So, you’re planning a 24-hour giving day campaign to fundraise for your nonprofit.
But who spreads the word about your giving day campaigns?
Is it you and your coworkers who lead the charge, or do you also rely on the support of your board, volunteers, donors, and other supporters?
The real power behind giving day campaigns usually comes, not from your organization itself, but those who support you. Whether your supporters are sharing your campaign on social media, emailing their friends with requests to give, or simply giving and writing a sweet message of supporters (all methods of digital fundraising best practices!), it’s their commitment to what you’re doing that fuels these rapid, high-energy fundraising campaigns. Your supporter’s value is so much more than a donation!
But arguably one of the best ways to broaden your giving day campaign’s reach and engage your active, loyal supporters at the same time is through peer-to-peer fundraising.
I’m partial to peer-to-peer fundraising because it seems so natural. You don’t have to worry about putting together the perfect elevator speech, or filling your marketing posts with nonprofit jargon. Instead, you activate your community by handing them the reins. In doing so, the campaign feels more personal and meaningful.
So, for your next giving day, consider bringing some personal fundraisers on board–people who help power your peer-to-peer campaign.
Here are four ways to recruit personal fundraisers for your giving day campaign, plus some bonus tips to help you prepare them for the big day!
1. Always Start With Current Donors, Board, Staff, And Volunteers For Your Giving Day Campaign
The first people you should reach out to about becoming personal fundraisers are those closest to you: your fellow staff members, board of directors, current donors, and other key stakeholders. These are the people that know your cause, understand your impact, and have already shown their interest in supporting the mission.
If you have the time, take a multi-channel approach to the recruitment process;you should always reach out through your supporter’s preferred communication method. Type up an email and send it out to donors who’ve given online in the past. Talk with your board members face-to-face at the next board meeting. Visit with volunteers as they’re busy helping improve your facility.
Easy ways to recruit personal fundraisers who are already connected to your nonprofit include:
- Face-to-face
- Phone
- Social media
- Direct mail
Giving Day Suggestions
- Start recruitment efforts a few weeks to a month in advance. This allows time to train fundraisers and spread the word.
- Explain the guidance and support(more on this below) your team will provide to those who may be unsure of taking on the role.
It’s always smart to start building your team of ambassadors from those who know, love, and believe in what you do.
2. Promote Online Early On
Whether you’re gearing up for #GivingTuesday, #MLKDay or another giving day that relates to your organization, it’s good to have a plan in place months before the big day. This isn’t just because you’ll be competing against other nonprofits for donations. Well, that’s part of it. But it also takes time to bring personal fundraisers up to speed.
After you’ve reached out to everyone mentioned in #1, it’s time to connect with your online audience.
These folks are vital because they 1. connect with your cause, and 2. are already online, which just so happens to be where you’ll be hosting your giving day campaign.
Make a communications plan that inspires your online audience into action. For example, you can schedule 2-3 posts across your social handles a month prior to the giving day campaign, and increase the volume in the week before kickoff.
Giving Day Suggestions
- Educate potential personal fundraisers about the specific giving day, including the purpose of the day and how it relates to your nonprofit.
- Recruit across all social media platforms to expand your reach.
- Share exciting highlights from previous giving day efforts to boost excitement.
3. Ask For Help (From Those Who’ve Done It)
It’s scary to try something new, which is one reason people may resist becoming personal fundraisers. To lessen the stress, ask your past personal fundraisers to help with recruitment efforts.
How can they help? Past personal fundraisers can:
- Write about their experience for your blog and social media accounts
- Help compile the personal fundraiser toolkit
- Mentor new personal fundraisers
- Outline their list of “dos and don’ts” to share with others
These supporters are your most valuable asset during a giving day campaign because they understand the process and can help others along the way.
Giving Day Suggestions
- Reach out to all past personal fundraisers, regardless of campaign length
- Ask each individual how they’d like to help boost efforts this year (their answers may surprise you and invigorate your campaign)
4. Consider Personal Connections
I may not know about Rescue + Freedom, a nonprofit committed to rescuing beagles from animal testing, but that didn’t stop me from giving to a cause that was near and dear to the heart of my high school friend.
All it took was a social media post complete with an impassioned plea and a few personal photographs. I was hooked. And, quite frankly, I was rallied up enough to want to do more than just give.
Personal connections are key with peer-to-peer fundraising, but they aren’t just for bringing in donations. These same relationships can also help boost your personal fundraiser recruitment.
Ask your past personal fundraisers and other supporters to talk to their friends and family about getting involved. You never know who’ll be motivated to step up. Plus, the commitment is only a day (for now)– which is an excellent way for supporters to dip their toes in and see if peer-to-peer is right for them!
Giving Day Suggestions
- Specifically ask your current supporters, staff, and board members to talk to their personal connections
- Promote the opportunity as a 24-hour commitment
Prepare Them With These Best Practices
Their passion may be there, but it still takes preparations and strong leadership to ready your personal fundraisers for the task ahead. Here are a few additional tips to help you prepare your team:
Make It Easy (for you and them)
Not everyone is a computer or programming wizard, so use an online fundraising platform that is intuitive and user-friendly. The less you have to worry about providing technical support, the more time you can spend mentoring personal fundraisers, thanking donors, and managing the overall campaign.
Outline Expectations
Before you apply for a job, you read the job description. It’s this document that helps you decide whether the role is right for you or not. Try giving your personal fundraisers the same thing! Outline the expectations up front during the recruitment process. Give them a timeline, estimated time commitment, suggested duties, etc.
Create A Giving Day Toolkit For Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers
A personal fundraiser toolkit is ideal to bring every personal fundraiser up to speed. Most toolkits include the expectations (see above), information on setting up a personal fundraising website, suggested goals, sample messages, information on incentives, and more.
Connect Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers With Staff
Assign a staff person as the direct contact between personal fundraisers and your organization. This streamlines the communications and gives personal fundraisers a safety net.
Use Resources Available (Hint: There are lots!)
Because giving days are increasingly common, there are numerous phenomenal resources out there to guide your efforts and prepare your personal fundraisers. To start, check out the CauseVox Blog and the #GivingTuesday Toolkit.
Giving days help boost your fundraising efforts, but they’re also a great opportunity to engage and rally new fundraisers who care about your efforts in the community.
Run Your Giving Day On CauseVox & Raise More With Less Effort
CauseVox is a digital fundraising platform designed to help you easily run your peer-to-peer fundraising, crowdfunding, and donation pages with less effort.
CauseVox’ conversion-optimized forms provide your donors and fundraisers with experience your supporters will love, while helping you save time on admin tasks like reporting, receipting, and more.
You can get started for free to raise more with less effort through peer-to-peer fundraising with your giving day.
