Chances are, you know what Giving Tuesday is by now. However, it’s important to recognize that Giving Tuesday is just one of many giving days your organization can get involved in.
Giving days are events that bring communities together in the spirit of generosity. Whether you’re a grassroots nonprofit making waves locally or a larger organization leading the charge on a major project, giving days are a golden opportunity to amplify your cause.
In this article, we’ll dive into all things giving days and how you can harness peer-to-peer fundraising to make the most of them.
How Do Giving Days Work?
First thing’s first, let’s talk about Giving Days. Giving days are special occasions dedicated to charitable giving. They span between 24 hours to a week in length. During this time, individuals, businesses, and communities unite to support nonprofits through financial contributions, aiming to create a significant impact within a short span. Think of it as an “all-hands-on-deck” approach to fundraising, where everyone collaborates towards a shared goal.
So why are giving days effective? They rally your supporters and maximize fundraising efforts within a limited timeframe. Giving days allow you to mobilize your team to engage donors, promote your initiatives, and raise awareness, ultimately expanding your donor base and reinforcing the importance of fundraising for your mission and programs.
How Does Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Work?
Now, let’s discuss another popular fundraising strategy: peer-to-peer fundraising. Picture this: You’re passionate about a cause. You want to make a difference, but you’re just one person. Peer-to-peer fundraising is what helps turn your passion into a movement.
Instead of relying solely on major donors or grants, peer-to-peer fundraising puts the power in your hands and the hands of your supporters. It’s like a ripple effect of generosity. You reach out to your friends, family, and co-workers, and ask them to chip in. They, in turn, reach out to their networks, and before you know it, you’ve got this snowball effect of giving.
Why is Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Relevant Today?
In today’s digital age, where everyone’s connected through social media, peer-to-peer fundraising is more relevant than ever. 75% of donors are more inclined to give when approached by friends or family and it’s not hard to understand why. People trust recommendations from their friends and family way more than traditional advertising or fundraising appeals. So when someone you know shares your fundraiser on Facebook or Instagram, it’s not just a post—it’s a personal endorsement. And when their friends see it, they’re more likely to take notice and get involved.
Successful Examples of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
Let’s look at some real-life examples of organizations crushing it with peer-to-peer fundraising. Think about those viral charity challenges you see popping up on your feed—like the Ice Bucket Challenge or Movember. These campaigns spread like wildfire because they tap into the power of peer influence and social networks.
But it’s not just the big, flashy campaigns that make waves. Even smaller nonprofits and grassroots organizations can harness the power of peer-to-peer fundraising to raise significant funds and awareness for their causes.
(Amigos de las Américas Tucson Chapter raised almost $28K for their local youth leadership and development programs via peer-to-peer fundraising)
Why Incorporate Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Into Your Giving Day?
Giving days have been gaining serious traction in recent years. From Giving Tuesday to regional giving days, people are coming together like never before to support causes they care about.
And guess what? Giving days aren’t just a flash in the pan. They’re here to stay. With each passing year, more and more organizations are hopping on the giving day bandwagon.
But with so many organizations vying for donors’ attention, you need innovative strategies to stand out in a crowded fundraising landscape. That’s where peer-to-peer fundraising and giving days intersect.
Ready to make your giving day a success? Download our Giving Day Checklist now.
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How To Incorporate Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Into Your Giving Day
1. Choose Your Platform
You need the right platform to make your giving day dreams a reality. It’s crucial to pick one that’s not only optimized for giving days but also offers the right peer-to-peer fundraising features. While most platforms out there will give you the basics—org pages and peer-to-peer pages—CauseVox takes it up a notch with team pages too. That means your supporters can band together and raise even more for your cause!
2. Gather Helpful Resources for Your Fundraisers
Next up, arm your fundraisers with all the tools they need to knock it out of the park. We’re talking about creating a peer-to-peer fundraising toolkit packed with everything from sample social media posts, logos, high-quality photos, a timeline, fundraising tips and tricks, and more. The more prepared your fundraisers are, the better equipped they’ll be to rally support for your cause.
