Fundraising is a team sport
For events that rely on peer-to-peer fundraising, teams have become the backbone. It’s easy to see why: 100 teams can bring you as much revenue as 1,000 individual participants.
For our latest infographic we dug deep into the numbers to see why teams are playing such a vital role in events and why making your event team-centric is a sound strategy for growth. In our data sample* of DonorDrive client events that made teams part of their fundraising, we discovered that more than half of the event revenue was generated by teams.
While it’s important to note the sheer dollars that team members bring to your event, it’s just as valuable to know that team members are better fundraisers than individual participants. It takes fewer team members than individual participants to make your event a success. Why do teams excel in events? Essentially it comes down to a pack mentality:
- Fundraisers are braver in a group. The ask becomes easier when you see others on your teams doing it. Being part of a team gets shy members over the stigma of fundraising.
- Members encourage each other. Everybody wants to be a winner and wants to be associated with a group of winners.
- Members are accountable to the team. As a team member they’re part of an elite group. No one wants to be that member who lets the team down.
- Members compete against each other. Like encouragement, friendly competition builds better fundraisers.
- Teams compete against other teams. Team rivalry inspires more than the team. It inspires rival teams to be better fundraisers too.
- Teams grow naturally. News of team success spreads rapidly. Everyone wants to be on a winning team.
The more you encourage this pack behavior in your event, the more teams you’ll see and the more successful they’ll be. While all events aren’t physical most have some element of sport or accomplishment. The more you make fundraising the real sport in your event the more successful you’ll be.
* 2016 events in organizations that raise over $1 Million online annually through DonorDrive and promote team fundraising.
