Peer-to-peer fundraising (also referred to as p2p fundraising) has established itself as a mainstay fundraising method with fundraisers like the American Heart Association's Heart Walk setting the standard by raising an impressive $110 million—making it the largest P2P fundraising program in the U.S. and a testament to the power of community-driven giving. According to Nonprofit Source, peer-to-peer fundraisers bring in an average of 4 new donors for every fundraising page created.

Whether you're a nonprofit, K-12 school, or higher education institution, p2p fundraising offers a versatile solution that combines social networking with charitable giving. By the end of this article, you'll understand how to implement this strategy and choose the right peer -to-peer fundraising platforms to support your mission.

What is peer-to-peer fundraising?

Peer-to-peer fundraising is a fundraising method where supporters create personal fundraising pages and solicit donations from their networks on behalf of an organization. Unlike traditional fundraising where an organization directly asks for donations, p2p fundraising empowers individual supporters to become advocates who raise funds from their friends, family, and colleagues.

What makes P2P fundraising so effective is its personal touch. When people give to someone they know and trust, they’re more likely to donate—and often in larger amounts. This approach turns passive donors into active fundraisers, helping your cause gain visibility and build stronger connections with new supporters. In fact, 39% of Americans report donating to charity based on a request from a friend or family member, which goes to show the power of personal connections in driving support.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Ideas

Looking for creative ways to implement your next p2p fundraiser? Here are some proven ideas to inspire your next campaign:

1. Athletic Challenges: Organize walking, running, or biking events where participants create fundraising pages and collect pledges from their networks. Events like charity runs, walkathons, or bike-a-thons create built-in communities of supporters. The American Cancer Society's "Relay for Life" raised over $5.2 billion since its inception by empowering participants to create personal fundraising pages for their relay teams.

2. Tribute Campaigns: Enabling supporters to fundraise in honor or memory of loved ones leads to meaningful campaigns that resonate with their personal networks. For example, the Alzheimer's Association's "The Longest Day" campaign raised $13 million in a recent season by encouraging participants to create tribute pages for loved ones affected by the disease.

3. DIY Fundraising: Allow supporters to create their own unique fundraising events, from bake sales to backyard concerts, empowering them to leverage their specific talents and interests. St. Jude's "Create Your Own" program generated $4.2 million in 2023 through supporter-created events ranging from lemonade stands to corporate challenges.

4. Team Competitions: In 2023, during Cornell Giving Day, a 24-hour fundraising event, the university raised a record-breaking $13,043,165 from 18,296 donors. While specific details about class competitions contributing $2.4 million in 2023 weren't found, the overall success of such events highlights the potential of friendly competitions in fundraising.

Benefits of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Implementing P2P fundraising offers numerous advantages for organizations:

• Expanded Reach: Research indicates that the average individual's social network size varies. A study found that the average person has 450+ social connections. This expansive network can significantly broaden your organization's potential donor base when supporters engage in peer-to-peer fundraising.
• Cost-Effective: Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns can yield substantial returns. According to data from the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum, the average amount raised per participant in 2020 was $187, up from $139 in 2019. This demonstrates the potential of volunteer-driven campaigns to generate significant funds.
• Sustainable Growth: By empowering supporters to take an active role, you not only inspire more donors but also boost donor retention as you turn one-time or occasional donors into active supporters. Institutions nowadays integrate peer-to-peer fundraising into their overall donor engagement strategy and encourage fundraisers to participate in recurring campaigns, provide them with the tools to share their stories, and recognize their efforts to keep them engaged.

How Does Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Benefit K12 and Higher Ed?

Educational institutions face unique fundraising challenges, making peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising particularly valuable in engaging their communities and expanding their support networks.

K-12 Schools:

For K-12 schools, P2P fundraising fosters deeper parent involvement and strengthens community bonds. Parents can become fundraising champions, reaching out to their extended families, colleagues, and social networks to support their children's education. This approach not only increases financial support but also teaches students valuable lessons about community service and philanthropy.

For instance, Cathedral High School embraced digital fundraising by empowering students to raise money and awareness for their annual tuition assistance campaign. This initiative allowed students to actively participate in philanthropy, enhancing their engagement and understanding of community support.

Higher Education Institutions:

Higher education institutions can leverage their extensive alumni networks through P2P fundraising. Graduates often maintain strong emotional connections to their alma maters, making them effective advocates. Class reunions, homecoming events, and giving days can be amplified through P2P campaigns that tap into class pride and friendly competition among alumni groups.

Princeton University's Annual Giving program engaged over 2,500 volunteers and received contributions from many more, resulting in $73.8 million raised. This success underscores the power of peer-driven campaigns in sustaining donor engagement over time.