3. Recruit Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers
Now it’s time to assemble your fundraising dream team. Think staff members, volunteers, board members, existing donors, corporate partners— anyone who’s shown support for your cause! But don’t wait until the last minute to recruit. Start reaching out and rallying the troops well in advance of your giving day to give everyone plenty of time to get on board. Generally, the first two weeks of a campaign is when you’ll recruit the most people.
4. Engage Your Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers
Once you’ve got your squad assembled, it’s time to get them excited and ready to go. Help them set personal fundraising goals that are challenging yet achievable, and give them the tools and guidance they need to succeed. And don’t forget the power of storytelling! Encourage your fundraisers to share their personal connection to your cause and why it’s so important to them—it’s a surefire way to tug at heartstrings and open wallets.
5. Promote Before and During the Giving Day
Harness the power of social media by encouraging peer-to-peer fundraisers to share their fundraising pages and stories leading up to and during the giving day. Provide them with engaging content and suggested captions to make it easy for them to spread the word across their networks. Additionally, consider implementing a hashtag specifically for your giving day to create a sense of community and track engagement.
6. Host Pre-Giving Day Events or Challenges
Build excitement and momentum leading up to the giving day by hosting pre-event challenges or virtual gatherings for peer-to-peer fundraisers. These could include themed fundraising challenges, virtual pep rallies, or informational webinars to provide additional support and motivation. By fostering a sense of camaraderie and teamwork before the big day, you’ll energize your fundraisers and increase participation and enthusiasm.
7. Incentivize Your Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers
Now here’s where things get fun. To keep your fundraisers motivated and fired up during your giving day, consider incorporating incentives. At minimum, feature a fundraising thermometer to showcase how close you are to your goal. If you really want to kick it up a notch, consider adding leaderboards to showcase top fundraisers and power hours with prizes to amp up the excitement.
8. Make Sure to Properly Thank Your Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers
Once your giving day is successfully complete, don’t forget to show your fundraisers some love. Make sure to shower them with gratitude and appreciation for all their hard work and dedication. After all, without them, your giving day wouldn’t be the smashing success it is!
9. Incorporate New Donors from the Giving Day Into Your Donor Pipeline
And hey, don’t forget about those new donors you’ve acquired during your giving day extravaganza. Make sure to reach out and incorporate them into your donor pipeline so you can keep the relationship—and the donations—sustained for years to come.
Case Study: Spur Local’s Giving Day Results Grew Exponentially Thanks to Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
When it comes to knocking it out of the park with giving day campaigns, Spur Local is the real MVP. Their 2023 Give Local Together Campaign was nothing short of spectacular, bringing in over $1 million across a whopping 5,347 donations. In fact, while GivingTuesday as a whole experienced a 10% decrease in donors in 2023, Spur Local saw a 10% increase in donors compared to the previous year.
Spur Local’s remarkable giving day success was powered by CauseVox’s peer-to-peer fundraising platform. CauseVox made it easy for anyone to jump in and start making a difference, whether you were outside the org looking to lend a hand or managing the show from within.
Spur Local’s incredible campaign was elevated by CauseVox’s latest feature—the enhanced Donation Carts. With enhanced Donation Carts, donors can explore and select donations, assign them to peer-to-peer pages, apply tribute dedications, and add them to their cart with ease. At checkout, donors can review their selections, make any necessary adjustments, and choose from multiple quick checkout options (credit/debit card, Apple Pay, Venmo, or ACH) to complete their payment.
CauseVox’s platform also incorporated dynamic features like real-time donation counters and power hours that kept donors motivated. Spur Local’s team and their donors found the platform easy to use, and the responsive customer service from CauseVox was the cherry on top.
Spur Local isn’t stopping there, though. They’re already gearing up to engage corporate partners for even more impact in the future. With a whole new audience waiting to join the cause, the possibilities are endless for Spur Local and CauseVox’s partnership.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to giving days, peer-to-peer fundraising is the name of the game. And with the right platform and a little bit of creativity, you can turn your giving day dreams into a reality.
Ready to level up your giving day game? Download our comprehensive giving day checklist now and kickstart your journey to fundraising greatness with CauseVox!
