Peer to Peer Fundraising Study 2017 (US)

19/02/2018

This report provides a snapshot of the state of ‘Peer to Peer’ volunteer fundraising in the U.S. and provides some food for thought in terms of how organisations can drive fundraising through the nature of the relationship they have with their volunteers. 

To access this report: Click Here 

Authors: NonProfitPro, Turnkey and NAPCO Research. 

Published: October 2017. 

Background to the research:

The term peer to peer fundraising (P2P) is defined as volunteer fundraisers raising money for a not-for-profit organisation via events such as walks, runs, dances etc.  P2P fundraising has rocketed in popularity in the last few years with an estimated 60% of not-for-profit organisations in the US participating in some form of P2P activity. 

This study was commissioned to shed light on the sector and provide information to assist organisation to improve fundraising efforts. 

Objectives:

  1. To provide organisations who have not yet engaged in P2P fundraising with a better understanding of how P2P fundraising works.
  2. To provide organisations already participating in P2P insights into strategies and tactics that are working for other organisations.

Methodology:

An online survey conducted amongst not for profit professionals.  Respondents were segmented into two categories: those who had engaged in P2P fundraising and those who hadn’t. 

Key Outcomes/Findings:

  • Evidence from the survey suggests that events tend to generate higher revenue when there is no fundraising minimum or registration fee and that creating events built on good social relationships with volunteers rather than minimum fundraising amounts tend to be more impactful.  Although not practical for some events which rely on fees and minimums for their business model, the reason for this conclusion revolves around two key ideas:
    • The concept that a required fundraising amount suggests a ‘transaction’ and that leads volunteers to believe that simply meeting the requirements is all they must do.
    • The idea that if there is no dollar amount fixed to an event the relationship between the volunteer and the organisation is non-transactional and volunteers are motivated to raise more money because they feel an emotional attachment to the event or cause.
  • The survey asked about how participant and leadership volunteers were typically rewarded or recognised in peer to peer fundraising. 67% responded that this was typically done via social media and 58% via email.  Just over half were given gifts with the organisations own brand and 47% were acknowledged on organisation websites.  The findings raised the question as to whether the emphasis on rewarding and recognising via technological platforms and digital rewards could mean they were missing out on a bigger opportunity to build a future relationship by an over-reliance on easily managed but less personal forms of recognition.
  • Respondents were asked which types of volunteer behaviours were being rewarded and three quarters of respondents pointed to fundraising levels and 57% to fundraising success. Rewarding was recognised as a motivator to encourage fundraisers to raise more, however it was felt that several useful measures are generally being ignored including recruiting of other volunteers, longevity, helping at the event and running off-line fundraising.

  • Respondents were asked to choose their top attributes which make for an ideal volunteer fundraiser. The top 2 answers were “love the activity’ and ‘honouring someone’.   The report author suggests that Not for Profits should be getting to know their fundraising volunteers and finding out why they are choosing to fundraise for the organisation and then building off that emotional connection to engage with the volunteer and motivate them to be better fundraisers.