The ultimate guide to peer-to-peer fundraising best practices

As nonprofits expand their reach and engage supporters more personally, peer-to-peer fundraising has become a top choice. This approach leverages the power of social networks, allowing your supporters to fundraise on behalf of the organization through their own connections.  

This article takes you through the most important aspects of peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, covering the following ideas: 

What is peer-to-peer fundraising? 

Peer-to-peer fundraising (sometimes called P2P or peer 2 peer fundraising) is a method where individuals reach out to their personal networks and leverage the  trust they have with them to raise funds for their cause. With supporters fundraising on your behalf, you multiply the reach of your cause. They often set up personal donation pages for your cause and share them online. 

Peer-to-peer fundraising versus crowdfunding   

While both peer-to-peer fundraising and crowdfunding leverage online platforms and networks, crowdfunding focuses donations on a single campaign page managed by the organizer. Peer-to-peer fundraising allows individual supporters to set up personal fundraising pages to support your campaign and mission rather than simply resharing your crowdfunding page. It will give your campaign multiple routes to fundraising, rather than only one. 

While third-party crowdfunding platforms are common, peer-to-peer campaigns often use specialized platforms designed for individual fundraisers, allowing them to personalize their pages while supporting the central cause.  

Types of peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns 

Like most other nonprofit fundraising methods, your supporters can adjust their peer-to-peer fundraising strategies to fit specific needs and formats, depending on the time available and budget. The three most common formats are: 

• Rolling campaigns: operating continuously over months or years, with occasional adjustments. These campaigns often target ongoing fundraising needs and aim to build long-term relationships with donors. Peer-to-peer fundraising examples of this kind include monthly giving programs and annual appeals. 

• Time-based campaigns: run for set periods, possibly to coincide with important dates, or set up quickly to deal with a pressing need, such as an emergency relief effort. These campaigns have a defined start and end date, creating a sense of urgency. Examples include end-of-year giving campaigns and the global designation of October as “Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” 

• Single-day campaigns: also known as “giving days,” these are arranged to concentrate efforts for maximum impact within 24 hours. These campaigns often leverage social media and online giving platforms to generate excitement and anticipation. Examples include university giving days and the “Giving Tuesday” initiative that is now a part of Thanksgiving. 

Benefits of peer-to-peer fundraising  

The peer-to-peer method offers advantages for you as a nonprofit and for your supporters. Here’s how: 

For the campaign organizer 

Organizers benefit from the amplified reach that each supporter’s network brings. Your organization can focus on other aspects of the mission while supporters spread the message. For example, you can invest in resources to support more of your fundraising partners, such as toolkits with sample social media posts, or you can offer training sessions. 

For supporters and their contacts 

Supporters involved in peer-to-peer fundraising can connect more deeply with your mission, making them feel empowered by their direct impact. They also gain a sense of community and shared purpose, connecting them with like-minded individuals who are passionate about the cause. 

For the cause  

Peer-to-peer fundraising introduces your mission to new audiences you might not reach through your traditional channels. This can lead to increased support, advocacy, and long-term sustainability for your cause. Additionally, P2P campaigns can generate valuable data and insights about supporter demographics and motivations, which can inform your future fundraising and outreach strategies. 

How to set up a P2P fundraising campaign: Key steps 

Launching a peer-to-peer campaign takes a certain amount of planning and attention to get the best results. The key steps are: 

1. Set a clear goal 

What exactly is the goal of the campaign? Is it to raise money, generate publicity, or sign up new supporters? How much or how many in each case? Defining a specific fundraising target and timeline provides a focus for the campaign, which helps motivate fundraisers and their networks. 

We can think of goals as key performance indicators (KPIs) or quantifiable targets—such as increasing visits to the campaign page by 50% in three months. With a clear benchmark for campaign success, everyone has a shared objective and an incentive to step up efforts to encourage each other. 

A solid plan also helps you track progress and measure impact, making it easier to celebrate and publicize milestones along the way.  

2. Decide on a technology platform to host the campaign 

Not all campaign hosting platforms cater to the peer-to-peer model. Select a technology partner that, at a minimum, offers easy-to-use fundraising pages, secure online donation processing, and robust tracking and reporting features. Ideally, it should also include tools for team management, communication, and social sharing—these maximize engagement and simplify campaign management. 

