Peer-to-peer fundraising is one of the most powerful donor acquisition strategies nonprofits are using today. But while the philosophy “if you build it, they will come” might work for baseball diamonds, it’s a recipe for disappointment in peer-to-peer fundraising. Success hinges on understanding what inspires your supporters and crafting an experience that keeps them engaged.
Our recent webinar, Peer Power in Action: Insights from the Front Lines of Community Fundraising, brought together longtime Engaging Networks clients who have built thriving P2P programs that expand their communities, deepen mission engagement, and turn everyday supporters into passionate advocates.
Here’s what we learned about building P2P programs that actually work.
Our Panel
- Brian Patrick Mucha, Director of Web Applications at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Foundation
- Michael Ragsdale, Senior Director of Community Fundraising at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation
- Ashley Ryan, Events Manager at Huntsman Cancer Foundation
- John Siemiatkoski, Principal Solutions Architect at Engaging Networks
- Moderator: Molly Kelly, President, Digital Solutions at Zuri Group
The Results: What’s Possible with Strategic P2P
Before diving into their strategies, let’s look at what our panelists are achieving through peer-to-peer fundraising:
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Foundation
Lurie Children’s Hospital runs about 10 events per year, all featuring P2P fundraising.
- Total fundraising: Over $8 million raised from fundraising annually (not including sponsorships).
- Event portfolio: Range of events, including Step Up for Kids ($650,000), Bank of America Lurie Marathon Team ($470,000), and Run for Gus ($250,000).
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation
Holland Bloorview uses Engaging Networks’ P2P tools extensively for a range of events:
- Capes for Kids: The organization’s signature event raises $870,000 annually from fundraising alone (not including sponsorships).
- Community events: $225,000 from DIY events organized by senior volunteers and board members.
- DIY fundraising: $18,000 from small-scale grassroots campaigns (birthday parties, lemonade stands, etc.) that bring many first-time supporters to the organization.
Huntsman Cancer Foundation
Huntsman Cancer Foundation demonstrates the power of combining organized events with supporter-driven fundraising:
- Sports Fest and Sports Quest: These keystone events, featuring cycling, running, walking, and a scavenger hunt, raise $1.5-2 million annually.
- Athletic event partnerships: Additional $500,000 per year through partnerships with the Salt Lake City Marathon and other athletic events.
- DIY fundraising: $1 million raised last year, with the program still being refined and expanded.
These aren’t outliers—they represent what’s possible when organizations approach P2P strategically, with the right tools and ongoing supporter education.
What Makes P2P Fundraising So Powerful (And Why Most Programs Fail)
Peer-to-peer fundraising leverages the most powerful force in fundraising: personal relationships. We know that 92% of people trust recommendations from people they know, and P2P campaigns are major drivers of new donor acquisition.
But most organizations focus on the platform instead of the people. “We spend more time educating people to ask other people for money, which is a really scary place for people to be,” explains Ashley Ryan. The organizations seeing the biggest success treat P2P as a movement powered by people and their stories, not just another donation channel.
Step 1: Define Clear Goals and Metrics
Michael Ragsdale from Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation emphasizes setting both high-level and granular goals, then tracking performance to enable strategic pivoting throughout campaigns.
- Set clear high-level targets. His team starts with goals encompassing revenue, participants, and donor acquisition.
- Assign segment accountability. They break down goals by audience segment—schools, hospitals, corporate teams—with dedicated staff accountability for each segment’s performance.
- Track and improve. “We watch the KPIs closely as we launch, then take those learnings into the next year,” Michael notes. When certain segments outperform others, they can reallocate resources and apply successful tactics across audiences.
Step 2: Know and Inspire Your Supporters
Understanding what motivates your community is crucial to successful peer-to-peer fundraising. Ashley Ryan’s team at Huntsman Cancer Foundation has mastered the art of motivating different supporter segments.
- Designate fundraising for specific causes. “If somebody has been affected by breast cancer, they can designate their fundraising to go specifically to breast cancer. [To say,] ‘I can actually guarantee you your money is going there’ is really impactful and really trusting for people,” Ashley says.
- Use compelling stories and visuals. Different supporter segments respond to different types of inspiration. Huntsman Heroes participants want community stories showing solidarity, while Sports Fest fundraisers prefer tactical stories about effective fundraising techniques.
- Leverage matching gifts strategically. Ashley’s team had a post-event sponsor help fundraisers reach incentive levels by providing matching gifts to those close to their goals—a creative way to boost both fundraiser satisfaction and total revenue.
