More and more organizations are finding success through peer-to-peer fundraising—getting their supporters to create fundraisers and collect donations on the organization’s behalf. When your supporters fundraise for you, great things happen.

Your organization benefits from the increase in funds as your supporters (and their friends) bring in new dollars. You also get a marketing boost, since having supporters fundraise for you is the best form of word-of-mouth referral. When supporters are talking about your organization on social media in the context of fundraising, you enjoy increased brand visibility, awareness, and credibility.

Ways to Get Your Supporters to Fundraise for Your Nonprofit

The best way to help supporters fundraise for your organization is to make it easy for them to do so. Technology is an indispensable tool for executing these types of plans.

• Build a fundraising platform (like Metro World Child’s Ambassador Hall) that makes it really easy for supporters to set up profiles and raise funds directly for your organization. The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is another nonprofit that utilizes a similar website where supporters can create their own fundraising pages, ask for donations, and monitor their progress.
• Give supporters digital tools to reach their audiences. Provide logos, graphics, email copy, social media posts, and other digital assets for supporters to use as they fundraise.
• Offer supporters creative ideas for fundraising campaigns. Charity:Water inspires website visitors with examples of supporters who raised money in lieu of wedding gifts or in honor of their own birthdays. Publish examples of success stories on your website and newsletter to encourage other supporters to follow suit.
• Create challenges for supporters, such as a run. Individuals can create teams, and teams compete to see who can raise the most money for the organization. Friendship Circle is built around fundraising challenges, as teams register for an endurance event, such as a run, bike, or hike, and ask for financial sponsors.
• Ask your supporters to raise money for something tangible that directly impacts the work you do (i.e., a school, a well, etc.). Share compelling stories and images with your supporters so that they are able to become confident brand ambassadors on your behalf.
• Make a “Host Your Own Event” kit for supporters to use in a group setting. Think about how your supporters gather—as a church or school group, for example—and what they may be able to accomplish in that setting. A bake sale, golf tournament, or silent auction (to name a few!) could all bring in large donations for your organization.