282. Demystifying Peer Fundraising: Unleashing Community to Help Your Organization Grow - Madeleine St. John
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Overview
Meet Madeleine. She helps nonprofits grow giving through strategic and creative community-building services at the nexus of donor engagement. Today, she's demystifying common myths surrounding peer fundraising and patiently outlining the opportunities existing for nonprofits today in a post-pandemic world. Tune in and bring your notepad for this convo that's gold🤩
💡Learn
How to galvanize your giving community WHILE also growing your mission
Case study examples of who's doing it well
Mindset shifts listeners could make surrounding peer fundraising
Stewardship ideas for P2P donors
Today’s Guest
Madeleine St. John, Founder and Principal, St. John Consulting
“Peer fundraising communicates that you see donors as trusted and valuable members of your nonprofit’s community. And more importantly, that you value them for more than their giving behavior or capacity that you value them as a whole human who wants to be part of your work.”
Episode Transcript
Download Full Episode Transcript Here
Episode highlights
Madeleine’s story and journey to where she is today (3:50)
Common myths around peer fundraising (6:00)
The opportunity for nonprofits today and the low hanging fruit with peer fundraising (15:00)
Tactical steps for launching your peer fundraising program (24:00)
Case study of an amazing peer fundraising campaign (29:00)
Madeleine’s tips for stewarding well and building believers out of these donors that come through the peer fundraising (32:00)
A powerful moment of philanthropy in Madeleine’s life (41:00)
Madeleine’s One Good Thing: Doing good should feel good. (44:00)
powerful quotes
“My definition of peer fundraising is a fundraising strategy typically deployed during a digital campaign or in advance of an event that allows community members to raise money on behalf of your organization, through personalized fundraising appeals to their unique communities.” -Madeleine
“You have the opportunity to call on your current donors, board members or volunteers, who will then call on their communities, leveraging your existing giving in order to reach new donors.” -Madeleine
“In this instance, my challenge is that we reframe request or ask to invitation.” -Madeleine
“Peer fundraising is an opportunity for donors to engage more deeply in your work and by inviting them to support in this capacity, it communicates that you see them as trusted and valuable members of your nonprofits community. And more importantly, that you value them for more than they're giving behavior or capacity that you value them as a whole human who wants to be part of your work.” -Madeleine
“I think it's so easily internally to get wrapped up in the details of those parent campaign appeals, that we forget to equip peer fundraisers for success, we recruit at the last minute, we don't have time for training and onboarding, and the experience can feel a little bit uncharitable to participants and then chaotic to you as the facilitator, I think it's this easy pattern that creates and reinforces the myths we just talked about.” -Madeleine
“We often think of peer fundraisers as relevant to campaigns or events. And that's when I typically deploy them. But we don't need to limit ourselves there. It can absolutely be an evergreen offering if you create the right tools and have systems in place to steward people who want to support in that capacity for sure.” -Madeleine
“My main qualifier for peer to peer fundraising is repetitive behavior in one or more areas of giving.” -Madeleine
“We have a lot of thoughts and feelings around the word fundraising, and people might have preconceived notions about what it means to ask for money. But when we frame it as an opportunity to contribute to community, I think it makes it a lot more enticing of an invitation.” -Madeleine
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Episode Sponsored by
Studio Selfie
Julie Confer, Madeleine St. John, Jonathan McCoy & Becky Endicott