Step 3: Create a Seamless and Supportive Experience
Brian Patrick Mucha from Lurie Children’s Hospital focuses on removing barriers and providing comprehensive support throughout the fundraising journey. His approach demonstrates how thoughtful experience design can dramatically improve fundraiser success rates.
- Establish a strong brand identity. Make each event look distinctive while maintaining organizational consistency. Where possible, Brian’s team uses 30-second looping videos as hero graphics to help potential participants visualize the event experience.
- Provide role models and inspiration. “We provide role models through stories, stats, leaderboards, and examples of successful events,” Brian explains. The event homepage showcases what’s possible—not just minimum requirements.
- Offer comprehensive resources. Brian’s team provides coaching emails, planning spreadsheets, social media kits, and extensive libraries of helpful documents and ideas.
- Celebrate milestones. While most platforms default to 4 milestones, Brian’s team uses 20 different recognition levels, keeping momentum going for everyone from first-time fundraisers to top performers.
Step 4: Leverage Peer Influence & Storytelling
Michael Ragsdale’s team segments their messaging to ensure each fundraiser sees relevant success stories that mirror their own situation and connection to the organization.
- Stories drive recruitment. “Telling a personal story about why someone else is participating, and also including how they had success in it, has been really key, particularly in recruiting new folks to us,” Michael says. “It’s a big inspiration to get them to sign up, even if they’ve never heard of Holland Bloorview.”
- Personalize stories by audience segment. Michael notes that Engaging Networks makes it easy to code audience segments directly in the platform so they can personalize messaging in emails and paid advertisements.
- Use competitive elements strategically. Ashley’s team found that leaderboards drive significant engagement among certain key segments. “[Different teams within a hospital] are very excited to beat each other out on fundraising,” she says. While leaderboards may seem simple, highlighting them in coaching emails has proved extremely effective.
Step 5: Evaluate and Stay Connected
The most successful P2P programs don’t end when the event concludes—they use campaigns as relationship-building opportunities that extend throughout the year.
- Survey participants for feedback and insights. Michael’s team sends post-event surveys with prize incentives, asking for platform feedback, fundraising tips, and suggestions for future campaigns. “What they most appreciate is hearing about their impact,” he noted.
- Treat top fundraisers like major donors. All three organizations are working to improve in this area. Ashley says it’s one of her focus areas for the year. Michael’s team treats P2P fundraisers as a specific audience segment, while Brian’s is experimenting with assigning prospect managers “like you would for a major gift person.”
- Focus retention on fundraisers, not their donors. “P2P donors are notoriously hard to convert because they’re donating to their friend, not necessarily to your organization,” Brian notes. The real relationship-building opportunity lies with the fundraisers themselves.
What’s Coming Next: The Future of P2P Technology
John Siemiatkoski, Principal Solutions Architect at Engaging Networks, outlined the next generation of P2P tools currently available on Engaging Networks, the constant evolution of which is shaped by close collaboration with clients like our panelists.
- Advanced form functionality. Built-in capabilities for show-and-hide fields that trigger based on user input, eliminating the need for custom coding.
- Family registration features. Critical functionality that allows families to capture everyone’s names and t-shirt sizes, but doesn’t require email addresses for children.
- Two-way SMS communication. Engaging Networks currently offers one-way SMS messaging through Twilio, but John confirmed that full functionality for back-and-forth conversations is committed for the 2026 roadmap—something all the panelists are excited about. This will enable real-time coaching and support for active fundraisers, taking the personalized approach to an entirely new level.
- Client-driven development. “We have close collaboration with clients like these panelists in building out our new offerings,” John explained. “That’s how we roll at Engaging Networks. We listen and we build. That’s how you get a 97% client retention rate.”
[Video: Next Generation Peer to Peer]
The Bottom Line: People-Powered Fundraising Requires Strategic Support
Peer-to-peer fundraising works because it taps into the fundamental human desire to help causes we care about and share those passions with people we trust. But successful programs require much more than a sign-up.
The organizations raising millions through P2P treat their supporters as partners in the mission, providing education, resources, ongoing support, and personalized recognition. They understand that every P2P participant—whether they raise $50 or $5,000—represents an opportunity to build lasting relationships that extend far beyond any single campaign.
As Molly says in the webinar, “Success is in inspiring ordinary people to do extraordinary things.” With the right strategy, support, and technology, that’s exactly what peer-to-peer fundraising can accomplish for your organization.Ready to explore how these P2P strategies could work for you? Whether you’re looking to launch your first P2P program or scale an existing one, our team can help you build the kind of supporter community that drives real impact for your cause. Contact us to schedule a demo.