3. Design your campaign page 

Your campaign page is the central hub of your fundraising efforts, but it competes with thousands of posts that your contacts will see in their feed. It has to be eye-catching and convey a compelling story that merits attention.  

Use high-quality images and clearly state the result you’re aiming for. Make sure it’s easy for visitors to donate or sign up as fundraisers, and check that updates are well displayed. A banner with moving text instantly draws attention, but readers also understand that it is not the core message of the page. 

4. Recruit fundraisers   

Committed supporters are the key to driving any campaign, as they also become advocates for the mission. Join social media groups and online communities where issues like your cause are welcomed and discussed. News of your campaign is likely to be accepted in these spaces. 

Common peer-to-peer fundraising tips for recruitment include regularly posting informative content on your campaign website and offering a newsletter through which you can capture email addresses for future outreach. While cold emailing can be challenging, consider partnering with related businesses to access relevant email lists and be sure to acknowledge their support on your website. 

5. Provide tools and materials 

Offering fundraisers branded content, messaging templates, social media graphics, and other resources makes it much easier for them to spread the word. These materials ensure consistency in messaging and make your fundraising partners feel supported. 

6. Monitor progress 

Tracking the campaign’s progress allows you to analyze how well your partners are performing, spot any obstacles early on, and make adjustments as needed. Again, this can be viewed in the context of KPIs: you need to know exactly how much has been raised, how many new supporters have joined, and whether this campaign model has worked better than the alternatives. 

Regular monitoring keeps supporters engaged and accountable while providing an opportunity to celebrate achievements and encourage lagging participants. It also informs future campaigns by highlighting what worked well and what could be improved.  

7. Report campaign results as you near the goal 

Maintain momentum and excitement by regularly reporting on campaign results as you approach your fundraising goal. Celebrate milestones, cover peer-to-peer fundraising events, recognize top fundraisers, and share inspiring stories from people connected to the mission. By keeping your supporters engaged and motivated, you’ll encourage them to push towards the finish line. 

8. Stay in touch with new donors 

Promptly thank new donors for their contribution and be sure to keep them updated on campaign developments to emphasize that their donation is making a difference. Cultivate these new relationships through personalized communication and opportunities for further engagement, laying the foundation for long-term support. 

Each of these steps builds on the others, creating a structured and supportive environment for fundraisers to support and push for your campaign’s goals. 

Peer-to-peer fundraising ideas  

The peer-to-peer fundraising model can be applied to any campaign structure, limited only by your flexibility and creativity. Consider these peer-to-peer fundraising events and activities among the many ways supporters can participate: 

Team challenges 

Events like fun runs or sponsored walks encourage teamwork and friendly competition, with each team working toward a common goal. Team quizzes are flexible in that you can host them in person or virtually, giving supporters a chance to bond while raising funds through entry fees or pledges. 

Individual challenges  

Individual challenges allow fundraisers to pursue personal goals that can raise funds through sponsorship or product sales. For example, trash-collecting challenges engage environmentally conscious supporters who collect pledges per bag of waste collected. Handicrafts or baked goods are easy to create and sell, making this option feasible for fundraisers of all ages. 

Virtual events 

Virtual events have the added advantage of potentially reaching global audiences. Your supporters can organize events like virtual cooking classes, yoga sessions, or online games, inviting participants to join in exchange for a donation. The flexibility of virtual events means supporters can fundraise without having to plan the logistics of an in-person gathering, making them accessible and easy to share widely. 

Concerts and galas  

Not everyone is motivated by a sports activity or physical challenge. An alternative is to offer entertainment to encourage donations. Ticket sales for small local concerts, stand-up comedy, or karaoke nights add a formal touch to fun events. An added benefit is that supporters can invite friends and family. 

Food stalls 

Supporters can set up food stalls at community events, farmers’ markets, or other local gatherings. TV shows like The Great American Baking Show and MasterChef have encouraged ordinary people to show off their cooking skills, and food sales are a good way to give the cause exposure in a public setting.  

