Even as we begin to wrap up an incredibly challenging year for the nonprofit sector, there’s no time to rest. While disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic have made fundraising challenging , social fundraising and the power of peer-to-peer fundraising are providing nonprofits with new ways to grow online.
At OneCause, we specialize in supporting nonprofits as they make the transition to virtual fundraising and engagement strategies . We’ve seen firsthand the difference the right strategies can make for missions of all sizes. We recommend peer-to-peer fundraising because it’s extremely adaptable and can be tailored to fit a variety of fundraising contexts, such as larger year-end campaigns, virtual galas, and standalone fundraising challenges .
Here are our top tips for recruiting the best peer-to-peer fundraisers for your next campaign:
- Look in the right places.
- Illustrate your mission when possible.
- Make engagement easy.
- Develop clear expectations.
- Provide incentives and community.
When planned well, peer-to-peer fundraising is an extremely flexible and scalable strategy that has long-term value for your organization. And it all starts with your volunteer fundraisers! Let’s dive in.
1. Look in the right places.
Think about any additional qualities you would like to see in ideal recruits, such as:
- CSR Opportunities and Connections. Eligibility for corporate philanthropy programs and connections with buy phone number list corporate CSR leaders are great examples.
- Employee Matching Programs. Matching gift programs and volunteer grants can help your volunteer fundraisers increase the impact of their donated time or money , consider having a backup device that normally but your recruit must work for a participating employer. For example, according to Double Your Giving Guide , ExxonMobil will donate $500 for 20 hours volunteered by an employee of an eligible nonprofit. In a month-long campaign, your most dedicated volunteer fundraisers could easily spend 20 hours or more promoting your mission to their networks.
- Personal foundations, phone database family foundations, or donor-advised funds. If you know of other philanthropic opportunities in your support base, try targeting them with your recruiting efforts. For example, supporters with DAFs are great people to focus on building stronger relationships with.
While you shouldn’t recruit someone solely because they might qualify for a large corporate grant, it doesn’t hurt to identify these opportunities ahead of time, especially if you already know that many of your supporters work for large companies.
2. Illustrate your mission when possible.
One of the most effective ways to motivate potential fundraisers to participate in your next peer-to-peer campaign is to let them see your mission in action.
Keep looking for opportunities to share “mission moments,” such as testimonials and videos that highlight your nonprofit’s on-the-ground work in the community. For example, you can choose to share reports on the impact of your programming and stories directly from constituents.
Build these mission moments into your virtual events and ongoing marketing efforts. Let everyone see the real-world impact of your nonprofit and its supporters. By focusing on the impact and roles your volunteers and donors play, your audience is more likely to want to increase that impact and get involved in new ways.
For a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, be sure to define specific campaign goals and a vision statement that links these goals to tangible impacts. How will this campaign benefit your mission and your constituents? How will a supporter’s involvement directly impact the community? Once you’ve identified the ideal segments of your supporter base to recruit, show them content that answers these questions and highlights your mission in action.
3. Make it easy to engage.
Potential peer-to-peer fundraisers are often deterred from getting involved because they aren’t sure how big the pledge will be. Make getting involved an easy decision by clearly explaining what the role entails and how long the campaign will last.
Above all, let fundraisers know up front that being part of your peer-to-peer campaign doesn’t have to be a massive undertaking. During the campaign planning process, fully define the different tasks that volunteers will likely need to complete, then find ways that your nonprofit can and will support fundraisers during those activities. For example: