If you feel like you’re constantly shouting into the void, trying to find new donors while your email lists shrink, you’re not alone. The old fundraising playbook isn’t working like it used to. Peer-to-peer fundraising offers a powerful alternative by turning your most passionate supporters into active fundraisers for your cause. Instead of your organization being the only one asking for donations, you empower your community to reach out to their own networks. This guide is designed to give you a complete roadmap, covering the essential peer-to-peer fundraising best practices that help you reach new audiences, build authentic connections, and raise more money with the community you already have.
Key Takeaways
- Activate Your Community's Networks: Peer-to-peer fundraising extends your reach by empowering supporters to ask their own friends and family, turning a trusted recommendation into a powerful fundraising tool.
- Empower, Don't Just Recruit: Your fundraisers are volunteers, not marketing experts. Set them up for success with a simple platform, easy-to-share content, and consistent encouragement to keep them motivated and effective.
- Plan Beyond the Campaign Finale: The real work begins after the last donation. Create a thoughtful follow-up plan to thank participants and show their impact, converting one-time supporters into a lasting community for your cause.
What is Peer-to-Peer Fundraising?
Think of peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising as a powerful ripple effect for your cause. Instead of your organization being the only one asking for donations, you empower your most passionate supporters—your volunteers, board members, and followers—to fundraise on your behalf. They reach out to their own networks of friends, family, and colleagues, essentially becoming ambassadors for your mission. This approach became a go-to for many nonprofits looking to connect with donors online, and it’s stuck around for a good reason: it works.
At its core, P2P is about leveraging the power of personal relationships and social proof. A request from a friend or family member often carries more weight than an email from an organization they’ve never heard of. By tapping into these existing networks, you not only raise money but also introduce your nonprofit to a whole new audience of potential supporters. It’s a fundraising strategy that builds community and expands your reach organically, turning one supporter into a connection to dozens more. These campaigns are especially effective on social media, where sharing is seamless and personal stories can travel fast, creating authentic connections with supporters who are ready to give.
How Does It Work?
The mechanics of a peer-to-peer campaign are pretty straightforward. Your organization first sets up a main campaign fundraising page. Then, you invite your supporters to create their own personal fundraising pages that are linked to your main campaign. Each individual fundraiser customizes their page with a personal story, photos, and a fundraising goal.
From there, they share their page across their personal channels—social media, email, text messages—asking their network for donations. When someone donates through a supporter’s page, the funds go directly to your nonprofit, and the amount is added to both the individual’s goal and the overall campaign goal. This model transforms your supporters from passive donors into active participants in your fundraising efforts, multiplying your impact far beyond what your internal team could achieve alone.
Common Campaign Types
Peer-to-peer fundraising is incredibly versatile and can be adapted to fit almost any goal or timeline. One of the most popular examples is a time-bound event, like a virtual 5K or a month-long Facebook Challenge, where participants raise money as they work toward a shared activity goal.
You can also run P2P campaigns around specific milestones or events. Birthday fundraisers are a classic example, where supporters ask for donations to your cause in lieu of gifts. Giving days, like GivingTuesday, are another perfect opportunity for a concentrated P2P push. Some organizations even run ongoing campaigns that allow supporters to fundraise whenever they feel inspired. The key is to choose a format that resonates with your community and aligns with your organization's goals.
Why Should Your Nonprofit Try Peer-to-Peer Fundraising?
If you feel like you’re constantly searching for new ways to find donors, you’re not alone. The traditional playbook is becoming less effective, and breaking through the noise is a real challenge. This is where peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising comes in. Instead of relying solely on your organization’s marketing efforts, P2P empowers your most passionate supporters to raise money on your behalf. It’s a powerful model that taps into your community’s existing relationships to build momentum for your cause.
Think of it this way: every supporter has a network of friends, family, and colleagues. Peer-to-peer fundraising activates those networks, turning your supporters into active fundraisers and advocates. They create their own fundraising pages, share their personal connection to your mission, and ask their circles for donations. This approach is especially effective on social media, where personal stories and recommendations travel fast. It’s a strategy that helps you work smarter by leveraging the authentic connections your community has already built. By giving them the tools to fundraise, you create a ripple effect that expands your reach far beyond your own contact list.
Reach More Donors Through Personal Networks
One of the biggest advantages of peer-to-peer fundraising is its ability to introduce your nonprofit to entirely new audiences. Your organization’s email list and social media following can only take you so far. P2P campaigns break through those limits by tapping into the personal networks of your supporters. Each person who starts a fundraiser for you is essentially opening a door to their unique social circle, helping you connect with new donors outside your usual contacts.
This is especially powerful in formats like Facebook Challenges, where participants invite their friends to join and donate. Suddenly, your cause is being shared by dozens, or even hundreds, of trusted advocates, reaching people who may have never heard of you otherwise. It’s an organic way to grow your community and find new supporters who are already warmed up to your mission because it was introduced by someone they know.
Turn Trusted Relationships into Higher Donations
A recommendation from a friend carries more weight than almost any marketing message you could create. That’s the core principle that makes peer-to-peer fundraising so effective. When a supporter shares their personal fundraising page, they’re not just asking for money; they’re putting their own reputation and story behind your cause. This personal endorsement is incredibly persuasive. In fact, research shows that 92% of people trust recommendations from those they know.
This trust translates directly into more donations. An ask from a friend or family member feels personal and urgent, cutting through the digital clutter that often causes people to ignore requests from organizations. Your supporters’ passion becomes a powerful motivator for their networks to give. By facilitating these personal appeals, you’re leveraging the most effective form of marketing there is: word-of-mouth from a trusted source.
Raise More Money with Fewer Resources
Peer-to-peer fundraising is a highly efficient way to scale your efforts without scaling your budget. Instead of your team being responsible for every single donor interaction, you equip your community to do the outreach for you. This model decentralizes the work, allowing you to raise more money with fewer resources. Your role shifts from direct solicitation to empowering and supporting your volunteer fundraisers.
You provide the platform, the messaging templates, and the encouragement, and your supporters handle the personal asks. This frees up your staff to focus on the bigger picture, like campaign strategy and donor stewardship. It’s a cost-effective way to acquire new donors and drive revenue, making it a perfect strategy for nonprofits of any size. You can find more ideas for maximizing your impact in our nonprofit playbooks.
Plan Your Campaign for Success
A great peer-to-peer campaign feels effortless to your supporters, but behind the scenes, it’s built on a foundation of careful planning. Before you even think about recruiting your first fundraiser, you need a solid strategy. A well-thought-out plan is your roadmap, guiding every decision you make, from the technology you choose to the stories you tell. It ensures your team is aligned, your message is consistent, and your goals are within reach.
Taking the time to map out your campaign helps you anticipate challenges, allocate resources effectively, and create an experience that inspires your community to get involved. Think of it as setting the stage for your fundraisers to shine. By defining your objectives, selecting the right tools, creating a realistic timeline, and crafting a compelling narrative, you empower your supporters to become your most effective advocates. Let’s walk through the four key pillars of planning a successful campaign.
Set Clear Goals and Metrics
While your main objective is to raise funds, the most impactful campaigns track success beyond the dollar amount. What else do you want to achieve? Maybe you want to acquire a certain number of new donors, re-engage a lapsed segment of your audience, or increase your social media following. Setting specific, measurable goals gives your campaign a clear purpose and helps you demonstrate its full impact. For example, you could aim to recruit 50 new fundraisers or have your campaign hashtag shared 1,000 times. These metrics provide valuable insights into your campaign’s health and give you concrete data to inform your fundraising strategy for years to come.
Choose the Right Fundraising Platform
The technology you use can either create a seamless experience or a frustrating one for your fundraisers and donors. Your platform should make it incredibly simple for supporters to create their own pages, share them with their networks, and track their progress. Look for tools that are mobile-friendly and integrate directly with the social media platforms where your supporters spend their time. For campaigns like Facebook Challenges, the right platform can automate communication and engagement, allowing you to support thousands of fundraisers without overwhelming your staff. The less friction your supporters encounter, the more time they can spend sharing your mission and raising money for your cause.
Create a Campaign Timeline
Peer-to-peer campaigns have a lot of moving parts, and a detailed timeline is essential to keep everything on track. Work backward from your campaign end date to map out key milestones. Your timeline should include deadlines for pre-launch activities like creating your messaging and recruiting initial fundraisers. It should also outline your marketing schedule during the campaign, including email sends, social media posts, and progress updates. Don’t forget to plan for post-campaign activities, such as sending thank-yous and sharing final results. A comprehensive timeline ensures everyone on your team knows their role and prevents last-minute scrambling, allowing you to run a smooth and organized campaign.
Develop Your Campaign Messaging
At the heart of every successful peer-to-peer campaign is a powerful story. This is the core narrative that will connect with your fundraisers and inspire their friends and family to donate. Your campaign messaging should clearly explain the problem you’re solving and the tangible impact a donation will make. Craft a compelling story that is emotional, authentic, and easy for your supporters to understand and share. As you can see from these nonprofit customer stories, a strong narrative is what moves people to act. Develop a central message and key talking points that can be adapted for emails, social posts, and direct messages to ensure your story remains consistent across all channels.
How to Recruit and Support Your Fundraisers
Your fundraisers are the heart of your peer-to-peer campaign. They are your volunteer ambassadors, your storytellers, and your direct line to brand-new donors. But they can’t do it alone. Recruiting the right people and giving them the support they need is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your campaign is a success. Think of it as a partnership—when you invest in your fundraisers, they’ll be more motivated, more effective, and more likely to stick with you for future campaigns.
Identify Potential Fundraisers
The best fundraisers are often hiding in plain sight. Start with the people who already know and love your organization: your dedicated donors, loyal volunteers, and even your most engaged board members. These individuals have a built-in connection to your mission and can speak authentically about why your work matters. They’ve already demonstrated their commitment, which makes them prime candidates to advocate on your behalf.
Don’t forget to look at your social media channels, too. Who consistently likes, comments on, and shares your posts? These digital supporters are passionate about your cause and already comfortable using the platforms where peer-to-peer fundraising thrives. A simple direct message can turn a loyal follower into a powerful fundraiser for your next campaign.
Craft a Compelling Recruitment Message
When you ask someone to fundraise for you, you’re asking for their time and their social capital. Your recruitment message should reflect that. Make it personal, inspiring, and clear. Explain exactly what you’re raising money for and the impact it will have. Show them why their participation is so critical to reaching your goal.
Most importantly, empower them to be authentic. Encourage your fundraisers to share their own personal stories about why they connect with your cause. A message that says, “This is why I care, and I hope you will too,” is far more powerful than a generic template. Your job is to provide the core information and inspiration; their job is to add the personal touch that will motivate their friends and family to give.
Provide a Helpful Fundraising Toolkit
The easier you make it for your fundraisers, the more successful they’ll be. A comprehensive fundraising toolkit is your secret weapon. This digital package should be a one-stop shop for everything they need, saving them time and taking the guesswork out of their outreach. Think of it as a set of guardrails that gives them confidence while still allowing for creativity.
Your toolkit should include key campaign messaging, important dates, and a clear explanation of your mission’s impact. Provide high-quality photos and videos they can share, along with sample social media posts and email templates they can easily customize. You can find great examples in our nonprofit playbooks. By equipping your fundraisers with these resources, you empower them to become confident and effective advocates for your cause.
Offer Training and Guidance
Recruitment is just the beginning. Ongoing support is what keeps your fundraisers feeling connected and motivated throughout the campaign. Before you launch, host a virtual kickoff meeting or training session to walk everyone through the fundraising platform, review the toolkit, and answer any questions. This is a great opportunity to build a sense of community and get everyone excited.
Throughout the campaign, maintain an open line of communication. Create a dedicated Facebook Group or email channel where fundraisers can ask questions, share successes, and cheer each other on. Send regular check-in messages to offer encouragement and share tips. When your fundraisers feel seen, heard, and supported by your team, they’re more likely to stay engaged and go the extra mile to hit their goals.
Keep Your Fundraisers Motivated and Engaged
Getting your supporters to sign up as fundraisers is a huge win, but it’s only the beginning. The real challenge is keeping that initial excitement alive throughout the entire campaign. A peer-to-peer campaign's success depends on sustained effort, and your fundraisers will look to you for encouragement, direction, and a reason to stay involved. When motivation dips, so do donations. That’s why your role shifts from recruiter to coach the moment someone agrees to help.
Think of yourself as their campaign guide. Your job is to provide the tools, celebrate their progress, and remind them of the incredible impact they’re making. Consistent communication and genuine appreciation are the keys to preventing momentum from fading. By actively supporting your fundraisers, you empower them to not only meet their goals but to become lifelong advocates for your cause. This ongoing support system is what transforms a one-time campaign into a sustainable source of community and revenue.
Use Gamification and Friendly Competition
A little friendly competition can go a long way in keeping people motivated. Introducing game-like elements, or gamification, taps into our natural desire for achievement and makes the fundraising process more fun. You can easily implement this with tools like fundraising thermometers to show collective progress or leaderboards that highlight top-performing individuals and teams.
Consider offering digital badges for hitting certain milestones, like "First Donation" or "Halfway Hero." You can also offer small prizes or public recognition for the first person to reach their goal. This approach is central to successful Facebook Challenges, where a shared goal and visible progress create a powerful sense of community and drive.
Share Regular Progress Updates
Your fundraisers are part of a team, and they want to know how the team is doing. Don’t let them fundraise in a silo. Send out regular updates—at least once a week—celebrating the campaign's overall progress. Highlight key milestones, like reaching 25% of the total goal or having a certain number of donors join the cause. These updates make each person feel like their effort is contributing to something bigger.
You can use these communications to gently remind fundraisers to share updates on their own pages. Providing simple prompts or templates makes it easy for them to post fresh content and keep their own networks engaged. Using direct messaging is a great way to deliver these updates personally and ensure they get seen.
Recognize and Reward Top Performers
Everyone wants to feel appreciated. Taking the time to recognize your fundraisers’ hard work is one of the most effective ways to keep them motivated. This doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. A public shout-out on your nonprofit’s social media page, a mention in an email newsletter, or a personal thank-you message can make a huge difference.
For top performers, consider a special acknowledgment. You could feature their story on your blog or send a small, thoughtful gift. As our partners at the American Cancer Society have found, making supporters feel seen and valued for their contributions is key to building lasting relationships that extend far beyond a single campaign.
Encourage Personal Storytelling
Facts and figures are important, but stories are what truly move people to give. The most powerful tool your fundraisers have is their personal connection to your cause. Encourage them to share why they are fundraising for your organization. Did they have a personal experience related to your mission? Are they inspired by a specific program you run?
While your fundraising toolkit should provide them with key messages and statistics, remind them to make every appeal their own. You can help by offering prompts like, "Share a memory that connects you to our work," or "What does this mission mean to you?" When fundraisers share their authentic passion, they build trust and inspire their friends and family to give in a way that a generic message never could.
Create Content That Inspires Donors to Give
Your fundraisers are the voice of your campaign, but you provide the sheet music. The content they share with their friends and family is what will ultimately convince people to donate. It’s not just about asking for money; it’s about telling a story that resonates on a personal level. Your job is to equip your supporters with compelling, easy-to-share content that clearly communicates your mission and the impact of a donation. Think of it as creating a content library or a digital toolkit filled with powerful assets.
When you make it simple for your fundraisers to share powerful stories and visuals, you remove a major barrier to their success. This content should be authentic, emotionally engaging, and focused on the "why" behind your work. By providing these core assets, you empower your fundraisers to personalize their appeals while keeping the campaign's core message consistent and strong. This approach helps turn their personal networks into a powerful extension of your fundraising team. Effective direct messaging for nonprofits relies on this same principle: providing valuable, inspiring content that encourages a response. The goal is to start a conversation, and great content is the perfect conversation starter.
