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THE LATEST IN PEER-TO-PEER FUNDRAISING NEWS
 
IT'S AUGUST! What you can find in this issue:

 
 

If you are not helping a lot your supporters celebrate their birthdays you are missing out on a big fundraising opportunity. 

 

People who engage in "birthday fundraising" essentially "give up" their birthdays for a cause by asking friends to donate to a nonprofit in lieu of sending a gift.   Promoting the idea by providing supporters with ideas and do-it-yourself (DIY) tools will increase the size of your slice of the birthday fundraising cake.

 

charity:water was a pioneer in this area. The organization's founder, Scott Harrison, launched the nonprofit with a big party to mark his 31st birthday, raising $15,000 to build and repair wells in a refugee camp in Uganda. To date more than 17,000 people have helped charity: water raise more than $9 million for clean water projects through birthday campaigns. 

New Zealand's RSPCA encourages supporters to donate their birthdays

 

Many nonprofit organizations are adding birthday fundraising to their suite of DIY fundraising ideas. For example, Nothing But Nets and the American Cancer Society have dedicated sections on their websites making it easier for people to set up birthday campaigns. And, we hear The Humane Society of the United States counts this among the most popular options on their comprehensive hub of DIY opportunities.

 

What's the best birthday campaign that you've seen recently? Let us know!

 
Best,

David Hessekiel

President

Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum

 

PS. What are you doing next February? Join us as we celebrate the peer-to-peer fundraising industry's largest gathering on February 24 and 25, 2015 in Orlando, Florida. Details to come early this fall
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Webinar
  

   

The YMCA of Austin Case Study: Pairing Peer-to-Peer & Crowdfunding
to Optimize Participation and Results

Wednesday, September 17 at 2:00 pm EDT 


Online campaigns are recruiting many new donors and supporters who in turn can spread your mission across more communities and continents. But with the advent of "crowdfunding," nonprofits are losing control of the fundraising message. Many commercial side platforms now allow people to raise money for projects, personal trips and even medical bills. And, due to the proliferation of platforms and approaches, nonprofits increasingly have little visibility into who is fundraising on their behalf, where and how, thus preventing them from building the deeper donor relationships that provide ongoing support.

 

So how do nonprofits take back "fundraising" in the crowd? Megan Arnold, development, The YMCA of Austin - Metro Office, has figured out how to combine the power of crowdfunding and peer-to-peer fundraising for optimum results.


In this real life case study of the YMCA's successful annual-fund peer-to-peer crowdfunding campaign, Megan and Miriam Kagan, senior fundraising principal at Kimbia, will cover the:

  1. Challenges of the crowdfunding free-for-all
  2. Functionality, message, reach and data that nonprofits must provide to grab their supporters' attention
  3. Best practices for creating a successful nonprofit-driven crowdfunding campaign
  4. Proven practices related to the "rights" of nonprofits to crowdfund in a way that enables their supporters while keeping the nonprofit in the driver seat

 Free thanks to sponsorship from

 


 


 

Spotlight
Peer-to-Peer Spotlight

 
A hearty congratulations to Wendy Folk Vizek, Director, Walk to End Alzheimer's, featured in our August 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. 
 
Nominate someone for the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum Spotlight. 
 
NewIdeas
NEW IDEAS
ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE

  

Boston City Councillor Tito Jackson, center in suit, leads 200 people in the ice bucket challenge at Copley Square

 

Have you noticed more of your friends pouring ice cold water on their heads in your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds? In addition to generating considerable buzz, this sensation has raised more than $5 million in its first two weeks.

 

This creative peer-to-peer fundraising stunt is the "Ice Bucket Challenge" -- a phenomenon that started as a grassroots effort by the The ALS Association Massachusetts Chapter. The challenge involves people getting doused with buckets of ice water on video, posting that video to social media, then nominating others to do the same, all in an effort to raise ALS awareness. Those who refuse to take the challenge are asked to make a donation to the ALS charity of their choice. 

 

Click here to read more about how this effort has gone viral 

  



NewsINDUSTRY NEWS

Pan-Mass Challenge Raises $40 Million

In it's 35th year, the Pan-Mass Challenge raised a record $40 million for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This year's event gathered more than 5,700 cyclists from 35 states and eight countries. Read more 

American Heart Association Rebrands

The American Heart Association launched a new positioning campaign called "Life is Why" as part of their $4 million rebranding effort. Read more

$1 Million Milestone for RaceTrac to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research 

RaceTrac announced that its cumulative giving to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research has exceeded $1 million. Since 2010,  RaceTrac has supported the Foundation through a variety of efforts including its "Coffee for a Cause" and inaugural run in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in 2014. Read more




















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JobsLooking for a new professional adventure?

In the last month we've posted great opportunities on our job board with Free to Breathe, Blackbaud, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, American Liver Foundation, EW Group & The ALS Association - Massachusetts and Georgia Chapters, Congenital Heart Walk, ZERO - The End of Prostate Cancer and Colon Cancer Alliance.

What are you waiting for?