5 Tips to Motivate Zero-Dollar Fundraisers and Fuel Peer-to-Peer Success

This blog was written in collaboration with Nuclavis, a mobile technology and services company specializing in digital strategies, mobile apps, and custom software to empower nonprofit peer-to-peer fundraising programs.

If you’ve managed a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign, you’re likely familiar with the “zero-dollar fundraiser” dilemma—when participants sign up but don’t raise funds. It’s an inevitable reality, as not everyone will be ready or able to take that next step. 

The challenge is engaging a broad audience and empowering them to take action. That’s why we’ve gathered five tips to help you motivate more of those potential fundraisers to advocate for your cause and encourage people in their networks to support your meaningful mission.

An uptick in zero-dollar fundraisers 

Since the return of in-person events, excitement around peer-to-peer programs is high, and more people are eager to sign up and reconnect with their communities. However, despite the initial enthusiasm, many participants face challenges that prevent them from following through on their fundraising obligations. 

While advances in technology and social media have made it easier to discover charitable opportunities, economic pressures have made it harder for participants to secure donations from their networks. At the same time, nonprofits face increased demand for services, leaving them with limited resources to coach and activate peer-to-peer participants effectively. 

But with the right strategies, this trend doesn’t have to become the new norm. By harnessing a sense of community and providing the proper guidance, nonprofits can turn that excitement into meaningful fundraising efforts.

5 tips for greater peer-to-peer engagement 

Achieving your peer-to-peer goals begins with implementing the right strategies and tactics to engage fundraisers from the start. Here are five ways to accomplish that at your nonprofit. 

1. Communicate your expectations clearly

Participants won’t know there’s an expectation to fundraise unless you clearly communicate it from the first touchpoint. Here’s how to create a culture of fundraising through your messaging: 

• Choose your words carefully: Emphasize that your event is a fundraising campaign, from sign-up through the day of. 
• Coach participants: Send a series of simple, actionable emails and texts (such as instructions on updating their fundraising page, sharing a link, or downloading your app). You may also create and distribute a fundraiser toolkit. 

• Highlight the impact: Show how participants’ efforts make a difference by sharing stories or examples of how you’ve used funds in the past, and be transparent about where this year’s funds will go. This example from Breastcancer.org proudly displays the number of lives that have been impacted by donors’ generosity, emphasized by a quote from Toni, who received personal support from the organization during a challenging time. 

• Use storytelling: Inspire participants by sharing success stories from past fundraisers. Use quotes, examples, or videos to help hesitant fundraisers see themselves in that role. This example from City of Hope does a great job of demonstrating the impact of powerful storytelling in their event’s promotional video. 

2. Create a great participant experience

Make your participants feel valued from the moment they sign up. A personal touch can make all the difference. Whether it’s a welcome email, social media message, or handwritten note, reaching out one-on-one shows your appreciation. Take the time to learn what inspired them to join and build that connection.

3. Deputize team captains

If your peer-to-peer campaign includes team participation, engaging team captains can be a powerful way to connect with and coach team members. Equip team captains with helpful resources and organize a “train-the-trainer” coaching call to empower them to motivate their teams to start fundraising. This support from a team leader can go a long way in boosting overall campaign success.

4. Make fundraising easy

It may seem obvious, but the way people communicate—and donate—is constantly evolving. Don’t rely on only one channel. Offer a range of tools like text messaging, email, social media posts, and QR codes to make it easy for fundraisers to activate their networks and create a seamless experience for everyone involved. 

At Classy from GoFundMe, we know that mobile-first fundraising tools are essential. With the average American spending over four hours a day on their phone, it’s crucial that fundraisers can reach out from their devices easily, and donors can complete transactions smoothly on mobile. 

Classy’s peer-to-peer fundraising platform, combined with a peer-to-peer app like Nuclavis, empowers fundraisers with built-in features like text and social sharing, live leaderboards, and fundraising thermometers to help them share more and raise more. 

By offering easy-to-use, mobile-friendly tools, you’ll not only boost engagement but also help participants significantly increase their fundraising efforts.

5. Add a challenge

Gamifying fundraising through challenges sparks a sense of urgency and drives participants to take action. By turning fundraising into a fun, competitive experience, you can inspire them to get started, stay engaged, and reach their goals faster.

Whether it’s raising funds to unlock a matching gift from a corporate partner or taking on a 30-day fundraising and activity challenge, you offer a time-bound incentive that fosters community and friendly competition among participants.

In addition, the Nuclavis mobile app allows you to create customized in-app activities and fundraising challenges for your program. You can choose specific activities for participants, send push notification reminders, promote friendly competition with leaderboards, and track progress in real-time. 

Activating fundraisers for maximum impact 

While zero-dollar participants may always be a reality in peer-to-peer fundraising, these strategies can help motivate more people to actively participate in your campaign, turning passive supporters into passionate advocates. 

By focusing on clear messaging, providing the right tools, and fostering a sense of community, you’ll increase engagement, boost support for your cause, and make your events more impactful. 

Ultimately, empowering more fundraisers not only raises more funds but also strengthens the connection between your nonprofit and supporters, driving long-term success.

Copy Editor: Ayanna Julien