Peer to Peer

The problem with gamification is that often it turns into a pay for play system, rewarding fundraisers for behaviors, instead of reinforcing in fundraisers the idea that they love fundraising for their nonprofit. How can we avoid this?...

Since I work for nonprofits, I figure everyone wants to participate in do-gooding. Predictably, I make contributions to charity on behalf of the recipients for gifts. Call them socially responsible gifts. It makes me feel good to do that. I always presumed it made the recipient feel good, too.

One might think that evolution has little to do with consumer behavior—after all, our ancestors didn’t stop at Starbucks for a morning latte. But they carry into Starbucks the same DNA with which they ran around half-naked in the wild, millions of years ago. An understanding of evolutionary psychology can give us insight into the motivation of our supporters...

At Turnkey, we often say that the activity used in a peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising endeavor does not matter. Getting a “yes” in P2P fundraising is about the relationship between the potential donor and the peer doing the asking. The relationship between the donor and the organization is a distant second in importance. Here’s proof...

In a recent article for Social Media Examiner, author Zoe Summers outlined some ways businesses can use social listening. Many of her ideas can be applied directly to nonprofits. I’ve adapted four of them here...

A local charity run is infuriating military families in metro Atlanta. Organizers of the so-called "Hostage Run" say the profits from the event will be donated to a military charity, but the wives of deployed soldiers say the entire premise is disrespectful. The run basically mimics a kidnapping, with the runners having black bags over…

While many nonprofit peer-to-peer programs have been able to connect with the Millennial audience based on school or institution structures, the audience often does not often transition to post-academia participation. Why is that?...

An engaged and passionate board of directors is essential for nonprofit success. A 2012 study found that 55 percent of nonprofits that engaged their boards in fundraising saw an increase in fundraising results over the prior year, while just 43 percent of nonprofits whose boards did not fundraise saw an increase. It's clear that getting your board involved can be huge. And that's especially true for peer-to-peer programs...

Looking for ideas for your P2P programs? Ways to get your board more involved? How to grow your programs and coach up fundraisers? Tips for social media and corporate engagement? You've come to the right place...

I have two teenage sons, both in superb physical condition. As their mother, I feel empowered to set them to mowing grass, painting, sealing the driveway and other character-building tasks whenever I see them in repose. Likewise, it’s fun to put the bright young minds at Turnkey to work in similar fashion. A frequent object of my "what do you think" spotlight is Julian May. He suffers from the ability to write, which makes him a target. I asked him, "In your mind what’s the most important thing right now in peer-to-peer fundraising?"...