Share Personal Stories
Facts tell, but stories sell. While statistics about your work are important, it’s the personal stories that truly connect with donors on an emotional level. Encourage your fundraisers to share why they care about your cause. What’s their personal connection? Maybe a family member was affected by the issue you address, or perhaps they volunteered and saw your impact firsthand. The more personalized and compelling your fundraisers make their campaign pages, the more donations they’ll secure. You can help by providing prompts or templates that guide them in crafting their story. Ask questions like, "What first inspired you to support our mission?" or "Share a memory that connects you to our cause." These personal narratives build trust and make the act of giving feel much more meaningful.
Show Your Impact with Compelling Visuals
A picture is worth a thousand words, especially on a crowded social media feed. Strong visuals can stop someone from scrolling and make them pay attention to your fundraiser's appeal. Your content toolkit should include a library of high-quality photos, short videos, infographics, and supporter testimonials. These assets should tell a story on their own, illustrating the problem you solve and the tangible impact of a donation. For example, instead of just saying you provide clean water, show a photo of a child drinking from a new well. When you use strong visuals and testimonials to tell your story, you make your mission feel real and urgent, helping potential donors see exactly where their money is going.
Write Clear Calls to Action
Every great story needs a clear ending, and in fundraising, that ending is the call to action (CTA). After you’ve captured a potential donor's attention and connected with them emotionally, you need to tell them exactly what to do next. Don’t leave them guessing. Your CTAs should be direct, simple, and easy to follow. Use action-oriented language like, "Donate Today to Help Us Reach Our Goal," or "Join My Team and Fundraise With Me." Make sure the link to donate is prominent and leads to a simple, mobile-friendly donation page. The goal is to remove as much friction as possible from the giving process, making it effortless for someone to support your cause the moment they feel inspired.
Celebrate Milestones and Share Progress
Fundraising is a marathon, not a sprint, and celebrating milestones along the way keeps everyone’s energy high. Create simple, shareable graphics that your fundraisers can post when they hit personal goals or when the campaign reaches a collective benchmark (like 25%, 50%, or 75% of the overall goal). These regular updates do more than just motivate your participants; they also create a sense of momentum and social proof for potential donors. Seeing that a campaign is making real progress can encourage hesitant donors to contribute. By consistently tracking and sharing your campaign's progress, you keep your community engaged and show that their collective effort is making a real difference.
How to Promote Your Campaign
Once your peer-to-peer campaign is planned and your first fundraisers are on board, it’s time to get the word out. A strong promotional strategy is what separates a good campaign from a great one. It ensures your message reaches far beyond your immediate audience and, most importantly, empowers your fundraisers to become confident and effective advocates for your cause. The core of your strategy should be to make sharing your campaign as easy and inspiring as possible. When you equip your supporters with the right tools and create a genuine buzz around your mission, you build powerful momentum that can carry you well past your fundraising goal. Think of your promotion plan as a multi-channel effort that leverages the unique strengths of social media, email, and compelling, shareable content.
You’re not just broadcasting a message; you’re providing the fuel for the fire your fundraisers have already started. By making it simple for them to share their personal connection to your cause, you amplify their efforts and create a ripple effect of awareness and donations. This is where you move from simply having a campaign to building a community-driven movement. Every share, every story, and every donation becomes a testament to your impact. Your role is to facilitate these connections by removing friction and providing clear, consistent, and motivating communication across all your platforms. When your fundraisers feel supported and confident, they’ll be more enthusiastic about reaching out to their networks, ultimately bringing new, passionate supporters into your community.
Amplify Your Message on Social Media
Social media is the natural home for a peer-to-peer campaign, so it’s essential to have an active and engaging presence. Encourage your organization and your fundraisers to post often, sharing updates, stories, and clear calls to action. But don't just broadcast your message—focus on building a community. When someone shares a post about your campaign, thank them. When they comment, reply. This two-way conversation shows potential donors that there’s a real, active movement behind the cause. You can also use social media to connect with supporters on a more personal level. With direct messaging, you can thank new fundraisers individually, offer a quick word of encouragement, and answer questions in a private, one-on-one setting. This personal touch makes a huge difference in keeping your fundraisers motivated.
