How to Choose Effective Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers

Peer-to-peer fundraising is an ideal way for your supporters to raise donations for your organization. It gives them a way to engage further with your mission and make a significant impact. Simultaneously, it harnesses the relationships that your supporters share with friends, families, and coworkers to generate awareness and attract new donors.

If you want to explore how your organization can benefit from peer-to-peer campaigns, you’re not alone. This type of fundraising is becoming more popular, and for good reason: it works! But the success of a peer-to-peer campaign depends on your fundraising partners and how well your organization supports them. Let’s explore who you should invite to serve as fundraising partners and how you can help them to feel confident and get the best results possible.

What to Look for in a Fundraising Partner

Peer-to-peer campaigns that are most successful are those with fundraising partners who have wide social networks. These supporters know a lot of people and are well-liked. They’re typically well-known in the community or their peer group.

Ideal fundraisers are also avid supporters of your mission. They may frequently post articles related to your cause on social media or share your organization’s posts. Or they may speak about your cause with their professional groups or social clubs. Look for partners among the following:

• Dedicated board members.
• Regular or recurring donors.
• Volunteers for your organization.
• Supporters who are promoting your nonprofit on social media.

Start with five to ten supporters who can fill the fundraising partner role. You don’t need many to make significant progress toward your goal since, ideally, each fundraiser will be recruiting dozens of donors.

Other ideas for fundraising partners include:

• People who have been helped by your organization.
• Fans of your organization’s work (including the family and friends of staff).
• Front line staff.
• People with first-hand experience living with the issue you address.

How to Support Your Fundraisers

Many of your fundraisers won’t have experience serving in this role so they’ll need guidance. Preparing your fundraisers and giving them the tools they’ll need for their campaign will dramatically increase your results.

1) Set a Custom Dollar Amount Goal

Start by working with each of them individually to decide on a target dollar goal that’s ambitious but achievable for them. At the same time, let them know that their campaign will automatically be considered a success because it will expose more people to the cause and mission.

2) Provide Them with a Fundraising Toolkit

A Peer Fundraising Toolkit will make setting up their campaigns less intimidating. Your toolkit should include instructions on how to set up their online donation page and email templates, cut-and-paste messages that they can share on social media and in emails, graphics to post on social media, templates for the initial appeal and follow up thank you, and FAQs for who to contact if they need help.

3) Keep Them Updated Throughout the Campaign

Let your fundraising partners know they’re not alone. Share weekly reports on how the campaign is progressing to keep them motivated and engaged. Share stories of other peer fundraisers who are doing innovative things that they may want to incorporate. Create a sense of teamwork so that your supporters feel like they’re part of a group that’s making a significant difference.

Your fundraising partners are the biggest factor in your peer-to-peer campaign’s success. A bonus is that those who take part in a well-run peer-to-peer campaign are likely to further engage due to the sense of partnership and social connection that participating generated.

Download The Secrets of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Success to learn more about how to create and run effective peer-to-peer campaigns.