5 Strategies to Improve Peer-to-Peer Donor Retention

Think about the last time you contributed to a friend or family member’s peer-to-peer campaign. Maybe you sponsored their walkathon.  Or contributed to their birthday fund. Whatever the purpose, you donated because you’re their friend — not necessarily because you have a close connection to the organization they were raising funds for.

As you can imagine, it’s trickier to retain these donors acquired through a third-party intermediary than it is to retain donors who gave directly to your cause. But, don’t despair!  It’s eminently doable as long as you follow a simple strategic roadmap to inspire P2P donors to give again.

1. INPUT DONORS INTO YOUR DATABASE RIGHT AWAY

You can’t easily nurture P2P donors unless you add these folks to your database.

If P2P fundraisers collect cash or checks to give to you, make sure they do so immediately. Don’t let these donations languish in a manila envelope for days or weeks; immediately deposit them and make a record of the gift. Manual input works, but if you’re running a large campaign (or lots of little DIY campaigns like birthday giving; see an example here), it makes sense to invest in tools that will automatically add new donor contact information to your database. If your own donor database or CRM doesn’t do this, there are add-on products you can purchase that seamlessly integrate with the most popular software available.  A benefit is these new donors will get tagged as P2P so you can easily segment your communications to them.

2. THANK AND RE-SELL

Thank you starts the renewal process. Period.

Since P2P donors give, first and foremost, to show support for a friend, it’s imperative you remind them who they gave to (your organization) and why (their friend reached out and asked). These donors may not know much about your cause, nor may they be sold on it, so this is an opportunity for you to introduce yourself more formally and make your strong case for support. Just as with any thank you, be sure this one is prompt, personal, and powerfully indicative of the desirable outcome it will yield. In addition:

• Reference the fundraiser so the donor remembers what they did (“Oh, yes, I gave to Claire in lieu of a birthday present!”).
• Plan to send a series of welcome emails, just as you would with any first-time donor you’re welcoming to your family. This will make them feel at home with you.
• Make a few promises in these emails (e.g., “Next week we’ll send you a list of volunteer opportunities so you can be among the first to sign up!”).
• Deliver on your promises to you show you can be trusted. Trust is the foundation of all lasting relationships.

3. ENGAGE ORIGINAL FUNDRAISERS IN PERSONAL FOLLOW-UP

The best fundraising is personal, as people give to people.

Remember, the P2P donor gave because their friend asked them.  Not you. At this point, you mean nothing to this donor. It makes perfect sense they would want to be thanked by their friend. It also makes sense they’d be more likely to engage further with your mission if their friend asks them again.

You can suggest thank you and other engagement email templates your P2P fundraisers can send. When it’s time for the next ask, it need not be for more money. In fact, it’s much better if the ask is for something that shows your organization values its donors for more than their wallet. They could ask if the new donor would like to attend an upcoming free event, sign up for a volunteer activity or sign and share a petition.

For example:

“I’m so honored you shared your support with [organization]. I love the great work they’re doing to [brief description of mission goal], and can assure you your gift will be put to work right away to make an immediate difference. Here’s a link to a video that describes the important work you’ve supported in greater detail. I’m happy to provide more info or answer any questions.”

“You are the best! Your gift in my honor means a lot to me personally, and also to everyone at [organization]. We’d love to see more of you, whenever your schedule allows. Towards that end, I’m attaching a schedule of upcoming events in which you may have an interest. You will be our guest! These are always fun and informative, and there’s no pressure. Just come, and pass on what we’re doing to make our world a better place.”

“Thanks again for giving to [organization] in honor of my [birthday; anniversary; graduation; 5K run; bowlathon participation, etc.]. If you’ve felt good about [describe briefly what gift made possible], I hope you’ll consider joining me again in support of [mention population helped, e.g. ‘ hungry children; abused animals; clean water; homeless families, etc.].”

4. CUSTOMIZE AUTOMATED FOLLOW-UP MESSAGES

Create a segment of P2P donors and tweak you’re automated follow-up communications to reference the purpose of their gift.

Sometimes retaining a one-time peer-to-peer donor is as simple as making them feel noticed and appreciated. For example, when sending an email include a personal salutation. An email receipt that starts with “Thank you, [Donor’s Name]!” is much more personal than only providing a transaction summary. And don’t forget to powerfully demonstrate the impact of the donor’s philanthropy by referencing the specific purpose of their gift (e.g., the “Walk for Brain Cancer”) and describing your organization’s mission using emotional language, photos and/or video. Follow-up messages should also include invitations for the donor to get involved in other ways (e.g., volunteering; attending an event; completing a survey; joining your mailing list; signing a petition, etc.).

5. ENGAGE DONORS THROUGH OTHER CHANNELS

Don’t let the P2P campaign be the last place donors engage with your organization.

After you’ve thanked your donors, you can invite them to visit your organization’s other online platforms. Include links or buttons to make it easy for these new supporters to connect to your website, YouTube channel, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Bluesky, LinkedIn or wherever your donors can learn more about and interact with your organization on their favorite social media platforms. And don’t forget to include a link to subscribe to your email newsletter, blog or podcast – all great ways to keep new supporters (and current ones, too) updated on your organization’s projects and progress, making them feel like part of your nonprofit’s community.

Final Thoughts

Peer-to-peer donors may come to you through a friend, but they don’t have to remain one-time supporters. With thoughtful stewardship, prompt acknowledgment, personal follow-up, and meaningful engagement opportunities, you can transform these socially motivated gifts into lasting relationships. When you combine smart systems with genuine gratitude and human connection, you move P2P donors from “I gave because my friend asked” to “I give because I believe.” Retention isn’t accidental, it’s intentional. And with the right roadmap, today’s peer-to-peer supporter can become tomorrow’s loyal champion of your cause.

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