NonProfit PRO September/October Member Spotlight

Q: What is the state of peer-to-peer fundraising, and how do you foresee it moving forward in the future?

The state of peer-to-peer fundraising is a crowded field with lots of fundraising organizations pivoting to create virtual experiences for their donors and supporters. The good news is that people remain committed to helping their favorite organization survive during this challenging time. Collaborative partnerships will reign. Storytelling and branding are easily shared. Personal outreach from the board, program recipients and donors will be essential to ensure the ties to their favorite mission-driven organizations stay strong in anticipation of better days ahead.

Wendy Lewis
Executive Director
The Parkinson Council

Peer-to-peer fundraising is hard and not for the faint hearted. It can be extremely valuable when implemented properly. It is something that an organization must invest in (both time and money) and must make a priority to be successful — among the 1.5 million nonprofits in the U.S., not many do this. The good news is for organizations that want to be successful, there are some strong companies and experienced individuals who can guide the way, and there are a variety of technologies that can make the execution easier. COVID-19 has definitely dealt a blow to many forms of peer-to-peer fundraising (galas, races, walks), but history has shown that while during economic downturns, giving may recede slightly or simply plateau, we as a nation emerge even more generous. So as we move into our next normal, those organizations that are ready to focus on peer-to-peer could capitalize on our return to those in-person events that easily lend themselves to peer-to-peer fundraising.

Shawn Olds
CEO
boodleAI

Peer-to-peer fundraising is more important than ever because for many of us, our connections have become our lifelines. It gives us the opportunity to be in community with others and get behind a “right now” cause. A sense of urgency and camaraderie moves people to action, and that isn’t changing anytime soon. Because most organizations have moved to virtual, the virtual highway has gotten more crowded. Peer-to-peer fundraising will need to be a part of a larger fundraising strategy and not the strategy. It will need to be more intimate, hyper local and flexible.