How to boost peer-to-peer fundraising

Word of mouth is an oft-overlooked tool in a charity’s fundraising arsenal. Research shows that nine in ten people will believe a recommendation from friends and family over any other type of advertising. 

 

By helping existing supporters easily fundraise among their families and friends, charities can take the opportunity to display their impact, show people the importance of their donations, and raise brand awareness to whole new audiences.  

 

Find out more about iRaiser

 

A charity’s job is to make it easy for existing supporters to share their story. The more hurdles they have to jump through, the less likely they are to do so. 

 

Give your supporters the right tools to share how much you mean to them with their friends and family and watch as your fundraisers’ funds eventually multiply. More people are aware of your cause, more people donate, and more people start making connections with your charity.  

 

Think of it like ripples on a pond – it only takes one drop to make a wave. Engage your fundraisers early, encourage them, and advise. And always end on a thank you. Your gratitude is what will bring them back to do it all again. 

 

The beauty of peer-to-peer fundraising is that charities don’t need a big campaign or a big budget. Peer-to-peer fundraising especially is evergreen, as fundraising platform iRaiser notes.  

 

Whether it’s a birthday, an anniversary, wedding, or retirement, supporters can always find a good time to galvanise their circle of family and friends and raise money for your good cause. 

 

iRaiser recommends six key elements for charities looking to build their peer-to-peer fundraising strategy. For ease, we’ve listed them below.

• Encourage fundraising always
• Join third-party events
• Share fundraising expertise
• Help supporters network
• Make it easy with new platforms
• Keep spreading the word
  

 

Schedule? What schedule? 

 

Allow supporters to set up a fundraising page whenever they want to, rather than waiting for a big official challenge event run by you. Not only will their occasion be memorable and rewarding, your charity will reap the rewards too.

 

 

Third-party events are prime real-estate 

 

This one is easier – events, like marathons and cycling events, reserve spots for people to raise money for charity. Research events in your area (think locally, not just nationally!) and encourage people to participate in the name of your charity.  

 

And once they’ve set up their fundraising pages, as above, ensure they share it with their friends and family – one friend of Charity Digital raised lots of money this way, just by getting their friends to share the page with their friends, and so on. (See Step Six for more info.)

 

 

Charities must share their expertise 

 

Fundraising for events like marathons can be difficult when there are multiple people competing for the same donations. But this is where charities come in – share your expertise, help your fundraisers out, show them the best tactics and make sure they’re not alone in their fundraising goal. They are a part of your team. 

 

Customisable, branded fundraising pages will help – it shows donors straightaway the cause they are supporting – but consider extra options too, like downloadable posters, social media photo frames, visual graphics that report your charity’s impact, and testimonials from your beneficiaries that fundraisers can use to show where the donations are going. 

 

Remember - fundraisers often choose the charities they support as a reflection of their own hopes and values. Make it easy for them to share what you stand for.

 

 

Social media means unlimited reach 

 

Social media and peer-to-peer fundraising go hand in hand. With social media, peer-to-peer fundraising has unlimited reach – in fact, it becomes peer-to-peer-to-peer-to-peer, as your fundraisers’ connections share the donation page with their connections, and so on.  

 

Social media can also be a great place for charities to motivate their fundraisers. Celebrate goals, share tips, and allow room for discussion between your supporters. Creating a community will energise your fundraisers and help them feel part of a team.  

 

After all, peer-to-peer fundraising is all about relationships and connections – so make space for new ones too.

 

 

Fundraising platforms help everyone 

 

Instead of hosting and creating an entire event on your own, all you need is: a good fundraising platform. These will help you keep supporters engaged throughout their fundraising journeys, from signing up to creating their fundraising page to sharing it and raising money for you. 

 

Your fundraising platform should be easy to use and easy to share. Make sure you choose a customisable platform that you can easily add your branding to, too – this helps donors remember you better in the future. If people are fundraising for you as a team, it increases the sense of togetherness.  

 

And if supporters can personalise it as well, the right platform will also help them see a bit more of themselves in the campaign – they’ll become more invested in the results.

 

 

Remember – every little helps! 

 

Some annual charity events are huge and will always raise lots and lots of money for their cause. But peer-to-peer fundraising might not always have such large gains. The amount that birthday fundraisers make is usually in the hundreds, not the thousands.  

 

But, whether you’re a big charity or a small one, this money adds up – the more supporters you engage with, and the more inclined they feel to share your cause with others, the more money you will eventually raise.  

 

If you make the experience as good as possible for both fundraisers and donors – from seamless page set ups and donation forms to hearty thank yous at the end of the campaign – the more likely everyone will return in the future.  

 

That’s why choosing the right platform is so important – if peer-to-peer fundraising is the ripples in a pond, your platform is the stone.