One great way to elevate one-time P2P fundraisers to lifelong supporters is by crafting an experience that truly inspires your online supporters and forging a connection between each user and your organization. Unlike traditional peer-to-peer fundraising, your nonprofit’s supporters can start fundraisers on your organization’s behalf whenever they want.
- Facebook currently has over 3 billion monthly users.
- Facebook fundraising comes with no processing fees.
- When defining the targeting parameters of your ad campaign, target both known supporters of your nonprofit and new individuals.
Why opt for Facebook peer-to-peer fundraising
To begin Facebook peer-to-peer fundraising, participants simply need to log in to their existing Facebook account. By and large, this removes a lot of administrative stress from your team, as you don’t have to set up accounts or teach supporters how to navigate a new platform.
Also, on Facebook, there is a high possibility that participants are ‘friends’ with their closest connections. Hence, rather than hunting down the phone numbers and email addresses of their personal connections, they can share them directly on Facebook.
In addition, Facebook fundraising comes with no processing fees. The average peer-to-peer fundraising platform takes 4-6% in processing fees from each donation. However, with Facebook, fees for nonprofit organizations are waived— so a $500 donation on Facebook is $500 to your nonprofit.
Also, Facebook issues tax receipts to all donors. These receipts are automatically generated by Facebook and sent to the email address the platform has on file for the donor. This contains all of the information needed to receive a tax break— the amount, the receiving organization, and a statement noting that no goods or services were provided in return.
How to begin Facebook peer-to-peer fundraising
Having examined the value that Facebook peer-to-peer fundraising holds for nonprofits, we will go further to outline the process of launching a P2P campaign.
1. Define the parameters of your event
Essentially, this includes choosing the date of your event and the duration for which it will run. Also, you will need to choose the challenge or task that participants will complete. This could be a physical task such as running or cycling or a mental task such as reading. Nonprofits can also opt for service-based tasks like volunteering.
Afterward, set goals for the event including the goal fundraising amount and the anticipated number of participants.
2. Set up your challenge group and Facebook ads campaign
Next up, create your Challenge group as well as your Facebook Ads campaign. To do this, opt for attractive, branded cover and profile photos. This makes it easy for participants to trust the Challenge group and its association with your campaign.
Also, write a description that discusses what the Challenge is all about, how it will generally progress, and what you’re raising funds for. This is one great way to turn first-time participants into passionate supporters of your cause. Hence, take time to ensure that the campaign is configured in a way that creates a positive first impression for your nonprofit.
Afterward, use a paid Facebook Ads campaign to spread the word about your fundraiser. With the ads, you’ll direct participants to sign up for the Challenge and join the corresponding Facebook group.
When defining the targeting parameters of your ad campaign, target both known supporters of your nonprofit and individuals who are yet to interact with your organization but are likely to be interested in your cause.
3. Invite participants to join the Challenge
Leverage your ad campaign to attract users far and wide to participate in the Challenge. Also, to assist participants to better understand the challenge, you can share educational resources such as fundraising tips or cycling tips.
4. Engage with participants throughout the event
Continue engaging with participants throughout the Challenge to ensure it’s a fulfilling and memorable experience for all. This includes engaging in discussion, motivating participants, and sharing updates on the group. Also, connect with participants one-on-one on Messenger to discuss their personal connection to your cause.
Conclusion
Facebook currently has over 3 billion monthly users. Hence, peer-to-peer fundraising on the platform helps to empower your supporters to fundraise for your nonprofit. By and large, the online community makes it easy to connect with family and friends as well as people who are passionate about your nonprofit cause. At the very least, peer-to-peer fundraising on Facebook is worth experimenting with.
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