Volunteer Fundraiser Dilemma Illustrates Big Issues in P2P Fundraising

JD: There is another wrinkle, recently (January 2016) a very well-known cyclist/mechanic died by suicide. The bicycle community is rocked by this tragedy. Unfortunately, the bike shop he worked at has decided to have a memorial ride for him on the very same day as the tour. Whenever I have seen "negative social media" (regarding the conflicting dates), I have posted positive statements that folks should ride in whichever event that they desire. I am going to blog/email a newsprint journalist who has published two different articles in the past about some other bicycle events that I have done in the past. I'm thinking, "Wow, look at the impact the biking community can have on suicide prevention, etc." as an angle to pitch to the news writer. Do you have any suggestions for me? I'd appreciate any insights that you might have.

KV: Is there any hope of collaboration? If so, that could be a win and could fix some other problems you have, like low sign-up. Barring collaboration, taking the high road as you’ve done is your best bet. No amount of planning could have forestalled this problem so it could be a “rebuilding year” as the college coaches say.

JD: Collaboration was not possible as the deceased's family does not want to even refer to the death as a suicide—a very common reaction to the stigma and taboo facing all surviving loved ones of suicide victims. I couldn't cross that family's boundaries so blatantly.

KV: There are times I wish I were smarter. This is one of those times. I think you’ve done what you can by supporting them and being kind.

For next year, here are some thoughts:

• Restructure. Ditch the registration fee unless you decide to put on a Pelotonia-esque event that has great retail appeal. If you go that way, it is a different beast. Frankly, without a great, big old budget to create this fantastic event, it will be tough to create a retail-friendly offering. But if not that, lean on mission connection instead of sales prices to raise money. Go with no registration fee, no physical barriers to entry (as in, create a space for the beach bike crowd, maybe even the Big Wheel crowd) and use recognition to drive fundraising and participation. This could manifest as a [do-it-yourself] event or a coordinated activity.
• Create a recognition structure expanding on the good start you have this year. And recognize relentlessly: for fundraising, for last year’s fundraising (love the bib numbers!), for recruiting others, for getting sponsors, for being a sponsor, for leadership volunteerism, for being a survivor, for being a surviving family, whatever you can find. And, here's the good news—you can recruit someone and put them in charge of "relentless recognition." What a fun job!
• Recruit a volunteer leadership committee for the ride, with the full blessing of your board (which may be its own separate effort). Ask people to help in meaningful ways. It’s like a potluck supper versus a fancy dinner that you have prepared all by yourself. If I say I will bring the potato salad (which you gushed over when you invited me) to your dinner, then I am way more likely to show up. If you’re not counting on me for my amazing potato salad, I am iffy on being there. When the moment comes, without the pressure of the potato salad, maybe I want to watch Netflix instead of going out tonight. Likewise, people on the volunteer leadership committee are very likely to fundraise, recruit and participate if you put them in charge of something, like the potato salad at your dinner. That investing with a responsibility does several things: Relieves your load by turning you into a manager rather than a doer, makes them more connected and likely to recruit and fundraise, and most important, expands your connections into the community for recruitment purposes.
• If you go the social relationship route, with focus on mission-connection, ditch the broad, shotgun advertising. Mass advertising is for when you are selling something anyone will buy. If you go with a mission-connected/social relationship-type event, you are not selling something people will buy. With a social/mission-connected event, go to the connections you already have (including the newly recruited committee’s connections), and do peer-to-peer recruitment. It is just as powerful as peer-to-peer fundraising. More than anything else, know that your very effort, regardless of whether you hit a financial goal or not, creates good karma in this world. You are wearing the white hat.

My conversation with Jean is really similar to the conversations I have with national clients, trying to help them reconcile the natural tendencies of human decision-making with the effort to raise money in a peer-to-peer way.