Creative Peer to Peer Fundraising
By Alison Hagan
What is Peer to Peer
Peer-to-peer fundraising is
asking people to raise money
for your cause
Why event fundraise?
• Less influenced by the
economy
• Indirect ask for money
• Compelling
• Extend reach: community,
volunteers, participants
• Diversify revenue channels
• Participants are doing your
job for you
Why event fundraise?
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Engage on a different level with the cause
Attract people not necessarily invested in cause
Media attention and awareness
Sponsorship opportunities
Build Brand
Cost is now lower with online
• People will fall in love with your
organization
Event types
• DIY
• Endurance (marathons)
• Cycle
• Runs (5 or 10 k)
• Walks
• Virtual Campaigns
Top 10 Events in Canada 2015
Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer: $40.1 million down -5.4%
Relay for Life: $34 million down -19%
CIBC Run for the Cure: $21.5 million down -12.2%
The Terry Fox Run: 19.4 million down -2.3%
Jump Rope for Heart: $14.6 million up 19.6%
Movember: $14 million down -39.3%
MS Walk: $9.6 million down -8%
MS Bike: $9.1 million down -5.3%
Big Bike: $8.8 million down .17%
Shoppers Drug Mart Weekend to End Women’s Cancers:
$7.5 million down -2.6
Canada’s Top 30
Revenue decline in 2015
Money Raised: $251 Million in 2015, down 9.5% from 2014
Participants: almost 5 million, same as last year
2015 Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Canada 2015 Top 30 Benchmarking Study
What makes an event successful
Event Experience
What is the look of your event?
Brand
Partnerships
Relationship management
Audible experience
Team program
Prizes
Volunteer engagement
Go to large events to learn
Define Your Brand
Walks are not about the event. They are about the cause.
video
Johnson MS Bike – Leduc to Camrose
• 2000 cyclists
• $2.2 million
• Established 28 years ago
• Started with 116 cyclists
Reasons for Success:
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First bike tour out the gate in Alberta
Well established
Know our market demographic
Focus on relationship management
Dedicated staff for logistics and to team program
Exceptional volunteer committee
Provide quality event experience
Unique: Lower minimum fundraising than our
competitor
• video
Media
• Challenge: lack of marketing
dollars
• Create partnerships with media
video
www.partnershipgoup.ca
Relationship
Management
• Encourage new
participants to start a
team or join a team
• Team captains are gold
• Set fundraising goals
Recruitment
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Stuff
Incentives
Early bird draws
graduated registration fees
guaranteed incentives
Retention
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phone calls
team visits
pre events
partnering with
other
organizations
Attracting New Participants
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Corporate
Teams
Media buys
Social Media
Recognition
Programs
• Create clubs
• Create
experiences
• Create
opportunities
Recognition on event day
• Different colour pinnies
• Top teams leave first
• Rider Village for teams
• Recognize long term riders
• Announce names at finish
• Professional signage (not
church basement signs)
• I’m walking for, riding for
pinnies
Impactful
Experience
• How you tell
your story
• Share your
mission
• Inspire your
participants
Focus on Fundraising
• Returning raise more than new
• Team captains have the most revenue return
• Walkers who send emails on average raise $418 compared to
non email senders who raise $65
• Online fundraising raises more than offline
• Encourage participants to pledge themselves first
• Participants are not experts on fundraising. Train them how to
fundraise. Be specific
What is the secret to success? Teams
To charge or not to charge
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$0 fundraisers
Educate team captains
Ask participants to fundraise
Once they start, they find it easy
80/20 rule
Measure your Success
Staffing
Volunteers
References
Beyond the Numbers: Lessons from the Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Canada 2014 Top 30 Benchmarking study
Contributors: Beyond, hjc, Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Canada and Ramp Communications
The 2014 Blackbaud Peer-To-Peer Fundraising Study Amp Up Your Peer-to-Peer Fundraising June 2015
by Amy Braiterman and Shana Masterson
The 2013 Blackbaud Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Study: Key Performance Indicators for Online Participants by:
Loyalty, Donation Level, and Fundraising Performance
by Amy Braiterman, Katie Beth Deschepper and Bryan Snyder
The Participant Gears: Understanding Why People Participate in Peer-to-Peer
by Plenty Consulting
PeerToPeer Fundraising 30: 2015 Trends & Insights
by Plenty Consulting
The Expansive Impact of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: How to Make the Most of the Growing Movement
by Plenty Consulting
The Essential Guide to Peer-To-Peer Fundraising: Key lessons from the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum
Copyright 2015 Cause Marketing Forum Inc.
More From Many: Creating Powerful Peer-to-Peer Movements by Plenty