Bright Idea: Host a Network Fundraiser

Who they are:

Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation (VBCF) is a statewide, Richmond-based nonprofit committed to the eradication of breast cancer through education and advocacy.  Their goals are to establish the eradication of breast cancer as a state and national priority, advocate for the collective needs of people affected by breast cancer, and educate all Virginians on the facts about breast cancer.

What they did:

Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation created a network fundraiser using Qgiv’s peer-to-peer platform called the Sole Stars campaign. The Sole Stars campaign engaged community leaders to represent the fight against breast cancer. During the month-long campaign, each Sole Star was tasked to raise or give a minimum of $1,000 each in order to support the work of the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation.

They utilized social media to help recruit Sole Star fundraisers to join the campaign by telling supporters about their goals and detailing how they would use the funds raised. To add even more fun and attention to this campaign, the fundraisers agreed to wear pink shoes for the entire month!

As the participants joined, they got set up with their own, easy-to-use and customizable fundraising pages.  This was crucial in order to accept donations instantly online and get the word out about their efforts.  In addition to the creation of the participants’ fundraising pages, VBCF created an eye-catching central site for their network fundraiser that utilized their brand colors and featured custom page tabs. One tab was titled “About VBCF” and linked back to their organization’s main page in order to educate prospective supporters about their mission.

Their inaugural network fundraiser was so successful that not even halfway through the campaign month, they increased their fundraising goal from $18,000 to $32,000 and even exceeded their updated goal!

What you can do:

If your nonprofit is looking to try something different, why not host a network fundraiser with Qgiv’s peer-to-peer platform? Network fundraisers are a great way to bring visibility to your cause by leveraging your fundraisers’ networks. This visibility increases when you find the right fundraisers that are well-connected and passionate about your mission!

VBCF came up with a great back story for their campaign by explaining the why behind the name, Sole Stars, on their event site.  Get creative when it comes to naming your campaign, and bonus points if you can tie it into your mission!

Another best practice to consider tying into your network fundraiser is to give campaign members a minimum goal they must raise or donate.  This can sound intimidating to some fundraisers; however, you’d be surprised how motivating this tactic can be! It can quickly turn into a fun competition that keeps fundraisers motivated. In fact, this tactic was so successful for VBCF that they had to increase their goal of $18,000 to $32,000 and eventually ended up with almost $44,000!

As an added benefit, determining these individual minimum fundraising goals for campaign members can really help you when it comes to setting your overall fundraising goals and projecting your network fundraising campaign’s income.  For example, if you set your fundraisers’ minimum goal at $1,000 and are attempting to recruit 10 campaign members, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll hit a goal of $10,000 since some folks might raise a little less and some might raise a little more!

Curious about additional resources that can help you host a cost-effective campaign? Check out the DIY and Network Fundraising toolkit.  Not a Qgiv client but want to learn more about how the peer-to-peer platform can be used to support your network fundraiser? Request a demo today or give us a call at 888.855.9595.