This topic comes from one of our featured topics from Kindest’s Finish Strong Summit from our Kindest experts. We’ll be going over how to get your Champions involved. Whoot-Whoot!
Ready to get started with peer-to-peer fundraising? Download your free toolkit now.
So what are champions and what is peer-to-peer fundraising?
It’s getting your friends, supporters and even your previous donors involved to help you to raise money.
Now how do we get started?
Easy. Make a list!
Make a list of those who previously supported you and a list of your board members, volunteers and donors. You want to leverage them to assist in calling other donors and volunteers.
And believe us, thank-you’s are huge. Saying thank you to the people who support you is one of the best ways to keep a relationship, not just professionally but personally as well. Don’t we all love a little thanks?
But, wait. What if I’m just starting and don’t have donors, volunteers or board members yet? Or what if my board is the worst?
BYOF! Bring your own friends. :)
Make a list of your friends, neighbors, coworkers, current employer, former employers, social media friends and anyone available to listen to your mission, because anyone can be a champion.
What would engage them and why should they become a champion?
Tell your story. People want to share an authentic story that has an impact. Make sure you explain why you’re passionate and the impact your organization has.
It’s not just about leveraging your champions, but letting them know they’re a part of something bigger.
Make it fun to get your peer-champions involved and make it engagement-activated!
- Provide incentives to your champions
- Double your impact with a match
- Start a small competition
- Start a social media challenge
A great example is the Ice Bucket Challenge, which promoted awareness and raised millions of dollars to research amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Whatever you come up with, just make sure it has purpose and meaning connected to your mission while engaging and inviting your peer-champions.
Now, we know what you’re thinking: “I’m scared that I’m going to come across as annoying.” Or whatever reason you’ve made up in your mind not to do this.
But think of it this way: you’re not asking for you. You’re asking for the organization and the impact it has. It is about changing lives with your mission. You’re trying to bring champions to your organization because it is more significant than us as individuals. It comes down to whom you’re serving and what that impact is.
Here are some recommended peer-to-peer opportunities
- Giving Tuesday
- Tis’ the season for giving
- End-of-year campaigns
We encourage you to ask people to get involved and to support your mission, so they can share what you’re up to and share what your goals are. For all of these peer-to-peer opportunities, it’s essential to start early. Make your list and check it twice for the holidays. (pun intended)
But, most importantly, make an impact!
Your champions make a difference!
- Remember that this should be fun, but more than anything, your champions make a tremendous difference to your organization by impacting the clients you serve.
- Always, always thank your champions.
Remember: You’re not just raising money; you’re raising friends too!
Fundraising is all about relationships. Your story, your mission, your impact,(OC) and the people you’re bringing into your organization are so important and come from the relationships you have. By cultivating relationships with your donors, champions, and the people sharing your story, you’re not only recruiting champions but making friends.
Here’s a short and free guide to help you get your peer-champions:
- Make a list of potential champions.
- Reach out to your list of potential champions asking them to become a peer-fundraising champion for you.
- Curate a template to invite a potential champion.
- Once they have said yes, you can create an individual fundraising page for each champion.
- Edit the below template according to your mission and purpose once they said yes.
- Send your completed email as a fundraising-champion-kit to your peer-to-peer fundraisers. Do not forget to include striking graphics or logos to correspond with your mission to current campaigns.
Now, let’s get our champions! :)
Grab your free peer-to-peer fundraising guide here.
