How to Scale Up Your Fundraising Event: From Simple Donations to Required Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Event Information

Looking for a way to raise more at your fundraising events? Events with Peer-to-Peer Fundraising raise 726% more than those with simple donations (only). But it’s not quite as easy as flipping on the fundraising switch! Join GiveSignup Lead Chris Newcomer for a webinar covering the why, when, and how to take your fundraising event to the next level.

This webinar covers:

• How to pick the right level of fundraising for your event
• Settings and features for peer-to-peer fundraising
• Communicating with and empowering fundraisers

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Webinar Summary

This roughly 38-minute webinar is led by Chris Newcomer, GiveSignup Lead. He covers four fundraising setups, from simple donations to required peer-to-peer fundraising with minimums, along with best practices and real event examples for each.

Core message: a high registration count doesn’t automatically mean high donation revenue. Lots of registrants paired with few donations is the clearest sign that the fundraising tools aren’t set up properly. Organizers should set explicit goals and suggested levels, communicate clearly, and match the setup to the event format.

Best practices for every event

• Customize the donation confirmation email (Donations > Setup > General Settings). Add a thank-you note, your tax ID, nonprofit address and legal name so the receipt works for tax purposes.
• Set an explicit donation goal and suggested donation levels. Raise the goal once you hit it (“We hit $5K early, help us reach $10K”), which gives you a fresh marketing hook. Levels can be named (Diamond/Gold/Silver) or tied to real-world impact.
• Use Website V2 for visuals: the donation goal thermometer (updates live), slideshows, YouTube video, top donors, and text explaining the mission.

1. Simple donations (traditional races, marathons, cycling)

• Participants donate during registration. People can also donate without registering.
• Write a donation description. This is Chris’s #1 issue: many events have none. Include the mission and why support matters.
• Repeat the mission in several places: the landing page, marketing and confirmation emails, and an About Us tab.
• Include offline payment instructions for people who’d rather give by check or cash.
• Examples:
  • Livingston Manor Turkey Trot: shows what last year’s proceeds did (60 dogs and 45 cats rescued, kennel upgrades).
  • Issaquah Turkey Trot: “$200 of groceries costs the food bank only $50,” shown next to the donate button.

2. Donations + optional peer-to-peer (awareness walks, alumni, veteran and disease-advocacy groups)

• Default fundraiser messaging is Chris’s second soapbox (Fundraising > Individual Fundraisers > General Settings).
  • Write it in the first person, in the fundraiser’s voice. That far outperforms generic org copy.
  • One health walk had high registration but low revenue because it had no default message.
• Use the goal thermometer and fundraising leaderboards (top fundraisers, teams, charities) to drive competition.
• Example: Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation Race for Research explains clearly how fundraising works, lists top fundraisers in the menu and has FAQs. It beat its goal.

3. Donations + required peer-to-peer (auto-built pages)

• You can auto-build fundraiser pages for everyone. Turn on “All participants must become a fundraiser” plus “hide the setup form and automatically create their individual fundraiser.”
• This removes friction from registration and makes email reminders easy, because the fundraiser-link placeholders work for everyone.
• You can still make fundraising effectively optional by saying so in the donation description.
  • Chris calls this “donation description plus”: it covers the mission, the call to action and how fundraising works.
• Team settings:
  • Social teams and fundraising teams are separate tools, and having both on isn’t recommended.
  • If you need both, contact your account manager so they can link them, which forces a matching fundraising team.
• Treat team captains as ambassadors and give them resources to pass along.
• Other options:
  • The fundraiser self-serve page, which takes someone straight to their own page.
  • “Do not allow new fundraisers without a registration.”
  • Forcing a charity choice when there are multiple charities.
• Example: the Welcome Walk (Philadelphia), Chris’s own event. It has:
  • A Canva banner and custom fonts
  • An incentive hat
  • Leaderboards
  • A “go to my fundraiser” button
  • A team captain guide
  • A donation description that lays out every way to give

4. Required peer-to-peer + fundraising minimums (larger events)

• Turn on “save credit card for registrants who agree to the fundraiser minimum.” Registrants then check a box agreeing to be charged the difference if they fall short.
• There are two options: a minimum with the registration fee waived, or one without. Set the donation deadline, which can be before or after the event.
• Charging isn’t automatic. The event director uses Reports > Fundraiser Minimums to email, invoice and finally charge people who haven’t met the minimum.
• Make sure the minimum applies only to the right event, and turn off fundraising for events that shouldn’t have it.
• State the minimum and deadline clearly, in several places, and keep reminding people.
• The fundraiser incentives tool lets you offer several tiers above the minimum, each with its own swag.
• Example: Boston Bruins Be Fit Challenge, which has a $1M goal. Its fundraising help menu includes:
  • Prizes, requirements and incentives
  • Tips and tricks
  • Request letter and email templates
  • A link to the fundraiser manager page

Chris’s advice: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Copy what works.

Resources to give fundraisers

• How-to subpages and FAQs. GiveSignup can share examples.
• Ready-to-use email, direct mail and social templates. Pre-written text makes asking for money far less awkward.
• Incentives with clear criteria, recognition for top individuals and teams, and onsite prizes or VIP perks.
• One central hub listing minimums, rewards and deadlines.

Q&A

• Is registration free if a participant meets a minimum?
  • Often, especially with higher minimums.
  • Alternatively, fundraiser rewards can refund the registration fee at a set level, such as refunding $40 at $250 raised.
• Do we get donor info from people who aren’t participants? Yes. “Anonymous” hides the donor only from the public, not from the fundraiser or event admin.
• Can we link to our Facebook page? Yes. Add the link in the landing page text or the donation description.
• Can only fundraisers who hit the minimum get a prize, if everyone gets a page? Yes, and that’s common. The Welcome Walk hat goes only to people who raise $250 or more.
• How do we use fundraising to secure race spots before registration opens (charity bibs)?
  • Use a separate fundraising page first.
  • Once someone reaches the target, give them a code or private entry for the main event.