Peer-to-peer fundraising is one of the most effective and engaging fundraising strategies out there. Your supporters can either donate or get involved with the campaign by creating their own fundraising page and encouraging others to give.
Although your supporters help your nonprofit market the fundraising campaign, that doesn’t mean peer-to-peer fundraising provides a break for your fundraisers on staff!
Your staff fundraisers need to work hard to ensure your campaign is as successful as it possibly can be. That means taking into account some campaign strategy best practices.
Before your nonprofit dives head-first into your peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, perfect your strategic approach with these three top tips:
- Clarify the type of campaign you will launch.
- Design a foolproof donation page.
- Use the best marketing platforms.
Ready to maximize the potential of your peer-to-peer fundraising campaign? Let’s dive in to learn more!
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Strategy #1: Clarify The Type Of Campaign You Will Launch
Did you know that within the realm of peer-to-peer fundraising, there are various types of campaigns your nonprofit can launch? In fact, there are three different types of peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns: time-based, rolling, and giving days.
– Time-Based Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
Time-based fundraising campaigns take place within a defined period of time. They may be as short as a few weeks or as long as a year.
Generally, time-based fundraising campaigns are centered around an event of some type. For instance, you may anchor your peer-to-peer fundraising campaign with a 5K, bike ride, or concert.
If your organization hosts a time-based peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, it’s likely that your fundraising software isn’t the only solution you’ll need. Check out Salsa’s guide to event fundraising software to choose the best tech for your next event.
– Rolling Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Campaigns
Rolling peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns are those without a set end time. These campaigns, in theory, could last forever.
Generally, rolling campaigns must be used strategically to accomplish a specified goal. People are generally highly motivated by a diminishing timeframe because it creates a sense of urgency. Rolling campaigns don’t have this time-based urgency, and therefore, the motivation to give must come from elsewhere.
For instance, you may try to motivate people with material items. If you design a t-shirt for your nonprofit, then offer it as a prize to those who donate over a certain amount, you’re more likely to see larger donations.
Your nonprofit can use rolling campaigns to explain your mission to a lot of people as a part of a single fundraising effort.
– Giving Days
Giving days are extremely short time-based peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns. In this setup, the giving day itself anchors the campaign rather than an event.
Giving days provide the opportunity for nonprofits to raise as much money as possible in a 24-hour period.
For instance, #GivingTuesday raises a lot of money for nonprofits everywhere in a very short period of time.
Different goals require different strategies. Therefore, before you choose which campaign type your nonprofit will launch, be sure to clearly define your goals and carefully consider which type will best help you reach those goals.
Also read: Peer-to-Peer Fundraising – New Trends And What They Mean For Your Nonprofit
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Strategy #2: Design A Foolproof donation page
During peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, nonprofits tend to focus so heavily on marketing their campaign to come up with more fundraisers that they forget about ensuring the quality of their donation pages.
Be sure your peer-to-peer fundraising platform allows your nonprofit to build in key elements for a donation page while allowing for customization on the part of your fundraisers.
Be sure to incorporate key elements into your donation page such as:
- An effective call-to-action to draw the attention of your supporters.
- The description of the project, purpose, or anchor for the fundraising campaign.
- Branding images like your nonprofit’s logo or fonts to ensure consistency across digital platforms.
- A gamification tool like a fundraising thermometer to show how close your organization is to reaching your goals.
Standard key elements are great for keeping consistency throughout your fundraising campaign. However, one of the great things about peer-to-peer fundraising is that these campaigns allow your fundraisers to add a personal touch to their fundraising pages.
Personal appeals are more likely to resonate with the prospective donor of a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. Think about it: your target audience is the friends and family of your supporters. These are people who may not have heard of your organization before but care for the person who is fundraising on your behalf.
Before you invest in a peer-to-peer fundraising platform, be sure it offers customization options for your fundraisers to add their own personal appeals.
Look for software that gives your fundraisers the option to add their own images and a blurb about what your nonprofit means to them.
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Strategy #3: Use The Best Marketing Platforms
Peer-to-peer fundraising is more than a fundraising campaign. It also creates an incredible marketing opportunity for your nonprofit. However, that’s only the case when you and your fundraisers use the best marketing platforms to spread the word about your campaign.
When your nonprofit markets the peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, you’re not only marketing your organization’s fundraising page but you’re also instructing individual fundraisers on how to market their individual pages.
Similar to crowdfunding, marketing strategies for peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns thrive on social media platforms.
Share your main fundraising page on social media platforms like Facebook and encourage your fundraisers to do the same. If your campaign is anchored by an annual event, post pictures from the event in past years and include a link to your fundraising pages.
In addition to your classic digital marketing strategies, nonprofits anchoring their campaigns with an event can get creative with their local marketing strategies. For instance, you might choose to:
- Include your event on a community calendar. Ask your local librarian or a city employee if your community has a shared calendar. Getting added to this will get more people interested in the event and connect your organization with more potential donors.
- Network using your local connections. Ask your board members and other supporters about their connections with local businesses and community members. Ask people to reach out to their connections to spread the word about the event.
- Post a physical sign. Whether this is a billboard or paper flyers at the local coffee shop, marketing using physical materials is an old-fashioned, yet effective, way to advertise to your local community and garner support.
Getting people excited about your nonprofit brand, event, or giving day is the perfect start to encouraging involvement with your peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. Once you have their attention, show your supporters these effective fundraising marketing strategies so they can adopt them in their own donation outreach.
Peer-to-peer fundraising is a great way for nonprofits to market their brand, attract new donors, and raise money all at the same time. Maximize the potential for your campaign by incorporating these best practices into your next peer-to-peer fundraising effort.