Merchandising 

Sometimes, it doesn’t even have to be a challenge. People often enjoy being able to show they support a cause and may be open to buying merchandise with the campaign logo. 

Intellectual and artistic challenges 

A competitive spirit is not necessarily limited to physical activities. Reading, quizzes, painting, or music can all be used to draw attention and inspire contributors to reward skills while encouraging interactivity or education. 

Extreme challenges 

Remember the global phenomenon of the ice bucket challenge? It was daring but also relatively safe—perfect for grabbing attention. Similar alternatives would be performing random acts of kindness or taking a selfie with a local celebrity. These stunts not only raise money but also attract media attention and social shares, potentially engaging a broader audience. 

Birthday or anniversary fundraisers   

Use special occasions like birthdays or company anniversaries to request donations instead of gifts. This peer-to-peer fundraising idea turns celebrations into impactful events where friends, colleagues, or family members can contribute to the cause. 

Matched donations 

Matched donations are an effective way to amplify the impact of each contribution. Seek out businesses or institutions that are willing to match each donation dollar-for-dollar, up to a certain amount. This motivates ordinary donors to give, knowing their contributions will be doubled. 

Peer-to-peer fundraising best practices for campaign success  

The success of a campaign depends on well-executed strategies that support your fundraising partners and engage their audiences. Consider these peer-to-peer fundraising tips: 

• Report campaign results: regularly publish reports to provide updates on the impact of your campaign and milestones as they are reached. This keeps supporters engaged and motivated, fosters transparency and accountability, and builds trust with donors. 

• Provide shareable content and materials: equip fundraisers with templates, graphics, and messaging to make sharing easy. Make sure these materials are mobile-friendly and optimized for different social media platforms to maximize reach. 

• Choose a good platform: the best P2P fundraising platforms are user-friendly and have built-in features to ensure seamless registration and donation processes. Look for platforms that offer customizable branding options, ample reporting tools, and integrations with other fundraising software. 

• Gamify the experience: adding incentives like badges or leaderboards increases excitement and participation. An element of friendly competition makes the whole experience more memorable. 

How to choose a good peer-to-peer fundraising platform  

The right platform can make a difference in engaging fundraisers and simplifying processes. Look for these features: 

Team-building tools 

Check for tools that make it easy for supporters to form or join teams, especially for fundraising campaigns with group challenges. Team-building fosters camaraderie and friendly competition. Appropriate tools allow team members to track progress together, which serves as an incentive for them to motivate each other. 

Custom event pages  

Custom event pages allow you to create personalized donation pages for specific events. This means your supporters will have a dedicated place to gather information, track progress, and share updates. Customization expands the options for strengthening the campaign’s branding and messaging, ensuring consistency and enhancing the overall experience for donors and fundraisers alike. 

Gamification elements   

Gamification elements—such as badges, leaderboards, and achievement milestones—add a fun, interactive layer to the fundraising experience. These features engage supporters and motivate them to reach higher goals by offering small rewards and recognition. Gamification keeps fundraisers committed, and the excitement of friendly competition can increase participation by making the event appear intriguing to onlookers. 

Social sharing tools  

Social sharing tools simplify the process of spreading the word about your campaign on social media. Supporters can easily share their progress, donation pages, and updates with just a few clicks. This is a powerful technique for expanding your campaign’s reach, as each share has the potential to attract new donors from your supporters’ personal networks. The result is greater visibility and influence for your mission.  

Options to integrate an online store  

Beyond traditional donations, an online store allows you to diversify fundraising streams. Merchandise provides a tangible connection to the cause, which supporters can purchase for their own use or as gifts for others. Gift recipients may even go on to browse the catalog or become new supporters themselves. 

Optimize your peer-to-peer fundraising strategy 

Effective peer-to-peer fundraising runs much more smoothly if your organization is backed by good planning and financial management tools. They give your peer-to-peer fundraising partners the means to review your use of the money raised, while assuring potential supporters that they’ll be backing a trustworthy mission.  

Investing in a reliable nonprofit accounting solution can help streamline your campaign’s financial tracking, ensure accurate reporting, and enhance transparency with your donors. With the right software foundation in place, you’ll have a solid basis for growing donor relationships, increasing fundraising revenue, and smashing your mission goals.