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THE LATEST IN PEER-TO-PEER FUNDRAISING NEWS
Greetings! 

Before he passed away on May 14, British teen Stephen Sutton captured the world's attention as he waged a public battle with cancer anraised more than $5 million for Teenage Cancer Trust. 

 

Two amateur pilots, Dave McElroy and Chris Elgar, are attempting to fly around the world in 80 days to raise at least $500,000 this month to benefit Toronto's SickKids Hospital and Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance.

 

These are just two recent examples of the meteoric rise in independent fundraising events and crowdfunding. Judging by the huge turnout for our webinar last month "What Drives Successful Independent Fundraising Events," a lot of you are working overtime to figure out how these third-party efforts fit into your overall fundraising strategy. 

 

A recent blog by DonorDrive Social Fundraising generating quite a bit of discussion on our LinkedIn Group suggests several ways to attract those interested in crowdfunding: 

  • Make the goal easy by making it achievable for a handful of donors. A $1,000 goal that already has $750 donated makes the donor feel they can have impact and can help the goal be reached quickly. 
  • Give supporters the tools they need. This allows them to create their own campaign and raise money on your behalf, but doesn't erode your brand or undermine your organization's efforts.
  • Put social sharing buttons on all your donation pages. Make it easy.  

Independent fundraising is here to stay and we plan to provide you with plenty of support on the strategies and tactics that will make it a winner for your organization. Look for webinars, articles and special sessions at our 2015 conference. 

 

Got ideas? Send them our way!   


Best,

David Hessekiel

President

Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum

 

PS. SAVE THE DATE! We're excited to announce that our next Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum Conference will be held on February 24 and 25, 2015 in Orlando, Florida. Details to come early this fall

   
IN THIS ISSUE

 
 
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Expert

ASK AN EXPERT

  

Corporate Sponsorship Tips from 

Maureen Carlson of Good Scout Group

 

Whether you're a newbie or a veteran, we know you have questions. Each month our "Ask An Expert" column will tap the talents of a peer-to-peer fundraising pro. 

 

Maureen Carlson
We're excited to launch this feature with tips to help you boost corporate sponsorship from Maureen Carlson froGood Scout Group  

 

Q: I run an endurance fundraising program involving a few hundred participants. Is it worthwhile for me to try to sell corporate sponsorship?

 

Yes, make sure your packages have experiential value and that your corporate targets are appropriate based on your event (a right-fit, appeal to the same demographic, etc.) Aim for 25% of your income to come from sponsorship.

Q: What are the biggest mistakes you see nonprofits making when approaching potential corporate sponsors?

 

One mistake we often see is focusing too much on the value of your cause and not enough time on the value of your sponsorship package in terms of tangible ROI. Another key mistake is not customizing a package for the partner that meets the partner's needs. Not everyone is going to see your tight sponsorship packages and be wowed by the assets you are providing. Many will want to have a conversation about how to take those packages and customize them for maximum impact. Refusing to think outside pre-set levels can be very detrimental.

 

For more ways to raise more money and build stronger relationships with corporate partners, visit our Ask An Expert archives.  

 

Got a question for a future column? Send it our way.

  
Research
NEW RESEARCH
The Latest Fundraising & Participation Trends

  

A new report, "The 2013 Blackbaud Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Study," explores the latest trends for both participants and fundraisers involved in walks, 5K, cycling and endurance events. Highlights include:

  • The percentage of participants raising money has remained flat in the last three years, but at the same time, donors gave more and more participants returned online each year.
  • Cycle, endurance, and walk programs raise the majority of their revenue from participant fundraising, while revenue from 5K events is largely raised by registrations fees.  
  • Self-donations (asking participants to make a donation during the registration process) is on the rise and it turns out that participants who donate prove to be good fundraisers. 

  

  

For more details, download The 2013 Blackbaud Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Study

 

Content sponsored by

  
Spotlight
Peer-to-Peer Spotlight


Congratulations to Nicole Preston, Managing Director, National Campaign Development, American Diabetes Association, our May Spotlight. Each month we go up close and personal with peer-to-peer fundraising professionals to learn what motivates them, how they got their start and some of the challenges they face every day.

Click here to learn more about what inspires Nicole and the exciting growth of Tour de Cure.

Know someone we should feature? Click here to nominate someone for the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum Spotlight.
 
Webinar
 
SAVE THE DATE 

  

Our next sponsored webinar: 
Creating a Fundraising Culture
Tuesday, June 24 at 1:30 pm EDT

 

Learn how to evolve your event from an one-day experience to a fundraising culture. Is there a difference between an experience and a culture?  We think so, and in this session Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's Jennifer Ashbaugh and Blackbaud's Amy Braiterman and Nancy Palo will discuss the differences to help you increase engagement, fundraising, and retention.

 

Free thanks to sponsorship from:   

 

 

 

Our next Insider Insights webinar: 

Creating a Fundraising Culture
Wednesday, August 13 at 1:30 pm EDT 

 

We're proud to present a behind-the-scenes look at one of America's fastest growing peer-to-peer fundraising programs, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's Cycle for Survival. Started as a grassroots team indoor cycling event by a cancer patient in 2007, Cycle for Survival engaged nearly 17,000 riders to raise more than $20 million via high-energy rides held at Equinox clubs in 13 cities.

Join us for this unique opportunity to hear Marissa Nelson, Assistant Director of the program, share key success strategies and tactics and stories of the challenges and triumphs the Cycle for Survival team has experienced while building this breakthrough program.

Price: $99 or FREE for Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum members  

 

 




NewsINDUSTRY NEWS
Running USA Publishes 2014 State of the Sport Report: Non-Traditional Running Events
In 2010, Running USA published its first annual Half-Marathon Report because of the impressive growth in the 13.1 mile distance in the United States, and because of the explosive growth in another sector of the sport, they created a Non-Traditional Running Events Special Report. Read More


Mustache Dash and The Mo Run Merge
Blackfish Ventures LLC, owner of the Mustache Dache™ run series, announced the merger and acquisition of The Mo Run, owned by Game Day USA. By joining forces, the Mustache Dache™ will bring mustache running fun to more runners in more cities, as well as bring greater attention to Movember. Read More


New Balance Foundation offers $300,000 Matching Challenge to Benefit Camp Sunshine
To help kick off Camp Sunshine's 30th anniversary, the New Balance Foundation offered a $300,000 challenge - matching all gifts from new and returning donors - to encourage support for the national retreat in Maine for children with life threatening illnesses and their families. Read More


31Heros Project to Partner with Destination Races
The proceeds generated from a new partnership between Destination Races and a competitive racing team called 31Heros will benefit three military charities. One Team One Fight will become a Destination Races charity partner for the 2014 season. Read More


Do you have news you'd like us to share?
Shoot us a quick email: info@peertopeerforum.com


Papa John's Helps Boost Participation in The ALS Association's Walk to Defeat ALS 
The ALS Association welcomed Papa John's Founder, Chairman and CEO John Schnatter as its National Walk Ambassador.   Read More

Selfies For Social Good
In a recent blog, For Momentum shared recent examples of do-gooders harnessing the world's fascination with selfies for the greater good. One campaign raised $3.3 million for Fund Cancer Research UK in just 48 hours. Read More.

Anonymous Donor Helps Team Fox Direct All Proceeds to Research
The Michael J. Fox Foundation announced that thanks to the generous support of an anonymous donor, all costs incurred to run the Team Fox program have been underwritten for 2014. Read More.