Transform your volunteers into fundraising champions in 5 steps

Empower your volunteers to become skilled fundraisers for your nonprofit with these five steps for successful peer-to-peer fundraising 🤝💸

We don’t have to tell you how awesome your volunteers are—where would your nonprofit be without them? With the right strategy in place, volunteers can also become one of your most powerful fundraising assets.

In this article, we’ll share how to transform long-standing volunteers into enthusiastic fundraisers for your cause with a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign.  

Why your nonprofit needs fundraising volunteers

Many nonprofit organizations have limited budgets when it comes to hiring dedicated staff for fundraising events and campaigns. Just as you rely on volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to making your programs successful, leveraging volunteer power can also help you reach your fundraising goals. 

One of the best volunteer fundraising ideas is a peer-to-peer fundraising (P2P) campaign, which enlists supporters of your organization to reach out to their friends, family, and broader social networks to reach a fundraising goal on behalf of your nonprofit. 

When you give your volunteers the tools and guidance to create and amplify their own fundraising pages for your cause, the impact can be enormous: 

• Leverage personal connections 💪 Peer-to-peer fundraising activities allow volunteers to tap into their personal networks to grow your nonprofit’s donor base.

• Raise more 💸 When volunteers reach out to their contacts, they’re raising awareness—and dollars—on a much larger scale than you ever could alone.
  
• Grow community 🧡 Peer-to-peer fundraising fosters a sense of community and shared purpose among volunteers.
  
• Save money 💵 Compared to traditional fundraising methods that require significant marketing and outreach efforts (and expenses!), peer-to-peer fundraising can be quite cost-effective. 

• Deeper engagement 🤝 Recruiting volunteers in peer-to-peer fundraising can lead to long-term relationships with your organization. Many volunteers who participate in these campaigns continue to support and advocate for the nonprofit’s mission beyond an initial fundraiser.

How to empower volunteer fundraisers in 5 steps

Creating fundraising volunteer opportunities, like a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, is one of the best things you can do for your organization’s strength and longevity. 

Let’s break down the steps and tools you need to make it happen. 

Step 1: Set goals 🎯

No fundraising initiative will succeed without clear and actionable goals. When it comes to launching your P2P campaign and motivating volunteer fundraisers, be sure to consider the following: 

• Fundraising target: Set a specific, realistic, and achievable fundraising target that aligns with your campaign objectives.
  
• Incremental goals: Divide your overall fundraising target into smaller, manageable milestones.

• Key performance metrics: Determine which metrics are most relevant to your campaign (number of participants, average donation amount, etc.).

• Timeline: Decide on a realistic and manageable timeline and duration of your campaign. 

• Participant goals: Encourage participants to set individual fundraising goals to empower them to take ownership of their fundraising efforts.

• Budget and resources: Evaluate the resources (both financial and human) available for your campaign. 

Step 2: Choose the right software ⚒️

Creating a successful peer-to-peer campaign requires the right tools to help your team run and manage your campaign seamlessly. When choosing from various peer-to-peer fundraising platforms, it’s important to keep a few key elements in mind:

• Price: Each P2P software solution offers different pricing tiers and features, and some provide P2P tools for free.
  
• Communication tools: You want a platform that makes it easy for your volunteer fundraisers to engage donors directly on their personalized fundraising pages and share their campaigns via social media posts, emails, and text messages.

• Gamification: Unlike other fundraisers, P2P fundraisers rely on friendly competition. Check to see if your P2P software offers goal bars, team leaderboards, and countdowns.
  
• Ease of use: Because peer-to-peer fundraising requires volunteers to create their own individual or team pages, your platform should offer intuitive donation page setup and customization (or accessible training materials).

• Customer support: Choose a solution that has responsive and helpful customer service that can help you smooth out any bumps in the road.

Step 3: Recruit 👫

Because P2P fundraising relies heavily on the participation of individual fundraisers and volunteers, it’s essential that nonprofits take the volunteer recruiting process seriously:

• Create a compelling story: Develop a clear narrative about your campaign and the impact it will have.
  
• Leverage existing networks: Tap into your organization’s existing networks, including staff, board members, and current volunteers.
  
• Spread the word: Use your website, social media, email newsletters, and any other relevant platforms to promote your campaign.

• Collaborate with partner organizations: Partner with other nonprofits or community organizations that share similar values or causes. They may have a volunteer program full of people who are interested in supporting your campaign.

• Personalized outreach: Reach out to volunteers individually and follow up to make sure everyone is committed. 

Step 4: Train 💪

Training your volunteer fundraisers is essential to ensure that they are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to represent your nonprofit and raise funds for your cause effectively. To do so, be sure to:

• Host information sessions: Organize information sessions or volunteer orientations to introduce your P2P campaign, share the campaign’s goals, and more.

• Offer training on fundraising techniques: Train fundraisers on various fundraising techniques and strategies, such as solicitation methods (in-person, online, phone), through role-playing and mock conversations.

• Create accessible training materials: Develop guides and templates that fundraisers can refer to during and after the training. These materials should include your organization’s logo, brand guidelines, and key campaign messages.

Step 5: Follow up 👋

Following up with fundraisers is crucial to keeping them engaged, motivated, and feeling appreciated—even after the event has ended. To really nail your follow-up strategy, be sure to:

• Send emails, letters, texts, and phone calls
• Host an appreciation event
• Post social media shoutouts 
• Acknowledge volunteers in newsletters
• Offer volunteer awards 
• Remember and acknowledge specific holidays, like Volunteer Appreciation Month!

Launch your volunteer fundraising campaign with Givebutter and POINT 🎉

Developing your volunteers into fundraisers is one of the best ways to amplify your impact and reach your fundraising goals. With the right tools and best practices, your nonprofit can expand your community, build long-lasting relationships with supporters, and raise more than ever before.

Givebutter is a free, all-in-one nonprofit fundraising platform that equips nonprofits with powerful peer-to-peer fundraising tools, donation forms, events, and a whole lot more. Plus, Givebutter’s integration with POINT now makes it easier than ever for your volunteers to make a donation right from your volunteer portal with a built-in donate button—entirely for free. 

Sign up for your free Givebutter account today and see what’s possible when you start engaging your volunteers in fundraising! 

⭐ BONUS: Download Givebutter’s free peer-to-peer fundraising toolkit to get your campaign started on the right foot!

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