Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Campaigns: Start, share, and manage successfully
Fundraising campaigns are perhaps the most underrated donation channel available to you. They are very easy to offer, start, and you can even actively manage them to lead them to success.
According to a survey from the Global NGO Technology Survey in 2021, 60 percent of the organizations surveyed reported that they raised as many or even more donations through fundraising campaigns.
According to a survey from the Global NGO Technology Survey on fundraising campaigns, nearly 30% of the organizations surveyed reported generating more donations through fundraising campaigns.
Now we want to show you how quickly you can raise more donations with fundraising campaigns and develop them into a truly relevant channel for your organization.
Starting Fundraising Campaigns
Fundraising campaigns are initiated by your supporters. To give them the opportunity to start a fundraising campaign in their name, you typically need to embed a widget on your website that allows the creation of a fundraising campaign.
The essential elements of a fundraising campaign include the title, personal photo, donation goal, donation barometer, comment function, and a thank-you message.
It is important for your supporters to be able to enter individual titles and texts to make their fundraising campaign very personal and unique. Especially the ability to upload photos is indispensable today, as visual elements create a much more personal connection and a much more emotional appeal.
Here’s how it could look:
1. Campaign Title: Name of the fundraising campaign.
2. Public Name: Displayed on the fundraising campaign. For example, the company name can also be used here.
3. Category: Choose an appropriate category.
4. Collecting for: Optionally, a project created by the organization can be selected.
5. Donation Goal: For personal campaigns, the goal should not be set too high and can be adjusted later by the fundraiser.
6. Campaign Image: Fundraisers should upload their own personal photo. This greatly increases the success of a fundraising campaign.
7. Campaign Description: The address should be direct and personal, and the fundraiser should sign it personally.
8. Thank-You Message: This message appears in the browser after a successful donation and should also be personally signed by the fundraiser. Additionally, you can send a thank-you email to the donors on behalf of your organization.
Donation Form and Online Payment
To allow a fundraising campaign to receive donations, you need a donation form, and supporters should have the option to make their donation online. Ideally, this should be possible on the device they prefer, using their preferred payment method, and from wherever they are.
FundraisingBox offers all common payment methods out-of-the-box.
Sharing Fundraising Campaigns
A fundraising campaign can only be successful if it is known to as many people as possible. The fundraisers and their network are your greatest leverage:
The first step to making a fundraising campaign known is for the fundraisers to invite family, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, and relatives. Equally important is for these people to spread the word about the campaign.
The more viral a campaign goes, the more successful it becomes. Viral reach means how many people outside your supporters’ bubble hear about it. For a campaign to go viral, many factors need to come together. We’ll cover this in more detail later.
All fundraisers need the ability to easily share the campaign. Social media share buttons or email forwarding are examples of simple shareability. Additionally, you can provide supporters with a code snippet to embed the campaign on their own websites with just a few clicks.
Supporting content that can generate more virality is also helpful. This allows supporters to easily inform others about their social engagement and encourage more people to donate.
How to Encourage Your Supporters to Start Fundraising Campaigns
To encourage as many supporters as possible to start fundraising campaigns, they first need to know about the option. Use all available communication channels to promote fundraising campaigns, such as email newsletters, social media, or direct promotion at events. Showcase particularly exciting fundraising campaigns prominently on your website. You could even select the best campaign and celebrate the “Hero of the Month” directly on your homepage!
The best way to motivate people is through storytelling – show examples of ongoing campaigns and stories to encourage imitation. The message must be clear: “Running your own fundraising campaign is fun! And it’s the best way to get involved and help!”
The call to action for your supporters is always the same: “Start a fundraising campaign!”
Providing Help: Strong Communication During the Fundraising Campaign
As an organization, you don’t have to sit back and wait to see if individual campaigns take off or struggle. You can actively support the campaign creator along their journey. Regularly provide your ambassadors with information. Especially in the initial phase of a fundraising campaign, you can guide them well with messages, accompanying content, and motivational messages to help them fully utilize all the features of a campaign, become more active, and make the campaign a success.
For example, use a system that automatically sends support emails to fundraisers at regular intervals. You can set specific events as triggers, such as “10 days before campaign ends.”
How to Provide Concrete Support
On Your Website:
– Name contact persons with email and phone number
– Provide an info PDF for download
– Show videos on how to easily start a fundraising campaign
– Set tooltips to explain functions
– Link helpful content, such as tips for the perfect picture, how to formulate compelling campaign titles, or how fundraisers can make their campaigns more creative
Emails:
– Use automated emails and email templates for close and efficient communication with the fundraiser
Personally:
– Use a system that continuously displays the status of ongoing fundraising campaigns and automatically generates tasks when it’s necessary to contact the fundraiser
Managing Fundraising Campaigns
When multiple supporters start fundraising campaigns simultaneously, it’s important to keep track. You want to monitor which campaigns are performing well and which might need a boost through closer communication with the fundraisers.
A Relationship Management System (CRM) for non-profits that clearly displays fundraisers and fundraising campaigns, allowing community management to see all essential details (e.g., contact information, communication) at a glance, is state-of-the-art. It allows all incoming donations to be assigned to a project, with all data easily accessible in one place.
In CRM systems, you can also search all current fundraising campaigns based on your desired information (e.g., number of donations, category, expiration date, etc.). Frequently needed queries can be saved and easily repeated.
Who Can Start a Fundraising Campaign?
Anyone. 😊
Mobile Ready: Fundraising Campaigns on the Go
If you give your supporters the opportunity to run their own fundraising campaigns, make sure the display is also suitable for mobile devices. Information shared via social media is often opened on the go.
Users should be able to optimally view the fundraising campaign on smartphones and tablets, ensuring content is easily accessible and that the donation button and donation form are displayed cleanly. This ensures a pleasant donation experience and correspondingly high conversion rates.
9 Pro Tips for Fundraising Campaigns
1. Avoid Zero Donations
When a new fundraising campaign is started, the donation barometer initially shows zero. Encourage your fundraisers to make the first donation themselves, even if it’s a small amount. This way, donors see they aren’t the first to donate and are motivated to contribute.
2. Show Only the Best
If you want to display multiple active fundraising campaigns on your website, show only a selection of the best campaigns, such as those with the highest donation bars, the highest percentage progress, or the most creative ideas or images.
3. Hide Completed Campaigns
Do not display completed fundraising campaigns on your website.
4. Avoid Showing Empty Campaigns
Only display fundraising campaigns that have reached at least 30% of their donation goal. Campaigns with less or no donations are not attractive.
5. Prefer Campaigns with a Story
Favor fundraising campaigns with an exciting story, as this creates interest and encourages imitation.
6. Less is More
Display only 4-6 campaigns, making it easier for your visitors to choose one. It’s best to randomly select 4-6 of the most attractive fundraising campaigns. With our CRM, this could even be automated. 🙂
7. Use a Personal Photo
The fundraiser should definitely upload a personal photo. This engages their circle of acquaintances much more emotionally and is more likely to activate them.
8. Create Campaigns if in Doubt
If your supporters haven’t started a campaign on your site yet, start one yourself! Many people don’t want to be the first, but they will follow a good example.
9. Don’t Forget to Thank
Acknowledge the time people spend supporting your cause with thank-you letters, certificates, or gifts. Accompany them openly on their journey.
Fundraising campaigns are an underrated way to sustainably increase your donation volume and engage in valuable exchanges with your donors. Through fundraising campaigns, you will also learn creative approaches to presenting your projects and quickly recognize which projects are more interesting to your community. You might also identify patterns of what works well for your ambassadors’ supporters and use them for yourself.
