Retaining 2nd-Degree Donors in P2P Fundraising

When it comes to peer-to-peer (P2P) campaigns, charities often face a significant challenge: engaging and retaining 2nd-degree donors. These individuals donate to a friend or family member's fundraising page for your cause but are not directly connected with the charity.

While the visibility of 1st-degree donors is often well-managed, 2nd-degree donors frequently slip through the cracks, leaving charities without a clear way to contact or engage them in the future. This gap can lead to missed opportunities to cultivate meaningful, long-term relationships. The good news? With the right P2P tools and strategy, charities can turn these "hidden" supporters into loyal advocates.

Why 2nd-Degree Donors Matter

2nd-degree donors are not simply one-off contributors—they are individuals who already align with your cause through a personal connection. By engaging them directly, charities can expand their supporter base and retain these once-lost donors. These supporters have demonstrated a willingness to give, but without effective follow-up, they can remain untapped for future campaigns or communications.

The Challenge: Visibility and Engagement

In most P2P campaigns, charities are focused on empowering their fundraisers, yet they often lose sight of the donors who contribute via these third-party pages. Unlike direct donors, these individuals are connected to the fundraiser, and their information doesn't always make its way back to the charity. This leaves organisations with minimal insight into who these donors are, how they're connected to the cause, and how to retain them for future engagement.

The Solution: Choosing the Right P2P Fundraising Tool

To engage and retain 2nd-degree donors, charities must invest in a P2P fundraising tool that facilitates donations and prioritises data collection, consent management, and CRM integration. Here's what to look for:

1. Consent Management & Data Capture

First and foremost, your P2P platform must effectively capture consent from 2nd-degree donors. This includes collecting essential information such as their name, email, donation amount, gift aid declarations, and connection to the specific fundraiser. Ensuring explicit opt-ins for future communications is critical for ongoing engagement.

2. Tracking Donor-Fundraiser Interactions

A robust P2P tool should collate data demonstrating which fundraisers and campaigns each donor has interacted with. This allows charities to see who donated and how they are connected to your cause—information invaluable for personalised follow-up. Tracking these relationships can also provide insights for future campaign optimisation and segmentation.

3. Email Automation & Segmentation

Once you've captured donor data, engaging them through timely and personalised communications is key. A platform that supports email automation and segmentation allows you to send targeted messaging based on a donor's level of engagement, donation history, and connection to the fundraiser. For example, you can automatically send a thank-you email or a welcome message highlighting your charity's work, explaining how their contribution is making an impact and providing an easy way for them to stay connected.

4. CRM Integration for Full Donor Visibility

To ensure 2nd-degree donors aren't lost after the initial transaction, your fundraising tool must integrate seamlessly with your CRM system. Donor information and key metrics such as gift amount and donation date should automatically flow into your CRM, making it accessible for future engagement efforts. This ensures that 2nd-degree donors are treated like direct supporters, with full visibility over their contribution history and interactions with your charity.

The Future of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Closing the Gap

The ability to track, engage, and retain 2nd-degree donors is an overlooked opportunity in P2P fundraising. By choosing the right tools and creating thoughtful engagement strategies, charities can improve donor retention and expand their network of supporters beyond immediate fundraisers. This shift can dramatically increase the lifetime value of these donors, building a stronger, more connected base for years to come.

The next time you run a P2P campaign, remember that every donor represents a potential long-term supporter, no matter how indirect the connection is.

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