Both K-12 and higher education institutions can use p2p fundraising to support specific initiatives such as scholarships, facility improvements, or technology upgrades, providing supporters with concrete goals to rally behind.

Getting Started with Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Ready to implement p2p fundraising for your organization? Here’s a refresher on the essential steps to ensure success:

1. Define your campaign goals: Establish clear objectives for your P2P campaign, including fundraising targets, participation goals, and timeline.
2. Select the right platform: Choose a P2P fundraising platform that integrates with your existing systems and offers the features you need (more on this below).
3. Create compelling campaign materials: Develop engaging stories, images, and videos that supporters can use when sharing your campaign.
4. Recruit and train fundraising champions: Identify enthusiastic supporters and provide them with the resources they need to succeed.
5. Develop a communication plan: Create a schedule of regular updates, reminders, and encouragement for your fundraisers.
6. Provide fundraising tools: Give your champions customizable email templates, social media posts, and other resources to make sharing easy.
7. Offer incentives: Consider recognition programs or small prizes for top fundraisers to boost motivation.
8. Show impact: Regularly share how funds raised are making a difference to keep supporters engaged.
9. Express gratitude: Thank both fundraisers and donors promptly. Keep them looped in on how the funds are used as well as future opportunities.

Choosing the Right Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Platform

Choosing the right platform is like hiring a handy staff member, and you’ll want to make sure you get the choice right. Consider these essential features and your own needs to narrow down your shortlist:

1. User-friendly interface: Ensure all your supporters can easily create and manage fundraising pages
2. Mobile optimization: If mobile fundraising is a priority, look into the level of optimization and donor user interface.
3. Customization: Depending on your budget and needs, you may want simple template pages or customizable templates that support extensive customization and integration.
4. Social media integration: Look for platforms that have good integration with the social media platforms where your donors and supporters are more active.
5. Team fundraising capabilities: Depending on your needs, you may want team fundraising support and better gamification support in a platform.
6. Donor management: Some teams may want a platform that also comes with alumni management features, while for some others, a simple Facebook or LinkedIn group might do the job.
7. Payment processing: Consider the payment options supported by a platform as well as the fees associated and if it fits your donor base as well as your budget.
8. Reporting Tools: Some platforms offer deep analytics and engagement metrics which may be crucial for some teams but redundant for a small team that only wants to track a few metrics.
9. Communication: Your team might want automated and personalized text and email communication features, while for smaller teams with a smaller donor base, these features may stretch their budget unnecessarily.
10. CRM Integration: Depending on your team’s needs, you may want a platform that can connect seamlessly with your existing CRM or one that comes with its own CRM.

💡Check out our picks on the top peer-to-peer fundraising platforms to power your next campaign

How Can Almabase's Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Tool Elevate Your Fundraising Efforts

Almabase offers a powerful peer-to-peer fundraising solution designed for educational institutions and nonprofits. As one of the most loved platforms, Almabase sets itself apart by seamlessly integrating into most educational CRMs. Our industry-leading two-way synchronization with Raiser's Edge NXT, ensures your donor data remains consistent across all systems.

Almabase's unique features include:

• ‍Effortless fundraiser onboarding & management: Supporters can easily set up personalized fundraising pages, track their progress, and engage their networks—all from an intuitive dashboard.
• Seamless integration with your advancement CRM:Designed to work with leading CRMs, Almabase ensures that donor data flows effortlessly between systems, reducing administrative overhead and improving efficiency.
• Customizable campaigns to fit your needs: Whether you’re running a giving day, class challenge, or alumni fundraiser, Almabase offers fully customizable campaigns tailored to your institution’s unique goals.
• Engagement tools that drive results: Features like automated donor outreach, gamification (leaderboards & badges), and social sharing encourage friendly competition and help fundraisers reach more donors.
• Dedicated support: Almabase offers active support via email and live chat for customers in the US, UK, and Canada, ensuring seamless fundraising experiences and quick issue resolution.

Conclusion

Peer-to-peer fundraising has become a proven strategy for expanding an organization or institution’s reach and engaging supporters in meaningful ways. By empowering your community to become active fundraisers, you can tap into new networks, create authentic connections, and ultimately raise more funds for your mission.

Whether you're just getting started with P2P fundraising or looking to enhance your existing efforts, the right approach and technology can make all the difference. With platforms like Almabase, you can implement sophisticated campaigns that engage supporters and drive results.

Ready to take your fundraising to the next level? Explore these resources for more insights:

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Success For Higher Ed in 2024

Building Community Through Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

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About the author

Kiran is an educator and pedagogy enthusiast, passionate about the transformative impact of education, kindness, and creativity on individuals and communities.

As an artist, she brings a unique perspective to her work and is committed to inspiring growth, empathy, and understanding

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