The New Year is here — and with it comes the start of a busy stretch for peer-to-peer fundraisers, many of whom are kicking off their spring campaigns.
Here are three trends that are likely to affect the way you’re approaching your work in 2019:
Facebook Fundraising
Perhaps the biggest shift in peer-to-peer fundraising has been caused by the emergence of Facebook as a legitimate P2P platform.
Facebook has been allowing individuals to raise money on the platform for about three years — but over the past year it has been stepping up its efforts to partner directly with charities and fundraising platforms.
The social networking site said in November that it has raised more than $1 billion for charities and personal causes — with roughly $300 million coming through birthday fundraisers hosted on the platform.
Facebook’s huge user base offers equally huge opportunities for nonprofits that manage P2P programs — and organizations such as the National Kidney Foundation, March of Dimes, and Susan G. Women for the Cure have already been integrating Facebook into their existing programs.
But it also comes with some tradeoffs — namely that it requires nonprofits to give up access to donor data.
As more nonprofits undoubtedly jump on board in 2019, it will be interesting to see whether they are able to successfully build relationships with the new donors who contribute through the platform.
For more on how to integrate Facebook into your program, join us in New Orleans on Feb. 27-28 for interactive sessions featuring Facebook’s Kendra Sinclair, P2P fundraising professionals from the National Kidney Foundation and the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and experts from Blackbaud.
The Growth of Livestreaming
Nonprofits like Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have pioneered live video platforms like Twitch to raise millions each year via gaming competitions, creative challenges, musical beat downs, and more.
In turn, a number of other nonprofits are taking notice and are experimenting with new live streaming P2P campaigns and looking for ways to incorporate this technology into their existing programs.
It’s still a bit too early to know the true impact of live streaming on P2P, but it’s clear that it’s going to grow substantially. Nearly every fundraiser I talk to these days is excited about live streaming — and I expect to see an explosion of innovative new live stream programs in 2019.
Learn more about livestreaming by checking out a free webinar featuring St Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s Zach Whitten, pioneer of the organization’s successful “Play Live” program.
You can also register for a special session on live fundraising with Tiltify on Feb. 27 in New Orleans.
The Rightsizing of Legacy Programs
For many years, success in P2P fundraising was determined by your ability to scale a centerpiece campaign such as a walk or a cycling series.
But with the emergence of new types of fundraising campaigns, the growth of do-it-yourself fundraising, and changing attitudes, many organizations are finding that they are better served providing numerous options for their supporters rather than push all of them to participate in a single campaign.
As a result, a number of nonprofits that manage large legacy programs are downsizing by cutting underperforming events that are part of large series, focusing on the best-performing events, and redirecting their assets to support DIY or startup campaigns that engage new supporters.
MS Society’s Cindy Yomantas will share lessons learned from her organization’s efforts to rightsize its Walk MS during a summit on national fundraising at the 2019 conference.