5 Best Practices for a Successful Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Campaign

Peer-to-peer fundraising is practiced primarily by health organizations, but the strategy is becoming increasingly popular with other organizations. By incorporating peer-to-peer fundraising into your existing marketing programs, you can increase revenues without significantly increasing costs.

Based on quantitative research, qualitative findings and interviews with leading nonprofits, here are five best practices for a successful peer-to-peer fundraising program and tips on how they can be integrated into your campaigns.

Ensure organizationwide support
Nonprofits with organizationwide support for their peer-to-peer programs are more successful. Learn who your online fundraisers are, and remember that many of them are directly affected by the cause you represent and personify the very audience your mission serves. Treat your fundraisers like major-gift donors. Honor the time, talent and treasure they give so freely and passionately to your organization.

Encourage or expand online use and e-communications
Does your organization have a traditional fundraising channel that could benefit from a complementary online element? Encouraging peer-to-peer fundraisers to register, communicate and fundraise online is a win-win situation. Fundraisers can avoid writing receipts, staff can spend less time processing manual offline donations and the chance of error can be significantly reduced. Offering a positive end-user experience is an easy way to encourage repeat usage. Communicate the benefits of using online tools, and ask your supporters to encourage their supporters to donate online.

Provide support
Your supporters are caring, motivated and asking for guidance. Respond with a support program that educates, empowers and encourages their participation. Help them marry their passion with your mission. Staff a part- or full-time employee (available by phone and e-mail) to provide personal customer service to your peer-to-peer fundraisers. Provide materials that can be easily downloaded, such as an organization fact sheet; instructions on how to use online tools; or approved logos, letters of support and news release templates.

Standardize tracking and reporting
Tracking fundraising progress is a crucial step to make sure you are on target to meet your revenue goals. The same rule applies to peer-to-peer fundraising programs. It is important for organizations to standardize reporting to monitor the program’s success. Make a list of the standard metrics your organization intends to monitor regularly to measure the program’s progress and performance. Consider the number of participants, number of repeat versus new participants, participant fundraising activity, tracking the engagement level of participants, number of donors and total peer-to-peer online revenue.

Create a recognition program
There are three primary reasons a volunteer, participant or donor gives his or her time or talent: to belong, feel good and be acknowledged. A recognition program is the final element to keep your supporters motivated and committed. To have an effective recognition program, you do not need to spend money on gifts, but you need to be thoughtful about it. Think of it this way: If you give a gift to an organization you feel connected to, how would you want to be recognized?

Amy Braiterman is a principal strategy consultant at Blackbaud.