What structure do you need to put in place for a successful P2P campaign

Choosing a peer-to-peer fundraising platform is a key part of building a structure for your P2P fundraising campaign plan, but it's not the only piece of the puzzle. Communications, resources, and branding play supporting roles as well, and when built properly, can form a strong foundation for a peer-to-peer program. For a comparison of peer-to-peer fundraising platforms, start and end with Funraise.

Collect fundraiser resources

Your fundraisers are passionate about your mission, not necessarily about writing a whole big story explaining why their friends, family, and colleagues should give. So... write it for them! And in that spirit, what else can you do to make fundraising easier on them? Set up branded templates, send milestone communications, and write social posts that they can use. 

And whaddaya know, it just so happens that we already started a packet for you! Take a look at The Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Toolkit for Your Supporters.

Set up encouraging automated emails

Depending on the length of your campaign, your supporters may get tired. They may lose their motivation. They may need you to pump them up! One easy way to do that is to create and schedule encouraging communications to go out at key points in your campaign, usually halfway, three-quarters of the way through, and with a day or a week left. 

Build a branded P2P campaign site

Making sure the branding on your peer-to-peer campaign site is on point will benefit your nonprofit in a few ways. First, it connects your campaign with your organization (obvious). Second, it legitimizes your fundraisers' efforts. Third, it satisfies any doubts your potential donors may have that you're going to do what you say. All throughout the process, they see the same branding and wording, which leads to a deeper, trusting relationship.

But who has the best, easiest, most user-friendly-est campaign site editor in all the land? Funraise, of course! Let us show you how Funraise prioritizes all things P2P. 

Launching a P2P campaign for community organizations

Member-based community organizations like YMCAs, Boys and Girls Clubs, and Jewish Community Centers see significant success with P2P-fueled annual campaigns. Katie Hill, Financial Development and Community Relations Director with Gaston County Family YMCA, explains,

"Peer-to-peer has been a gamechanger! We meet our goal so quickly because we’re able to manage this event through a P2P page on Funraise. Setting the pages up is pretty intuitive. If you don’t know how to write code, you can still put this together and make it look nice."

Funraise + Daxko

And when combined with Daxko, you've got the Best Peer-to-Peer Fundraising and Member Management Solution for Community Organizations. Period.

But don't take our word for it. Katie has more to say: 

"From a development standpoint, we focus on relationships, relationships, relationships. And the best way for me to manage those relationships is to have the information that I need so that when I go into the conversation, ...I go in fully equipped to build a relationship and make an ask."

Funraise and Daxko combine to make a fundraising fusion that checks all the boxes. Talk to Funraise today!

Challenges That Can Affect P2P Campaign Success

As with anything in life, challenges come with peer-to-peer fundraisers. In order to maximize the efficacy of your campaign, put some precautions in place and offset P2P challenges with your own creative workarounds: seasonal factors, platform restrictions, fundraiser network limitations, and more.

Seasonal factors

Depending on your fundraising activity, timeline, and length, the season may be a factor in how successful your campaign is. A fun run in the dead heat of summer or an egg hunt in December is going to be an uphill climb. 

Platform limitations

If you're using a fundraising platform for nonprofits that doesn't prioritize peer-to-peer, you may bump up against unnecessary challenges and obstacles. Manual registration work for your supporters, difficulty with branding and customization, social media challenges, and a cumbersome donation process will slow P2P support to a halt. 

Here's where we pitch Funraise: Peer to peer fundraising is one of our core products, and with the best and most innovative fundraising features in the nonprofit world, you'll find simplification instead of problems.  

Extent of social sharing

When it comes to P2P, social media posts can be your best friend or... not. When your plan relies heavily on social media accounts, you need to make sure that your donation page templates integrate with Facebook and are shareable through all measures and methods.  

Fundraising goals

The key to goals is that they need to be actionable and achievable. If you set goals without underlying structure, not only is the achievability of that goal compromised but your entire year-plus fundraising goals are headed right out the window. 

Fundraiser network

This is one that's most likely out of your hands: fundraiser network. When your fundraisers don't have large networks, have no social media presence, or their friends and family aren't aligned with your mission, it's going to be really tough to rack up the ripple effect donation receipts.

P2P Campaign Planning FAQ (Thank you, AI!)

How to start a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign?

The first step to a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign is writing a fundraising campaign plan. It doesn't have to be a big deal, just write down what you'd do to make it happen. Add in individual goals, look at your budget and resources, and trim your plan into something realistic. Then start with your step one. 

How do you write a fundraising campaign plan?

Writing a fundraising campaign plan isn't like writing an essay or a story. Writing a fundraising campaign plan simply means putting down on paper the steps you're going to take to make your online peer fundraiser happen. Include your goals and expectations, time frame or season, and the resources you need to make it happen!

What is another name for peer-to-peer fundraising?

Another name for peer-to-peer fundraising is social fundraising. Sometimes people call it crowdfunding, crowdraising, or network fundraising. This type of fundraising relies on the power of social proof and relationships to inspire others to give, making it a highly effective and engaging way to raise funds for important causes.

How to run a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign?

Running a successful online fundraising campaign requires planning and execution, but the best part about it is that you don't have to shoulder all of the fundraising work—your supporters will be spreading awareness and fundraising on your behalf. Set your goals, plan a P2P challenge, recruit fundraisers, and cheer them on!

What are the basic steps of a fundraising campaign?

Basically, running a fundraising campaign comes down to just a few things: set reasonable expectations, build an actionable structure, recruit resources, give yourself more time than you need to set it all up, engage donors, and thank supporters afterward. Don't forget to take advantage of smart reporting and dashboard capabilities!

Do you need to be good with technology to have a successful peer-to-peer campaign?

When it comes to planning a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, having a good understanding of technology can certainly be helpful, but it is not necessarily a requirement for success. There are many peer fundraising tools and platforms available that make it easy for even the least tech-savvy individuals to set up and manage a successful campaign.

How do peer-to-peer campaigns help attract younger donors?

Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns can be a great way to attract younger donors. Here are secrets to planning a successful peer-to-peer campaign that will appeal to millennial, Gen Z, and younger demographics: utilize social media challenges, make it fun and interactive, ensure your donation process is mobile optimized, an tell a compelling story.