Peer-to-Peer Team Fundraising: Why and How

When you think of peer-to-peer activities, you might focus on the power of individuals.

Certainly, individuals are at the core of a good peer-to-peer campaign, but don’t forget the potential of people banding together and forming a team. Team fundraising can seriously boost your campaign.

The Power of “Together” in Team Fundraising

A fundraising team is a group of people working together to raise funds for an organization or cause. The team sets its own goal, and the members of the team work together to meet it. We’ve made it easy for teams to fundraise with CauseVox, because we know the power of groups united around a common goal, and how it can impact fundraising.

Fundraising teams are useful because:

1. They provide opportunities for people with different levels of commitment to your organization.
2. They harness the human desire to be part of something.
3. They provide an opportunity for friendly competition and general silliness–something many fundraising campaigns will benefit from.

Team Fundraising Means Lower Pressure, Bigger Impact

Joining a fundraising team has less of a risk/cost than going it alone. It’s a good option for people who are not your hardcore, dedicated supporters. It provides an opportunity to get involved without a giant commitment.

Team leadership provides a way for your established supporters to deepen their connection to your organization. By organizing the team, checking in on goals, and serving as the team’s number one cheerleader, these leaders are providing more than fundraising support to your organization–they’re instrumental to the campaign.

Sometimes people hesitate to help with a peer-to-peer campaign because they don’t think they’ll personally have enough impact. While you and I know that every bit of money raised is helpful for an organization, people who don’t fundraise professionally may imagine they need to be able to raise hundreds upon hundreds of dollars to be useful.

Being part of a team takes some of this pressure off. When they know they aren’t solely responsible for meeting a larger goal, people feel free to fundraise at the level they can manage without feeling like they’re on the hook for something or letting you down.

A positive team fundraising experience can be a great introduction to peer-to-peer fundraising. Once someone has tried it out with a group, who knows? Next time, they may be ready to go solo, or organize a team of their own!

Come Together, Right Now

Humans are social–we like to bond with other humans. Joining or starting a fundraising team offers a chance to engage with other people around a shared goal. It builds social connections within your organization and community, which in turn build social connections to your organization and community.

We get a lot of power by being part of a group. This may help take some of the anxiety out of asking for money. “I’m part of something, and we need your help,” may be easier for some than, “I’m doing something, and I need your help.”

Teams also give you an opportunity to take advantage of bonded groups that already exist in your community, like office departments, scout troops, businesses, and groups of friends. These groups can strengthen their group identity by doing something good together, and they already function as a team, which makes them a natural fit for team fundraising.

“There Are No Losers, But We Definitely Won”

Do not underestimate the power of a friendly competition. It leads to people doing crazy feats in hopes of winning a t-shirt, or getting their name on the top of a list. A friendly competition between teams can inspire them to reach new fundraising heights, while having a very positive experience with your organization.

A little good-natured sparring also adds an important element to your fundraising campaign: fun!  It makes raising funds for you a game, as well as a good thing to do. We call this “gamification”, and it is so effective, we wrote an entire guide on it. Teams are a great opportunity to gamify your campaign.

Go Team, Go!

When a team unites toward a common goal, they can do great things. Take a look at Team Faith in New York, and how much money they raised for the Pico National Network. As individuals, they raised from $25-$1475 each, but as a team, they raised $6383, far surpassing their original goal.

To learn more about how to use teams to enhance your fundraising campaign, check out our guide, the Ultimate Guide to Peer-to-Peer Fundraising.

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