I was thrilled to attend the Peer to Peer Professional Forum to swap stories and strategies with some of the finest minds in fundraising and P2P. The conference organizers stepped up their social media game in a big way this year, allowing attendees to virtually attend multiple breakouts at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last week, I shared five of the most tweetable moments from the Peer to Peer Professional Forum Conference. This week I\u2019ll share five more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n“The key ingredient for long term success is patience.” Overnight success? It takes time and hard work. @jeffshuck<\/a> #P2P15<\/a> #PlentyToBelieveIn<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Plenty (@PlentyCo) February 24, 2015<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
During the opening session Jeff Shuck, CEO of Plenty, went \u201cBehind the Numbers\u201d of the Peer to Peer Thirty. Success takes time, said Shuck. Some programs seem to explode onto the scene with amazing fundraising success. In virtually all cases, that explosion was actually a long time coming. He pointed to two events that illustrate that point. Memorial Sloan-Kettering\u2019s Cycle for Survival and St Jude\u2019s Give Thanks Walk<\/a> both started modestly in 2009, but are now raising millions of dollars. The Ice Bucket Challenge and other phenomenon aside, time and hard work drive success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPatience is often in short supply at the board and executive level.\u201d I had to resist the urge to stand up and cheer at that point. Impatience is holding many nonprofits and peer to peer campaigns back. I\u2019ve seen far too many three-year and five-year plans riddled with impressive numbers and promises, and far too few of them actually deliver. Unrealistic expectations abound and front-line fundraisers bear the brunt of that, often times blaming themselves for not generating the latest overnight success. In actuality, the blame lies with a lack of patience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
P2P Take-away: Set aggressive but rational goals, with a corresponding realistic plan to achieve them.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. While traditional P2P events decline, high hopes are being pinned on DIY fundraising<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\nDO IT YOURSELF session at peer to peer conference is SRO. Opportunities abound #P2P15<\/a> \u2014 MMRF Team for Cures (@MMRFTeam4Cures) February 24, 2015<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
For many years, \u201cdo it yourself\u201d fundraising has taken a back seat to more traditional fundraising events. At many nonprofits, these programs were created years ago to provide some extra income without much staff involvement. These days, nonprofits are wiping the cobwebs off of these forgotten programs. Some are doing this out of necessity due to lost revenue in other areas. Others are seeing the growth of programs like The Alzheimer\u2019s Association\u2019s Longest Day<\/a> and the World Wildlife Fund\u2019s Panda Nation<\/a> and look to emulate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No matter the reason, I\u2019ve never heard more chatter about DIY fundraising than I have over the past year. Unfortunately, in some organizations, there seems to be a belief that a DIY program is somehow easy or cheap to implement. My hope is that nonprofits will pour the necessary planning, staffing and resources into these new peer to peer campaigns. Like hard work and patience, investment in DIY will play a key role in determining how many of these programs land in the Peer to Peer Thirty over the next five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
P2P Take-away: Before treading into a DIY program, ensure that appropriate resources are available to support the venture.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. We need to eliminate the belief that fundraising is bothersome<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\nWell said! RT @npshana<\/a> If you have an attitude that your fundraising is bothering people, you will never be successful. #P2P15<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014 Heller Consulting (@TeamHeller) February 25, 2015<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m not sure where this attitude came from, but it\u2019s something I\u2019ve heard from fundraisers for years. Various conversations at the P2P Forum Conference also confirmed this somewhat rampant belief. I heard things like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- We don\u2019t want to remarket to potential participants. It\u2019s creepy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- We can\u2019t send that many emails! People will complain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- We don\u2019t invite walk participants to our run event. That would be too much.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Why are we so afraid of \u201cbothering\u201d our supporters? When we say things like this, what we\u2019re really saying is, \u201cI personally don\u2019t believe in this mission enough\u201d or \u201cWe don\u2019t do a good enough job articulating how important this cause is.\u201d We\u2019re also focusing on the wrong things. Instead of focusing on the amount of emails you are sending, focus on the content of those messages. If you\u2019re worrying about bothering people, then what you have to say likely isn\u2019t interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is common when it comes to setting up a welcome series for participants. There\u2019s so much concentration on how many welcome messages to send and when they should be sent, and not nearly enough attention paid to the actual content of the messaging. Don\u2019t let fear hold you back! People took an action, made a donation, visited your website or joined your event for a reason. It\u2019s your job to help them realize that reason in a way that resonates with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
P2P Take-away: If you\u2019re worried about bothering <\/em>your supporters, figure out a way to delight<\/em> them instead.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Fundraising incentives can motivate action – or have the exact opposite effect.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\nCareful, branded incentives can strengthen a supporter\u2019s self-label. Others can chip away at it. #P2P15<\/a> \u2014 Alex Murphy (@SirAlexMurphy) February 25, 2015<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
In a down-to-earth and entertaining session, Katrina Van Huss and Otis Fulton of Turnkey Promotions broke down the psychology of peer to peer fundraising. Of particular interest was their interpretation of fundraising incentives and registration discounts. Their psychology session boiled down to not \u201cpaying\u201d your participants to fundraise and instead helping them actualize the belief that they are good people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Help supporters believe and show off that they care by using branded fundraising incentives that are easily displayed or worn. When you start awarding things that have a monetary value or gifts that don\u2019t reflect the cause, you begin paying them to fundraise instead of allowing them to simply be someone who cares enough to fundraise. The same holds true with registration discounts. At this point, you are putting your event on sale, and setting the expectation for more or higher discounts in the future. It also solidifies your event as a product vs. an experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
P2P Take-away: Develop a thoughtful incentive program that helps perpetuate your fundraisers\u2019 beliefs that they care about your cause.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Already looking forward to #P2P16!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\nKnocked it out of the park David, Robin, Megan and team! High marks for #P2P15<\/a> \u2014 ConnectedNonprofit (@ConnectedMandy) February 26, 2015<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The folks at the Peer to Peer Professional Forum work tirelessly to deliver a must-attend conference each year. The event feels more like a family reunion than a conference, even for first-time attendees. It\u2019s the perfect balance of engaging content, facilitated networking and chance hallway encounters. The conference gives us a chance to connect in person with old friends and colleagues, meet new confidantes, borrow a few new ideas and recharge our commitment to our campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
P2P Take-away: Make it a point to attend #P2P16 \u2013 and join the conversation on Twitter!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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