Use Email to Spread the Word
While social media creates public buzz, email is your direct line to your most dedicated supporters. Use it to send regular updates and donation requests to keep your audience informed and engaged throughout the campaign. A well-timed email can remind someone to donate, share a milestone you’ve just hit, or provide a fundraiser with the encouragement they need to keep going. To make your communications more effective, segment your email list. Send tailored messages to different groups: one version for your fundraisers with tips and encouragement, another for past donors with progress updates, and a different one for your general list inviting them to support a fundraiser. This targeted approach ensures everyone receives relevant information that inspires them to act.
Create Easy-to-Share Content
Your fundraisers are passionate about your cause, but they probably aren’t marketing experts. Make their job easier by providing them with a toolkit of ready-to-use content. Give them pre-written text, high-quality images, and short videos they can easily post on their own fundraising pages and social media profiles. Your toolkit should include templates for emails, text messages, and social media posts that they can quickly customize and share with their networks. The less work they have to do to create compelling content, the more time they can spend reaching out to their friends and family. For more ideas on creating materials that resonate, check out our library of nonprofit playbooks to help you craft content that drives action.
Use Hashtags and Social Challenges
A unique and memorable hashtag is a simple way to tie all of your campaign's social media activity together. It allows you and your supporters to easily track conversations, find user-generated content, and see the campaign's reach in real time. Choose a hashtag that is short, easy to remember, and clearly connected to your organization or campaign. You can also introduce some friendly competition with leaderboards that show who’s raising the most money. Create fun social media challenges for fundraisers to complete when they hit certain goals, like posting a silly video or sharing why your cause matters to them. These gamification elements make fundraising more interactive and fun, encouraging more people to participate and share.
Overcome Common Fundraising Challenges
Even the most well-planned peer-to-peer campaigns can hit a few snags. From fundraisers who lose steam to unexpected tech glitches, these challenges are a normal part of the process. The key is to anticipate them so you can respond quickly and keep your campaign on track. Think of these hurdles less as problems and more as opportunities to refine your strategy and better support your fundraisers. The success of your campaign hinges on the experience you create for these volunteers. If they feel confused, unsupported, or frustrated by the technology, their enthusiasm will fade—and so will their fundraising results.
When you equip your supporters with the right tools, clear messaging, and a seamless user experience, you empower them to do their best work. This means thinking through every step of their journey, from the moment they sign up to the final thank-you message they receive. Proactively addressing potential issues like low participation, technical roadblocks, and inconsistent messaging will not only make your current campaign more successful but also build a stronger, more resilient community of supporters for the future. And when the campaign wraps up, the work isn't over. A strong post-campaign plan is what turns one-time participants into lifelong advocates for your cause. Let’s walk through some of the most common challenges and how you can handle them with confidence.
What to Do About Low Fundraiser Participation
If your recruitment numbers are low or fundraisers aren't actively sharing their pages, it’s time to look at the "why." Often, the issue isn't a lack of passion but a lack of direction or confidence. Your supporters need to feel both inspired and equipped. Start by making your recruitment message as personal and compelling as possible. Then, give them the tools they need to succeed.
Most importantly, encourage participants to share their personal stories. A generic fundraising page won’t perform as well as one that shares a genuine connection to your mission. Provide prompts and examples to help them personalize their pages. When fundraisers make the campaign their own, they’re more likely to secure donations and feel a deeper sense of ownership over their contribution to your cause.
Handle Technical Issues and Platform Limits
Nothing stops campaign momentum faster than a broken donation link or a confusing sign-up process. One of the biggest challenges of peer-to-peer fundraising is building or choosing the right technical infrastructure. Your platform should make it incredibly easy for someone to create a page and for their friends to donate. Before you launch, thoroughly test the entire user journey from both the fundraiser and donor perspectives.
Ensure the platform you choose doesn’t limit your ability to create events and fundraising pages, so every supporter who wants to participate can do so easily. The goal is to remove friction, not add it. By meeting supporters on platforms they already use, like with a Facebook Challenge, you can simplify the process and reduce the chance of technical roadblocks getting in the way of your goals.
Keep Messaging Consistent
Your fundraisers are your biggest advocates, but they aren’t members of your marketing team. The main challenge of peer-to-peer fundraising is that the "peers" are often everyday people who need guidance on how to talk about your organization. Without it, you risk inconsistent or even inaccurate messaging that can confuse donors and dilute your brand. A unified voice builds trust and reinforces the importance of your work.
