Making In-Game Adjustments to Your Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Plan
Every week, NFL coaches watch film on their upcoming opponent and create a game plan to be victorious. But even then, the best made plans don’t always work out the way you intended. While the expectation is to execute the pre-game plan, there are always unanticipated hurdles like injuries, bad play calls, or less-than-ideal weather challenges. This is where in-game adjustments are necessary to make. While these changes are not radical overhauls of the original plan, they can often be necessary for shifting strategy and realigning the team’s focus. Fundraisers could take a page out of the coach’s playbook and make in-game adjustments to their peer-to-peer fundraising plan when facing a challenge.
Translating Football Strategy to P2P Fundraising Events
Much like football games, when organizing fundraising events, we devise a comprehensive game plan. Typically it’s time to evaluate our outcomes and brainstorm improvements after the event, however, if you notice halfway that your plan isn’t meeting your milestones, you may need to make an audible.
Analyzing Your Key Metrics
To effectively evaluate a campaign or peer-to-peer event, fundraisers should monitor a suite of key metrics and benchmarks that reflect both engagement and results. Some important P2P event metrics to measure include:
- Number of participants
- Total donation amount and average donation per participant
- Number of emails sent
- Donor attrition rate
- Number of teams
- Average team size
- Team performance
- Site traffic
What can indicate a trouble spot?
A Decline in Participants
A noticeable decline in participants signals a potential trouble spot that can undermine your overall goals, as fewer people means reduced outreach, energy, and ultimately, donations. This drop may stem from waning interest, ineffective communications, or lack of engagement opportunities. To address this issue and increase participant numbers, consider incentivizing participation with exclusive experiences or rewards, and make it easy for supporters to get involved by streamlining registration and offering flexible options.
Communications
Low email open or response rates could mean your messaging isn’t resonating, or your audience is disengaged. It’s important to reassess both the content and timing of your communications. Try segmenting your audience so messages are tailored to specific groups—such as team captains, top fundraisers, or new participants. Experiment with fresh subject lines that highlight urgency or exclusivity. In addition, send emails at optimal times based on past engagement data, and test different frequencies to find the right balance between staying top-of-mind and avoiding fatigue. Implementing an A/B test of your email campaign will lend insight into what works best for you.
Donor Attrition
If donor attrition rates are lower than expected, nonprofits should prioritize rebuilding relationships with past supporters while revitalizing their overall campaign approach. Begin by re-engaging lapsed donors with personalized outreach that acknowledges their previous contributions and shows the tangible impact their support made. Consider offering special invitations to returning donors for events to rekindle interest and loyalty.
Adjust and Thrive
Just as successful coaches adapt during the game, so too must event organizers. By analyzing your data and remaining flexible, you increase your chances of achieving the desired outcome—both on the field and in fundraising.
