Top 30 Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Events Accomplish Fourth Straight Year of Growth

The nonprofit sector’s top peer-to-peer fundraising programs continue to make up ground from 2020’s drastic 33.9% drop in revenue by recording a fourth straight year of growth.

With 3% more revenue in 2024 than 2023, the top 30 U.S. peer-to-peer fundraising programs combined to bring in $1.14 billion last year, according to the 19th annual "Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Top 30 Survey" that the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum released yesterday.

“In 2024, peer-to-peer fundraising in the U.S. settled into a more steady, pre-pandemic growth pace,” Marcie Maxwell, managing director of the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum, said in a statement. “While we didn’t see the big spikes of previous years, many top programs still held strong, even with the changing economic landscape. Their success came from staying focused on community and relationships while fine-tuning strategies to keep up with shifting donor behaviors.”

The peer-to-peer programs are walks, runs, bike rides and other challenges that rely on participants’ network of friends and family to support them with donations to the cause. While these top 30 events have yet to combine to reach 2019’s nearly $1.37 billion level, they have chipped away in subsequent years with gains of 3.5%, 18.8%, 3.2% and now 3%.

Participation also increased by 3.5% to 2.5 million participants, according to the survey. 

Meanwhile, Canada saw a 3.9% increase among its top 30 peer-to-peer programs, which totaled $194.3 million and had 4.7 million participants. Participation remained steady with a modest 0.5% jump.

“In 2024, peer-to-peer fundraising in Canada saw steady growth, returning to more predictable pre-pandemic trends,” Maxwell said in a statement. “While the fundraising landscape continues to evolve, many programs found success by doubling down on community engagement and relationship-building. At the same time, they adapted to shifting donor behaviors and economic challenges, ensuring their events remained strong and impactful.”

Here is a look at some key takeaways from the top 30 peer-to-peer fundraising programs for 2023 in both the U.S. and Canada.

Largest Peer-to-Peer Events

The American Heart Association retained the No. 1 spot with its Heart Walk, which brought in $110 million, a $4 million year-over-year jump, but still below its $140 million tally prior to the pandemic. The organization did not reveal its participation figures. 

The organization’s other event, Kids Heart Challenge, maintained its No. 4 ranking despite a 4% decline. In fact, the top nine slots for 2024 events remained unchanged. Pelotonia’s signature event replaced The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Visionaries of the Year for 10th place. 

Of the events that disclosed participation, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer from the American Cancer Society had the most with 863,100 while The Breakthrough T1D Walk (formerly JDRF Walk) had the biggest jump in participation with 20.1% growth.

Despite 100,000 fewer participants in 2024, The Terry Fox Run from the Terry Fox Foundation kept the top spot on the Canadian list.

Largest Peer-to-Peer Event Growth and Decline

Of the top 30 programs, 18 grew in 2024, but none as much as the Cleveland Clinic Foundation's VeloSano, which didn’t even make last year’s list. The organization landed at No. 15 after more than doubling its revenue year over year, with the $28.9 million event. The Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum attributed the growth to major gifts for its cycling program. 

On the other end of the spectrum, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Visionaries of the Year event declined 12% in revenue to $33 million. However, the nonprofit also had four of its events make the top 30 list, combining for nearly $160 million. 

The Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk To End Alzheimer's had 16,000 more walkers year over year while The Breakthrough T1D Walk saw participation grow 20% — both the most impressive gains on the participation side of the list. Meanwhile, the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer had the biggest participant loss with 10,000 and Children’s Miracle Networks Hospitals saw the largest percent decline with 10.2%.

For Canada’s top 30 events, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada’s Fundraise Your Way saw the largest leap in revenue — 63.9% — to nearly $2 million. For participants, The Million Reasons Run from the SickKids Foundation welcomed 60.4% more participants, or roughly 6,600 people. 

The Canadian Cancer Society’s Dry Feb event suffered some of the biggest losses on the list with 33.9% less revenue and 44.1% fewer participants. Only the nonprofit’s other event, Cops for Cancer had a higher participant attrition of 55.3%.

Peer-to-Peer Event Newcomers and Returners

As mentioned, VeloSano from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation jumped onto the list at No. 15. Athletics/Team in Training, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s fourth and final event to make the top 30, entered at No. 30 with $14 million — $400,000 less than needed to make the 2023 list. 

Those who dropped off of the list include ALSAC/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital’s ALSAC Social Fundraising and Susan G. Komen’s 3-Day, which ranked No. 17 and 30, respectively, for 2023. 

Princess Margaret Foundation’s Northern Pass to Conquer Cancer — the 30th program on the Canadian list — debuted with its $1.5 million  event that grew 48.5%. That was the largest growth for this list and $235,000 more than it took to earn the final spot on the list last year. The foundation has the most programs on the list with five programs totaling $30.34 million for 2024.