The best way to ensure consistency is to provide a robust fundraising toolkit. Include pre-written social media posts, email templates, key facts about your mission, and simple brand guidelines. Creating a central communication hub, like a dedicated Facebook Group, also helps you share real-time updates and approved messaging, ensuring everyone is on the same page and feels connected to the campaign.
Retain Supporters After the Campaign Ends
Once the final donation is counted, your work has just begun. Post-campaign engagement is critical for turning fundraisers and their donors into long-term supporters. Failing to follow up is a missed opportunity to build on the incredible energy and goodwill your campaign generated. Your goal should be to make every participant feel seen, valued, and appreciated for their hard work.
Start by sending prompt, personalized thank-you messages. Share the final campaign results and, most importantly, show the tangible impact their efforts made. From there, you can invite them to stay connected through your newsletter, volunteer opportunities, or other events. A thoughtful post-campaign engagement plan nurtures these new relationships and creates a strong foundation for future support.
How to Measure Your Campaign's Success
Once your peer-to-peer campaign wraps up, it’s tempting to just look at the final fundraising total and call it a day. But to truly understand your impact and plan even better campaigns for the future, you need to look a little deeper. Measuring your success is about more than just the dollar amount; it’s about understanding your supporters, your reach, and the long-term value you’ve created. By tracking the right metrics, you can see what resonated, where you can improve, and how this single campaign fits into your nonprofit’s bigger picture. Think of it as gathering the insights you need to turn one successful event into a sustainable source of support for your mission.
Track the Right KPIs
Let’s start with the numbers. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the specific, measurable data points that tell you if you’re hitting your goals. The most obvious one is, of course, the total funds raised. But don’t stop there. Also, look at the total number of donations and the average donation size. These figures can tell you a lot about donor behavior. For instance, a high number of small donations shows broad support, while a few large donations might point to a handful of deeply committed givers. Most importantly, track the number of new donors you acquired. These new supporters are the future of your organization.
Analyze Fundraiser Performance
Your fundraisers are the engine of your campaign, so understanding their experience is key. Begin by looking at how many people signed up to be a fundraiser versus how many actually started raising money—this is your fundraiser activation rate. A low rate might mean you need to make your onboarding process simpler or more engaging next time. You should also track the average amount raised per fundraiser and the number of donations each person secured. This data helps you identify your superstar supporters and understand what a realistic goal is for the average participant. It also shows you where you can offer more support and guidance in future campaigns.
Measure Social Media Engagement
A peer-to-peer campaign lives and breathes on social media, so you need to measure the buzz you created. Go beyond vanity metrics and look at meaningful engagement. How many times was your campaign hashtag used? What was the share and comment volume on posts from your organization and your fundraisers? This social chatter is a powerful indicator of brand awareness and community excitement. High engagement means your message is connecting with people on a personal level. This is especially critical for campaigns like Facebook Challenges, where social activity is directly tied to fundraising success.
Evaluate Donor Retention and LTV
A truly successful campaign builds relationships that last long after the final donation comes in. That’s why you need to look at long-term metrics like donor retention and Lifetime Value (LTV). After the campaign, track how many of your new donors give a second time. Did your fundraisers stick around to participate in other events or volunteer? When you can turn a one-time participant into a recurring giver or a year-round advocate, you’re not just funding a single project—you’re building a sustainable community of support that will fuel your mission for years to come.
Turn a Single Campaign into Long-Term Support
The end of your peer-to-peer campaign isn't the finish line—it's the starting point for building lasting relationships. All the energy and excitement generated during your event create the perfect opportunity to turn one-time participants and donors into a dedicated community of supporters. But this doesn't happen by accident. The key is to have a thoughtful plan in place before the campaign even wraps up. By intentionally nurturing these new connections, you can create a sustainable pipeline of support that fuels your mission long after the final donation comes in. This post-campaign phase is where you solidify the trust you've built and show supporters that their involvement matters beyond a single transaction. It's your chance to shift from a short-term fundraising sprint to a long-term relationship marathon, ensuring the momentum you've created continues to grow. Without a solid retention strategy, you risk losing the valuable audience you just worked so hard to acquire, forcing you to start from scratch with every new campaign. By focusing on what comes next, you can significantly increase donor lifetime value and build a more resilient fundraising program for the future.
