GivingTuesday presents a unique chance for nonprofits to expand their networks and reach new supporters. By harnessing the power of your existing network, you can cultivate a community of like-minded individuals who are ready to stand alongside you in your mission throughout the year and jump into action whenever needed. For smaller nonprofit organizations, this approach significantly streamlines the process of organizing a GivingTuesday campaign, as your most dedicated ambassadors take the lead.
In this guide, we’ll share our top tips for activating your community on your behalf on GivingTuesday.
Social proof works. From a psychological standpoint, these types of campaigns play into our natural instincts for connection and social influence. When a super-enthusiastic supporter leads the charge, their friends and family are more likely to jump in, simply because they want to support someone they know. It’s like a digital version of the neighbor who asks you to help with a community project – you’re more likely to say yes. Plus, it gives everyone a sense of involvement and empowerment, making them feel like they’re part of something bigger.
Ask your most enthusiastic advocates to each create a personalized fundraising page on GivingTuesday. Ask them to highlight their connection to your mission and set an achievable fundraising goal.
They’ll then share this page with their respective networks, including friends, family members, and colleagues, and passionately ask for their support in reaching their financial target.
This approach not only leverages the trust and relationships of your supporters but also encourages a collective effort to achieve both the individual and the organization’s fundraising goals.
Tech considerations
Most donation platforms offer P2P functionality these days. (Facebook does too but remember it’s not free anymore!). You’ll want to choose a platform that’s intuitive for your fundraisers to use – they’re the ones who need to set up their pages. Mobile-friendly is an absolute necessity in 2023.
A Note on Mobile Pay: We recommend using a donation platform that offers mobile pay options (eg. Apple Pay/Google Wallet/mChanga). We want to be eliminating as many barriers to donating and participating in our missions as possible and Mobile Pay helps us do that by skipping the credit card entry process!
Consider using a platform that has leaderboard functionality. Leaderboards create a dynamic and engaging environment that encourages healthy competition and fosters a community spirit among P2P fundraisers, making them an effective tool for driving donations and participation.
Raisely made this great Miro board for planning a P2P campaign!
Find Your People
Who will you ask to join your team of fundraisers? Some ideas:
You’ll want to directly ask some folks and also plan an open invitation for your wider community. Again, social proof is important, so make sure you have at least a few personal fundraising pages set up before you open the invitation to others.
Helping your P2P fundraisers succeed is a big deal, especially if they’re not fundraising pros. They might need some coaching and tips to get the hang of it. So, don’t just throw them in the deep end – offer guidance, set up their campaign pages, and provide toolkits that make sharing easy. It’s like giving them the tools to conquer the fundraising world. This not only boosts their confidence but also sets your P2P campaign up for success, making sure your nonprofit benefits big time.
Consider putting your team of fundraisers into a Whatsapp group or on an email chain so they can cheer each other on, offer each other ideas, and shout out what’s been working well for them.
Cheer on their unlocked achievements and milestones like % of a goal, # of donors, or their first $100 raised.
Don’t forget to check in regularly with your fundraising team to remind them when it’s time to post. You might consider sending them calendar invitations along the way, so that it “pings” their Apple Watch or mobile when it’s time to post or send an email.
It makes people feel good to be recognized for doing good. After the campaign is over, don’t forget to thank this crew of terrific unicorns. You might consider sending them merch or surprising them with a small gift. At minimum, send them a thoughtful note (snail mail or email) about how much of an impact they made by giving their time and energy to your mission through this campaign.
Guide to P2P Fundraising for GivingTuesday (Mightycause)
P2P Tips (Funraise)
P2P Fundraising Guide (Donately)
Podcast Episode on Unlocking the Power of Community Giving (We Are Good)
30 P2P Campaign Ideas (One Cause)
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