raise Your Way P2P campaign. Successful campaigns like these rely heavily on current supporters that work hard to share their passion for a cause.

What is the P2P strategy?

Peer-to-peer (P2P) is a popular fundraising strategy. By empowering individuals to fundraise on behalf of a nonprofit or cause, P2P fundraising can help organizations raise more money, increase awareness, and cultivate long-term relationships with your biggest supporters who become donors who become peer-to-peer fundraisers. The long-term strategy is to use more funds to make more impact.

How effective is peer-to-peer fundraising?

Peer-to-peer fundraising has proven to be an incredibly effective strategy for nonprofits looking to recruit fundraisers and inspiring supporters. By leveraging the networks and personal connections of their supporters, organizations can reach a wider audience and inspire more people to get involved in their cause.

How do you encourage peer-to-peer feedback?

Encouraging peer-to-peer feedback is essential for recruiting P2P fundraisers and inspiring supporters in a nonprofit organization. By fostering a culture of open communication and collaboration among your community, you can empower individuals to share their thoughts, ideas, and experiences, ultimately strengthening their commitment to the cause.

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