Convert Participants into Ongoing Supporters
Once the campaign is over, it’s time to roll out the welcome mat for your new donors. A generic thank-you receipt is a missed opportunity. Instead, create a simple welcome series that introduces them to the heart of your organization. Follow up with a personal message that shares a story about the specific impact their gift makes. This helps them connect their donation to a real outcome. You can also invite them to get involved in other ways, like subscribing to your newsletter or following you on social media. The goal is to make them feel like a valued member of your community, not just a transaction. This initial donor stewardship is crucial for building trust and encouraging future support.
Develop a Post-Campaign Engagement Plan
Your fundraisers were the champions of your campaign, so don't let them fade away. Treat them like the vital partners they are by creating a dedicated post-campaign engagement plan just for them. Start by sharing the final results and celebrating the incredible impact they helped create. A personalized message acknowledging their specific contribution goes a long way. You can also ask for their feedback on the campaign experience—what worked well, and what could be better next time? Using automated direct messaging can help you maintain these conversations at scale, ensuring every fundraiser feels seen and appreciated. This keeps them warm for your next campaign and shows you value their partnership.
Create a Year-Round Retention Program
To truly maximize the value of your peer-to-peer campaign, think beyond immediate follow-up and build a year-round retention program. This is a structured plan to keep both donors and fundraisers connected to your cause throughout the year. You can create a special communications track for your P2P alumni, giving them exclusive impact updates, behind-the-scenes content, or early-bird registration for next year’s event. The goal is to maintain a steady, gentle presence that keeps your organization top of mind. By creating these ongoing touchpoints, you transform a single fundraising event into a powerful engine for long-term loyalty and recurring support, just as the American Cancer Society has done with its fundraising events.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is peer-to-peer fundraising the same thing as crowdfunding? While they're similar, there's a key difference. Crowdfunding is typically when an organization raises small amounts of money from a large number of people, usually through a single campaign page. Peer-to-peer fundraising takes that a step further by having your individual supporters create their own fundraising pages linked to your main campaign. It’s a team effort where your organization empowers many people to fundraise within their own social circles, rather than directing everyone to one central page.
How much work is this for my nonprofit's staff? That's a fair question. While P2P leverages your supporters' efforts, it does require your team to be actively involved. Your role shifts from being the primary fundraiser to being a coach and resource for your volunteers. The main work involves setting up the campaign, creating a helpful toolkit with messaging and images, and providing consistent encouragement and support throughout. The good news is that this upfront investment allows you to scale your fundraising far beyond what your staff could accomplish alone.
What if our supporters aren't comfortable asking their friends for money? This is a very common concern, and it's why storytelling is so important. The most effective P2P campaigns don't feel like a direct financial ask. Instead, you should encourage your fundraisers to share their personal connection to your mission. When they share why they care, the focus shifts from asking for money to inviting friends and family to join them in supporting a cause they believe in. Providing them with strong impact stories and clear examples makes this much easier and more natural.
How do we thank the new donors who gave through our fundraisers' pages? This is a crucial step. Since these new donors gave through a supporter's page, their primary relationship is with that person. However, they are now part of your community, too. You should send an immediate, automated thank-you and receipt from your organization that confirms their gift. Then, follow up with a welcome email that introduces your work more broadly. It's also a great practice to equip your fundraisers with a template they can use to personally thank their own donors, strengthening both relationships at once.
Does this strategy only work for big events like walks or runs? Not at all. While athletic events are a classic example, peer-to-peer fundraising is incredibly flexible. It works wonderfully for time-based campaigns like GivingTuesday, month-long virtual activities like Facebook Challenges, or personal celebrations like birthday fundraisers. You can adapt the model to fit almost any initiative, whether it's a special project, an awareness campaign, or your year-end drive. The core principle of leveraging personal networks applies to many different fundraising scenarios.
