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Fundraise as a Peer-to-Peer Participant

Goal: Set up your peer-to-peer fundraising page, share it effectively, and bring in gifts to the affiliate from your network — confidently, without feeling pushy.

What peer-to-peer means​

When you sign up as a peer-to-peer (P2P) participant for a campaign or event, you're fundraising on behalf of the affiliate. You get:

  • Your own personal fundraising page with your name, photo, and story
  • A goal you set yourself
  • A shareable URL you can send to friends, family, and colleagues
  • A dashboard showing how you're doing

Every gift made through your page is credited to you — you'll see who gave and how close you are to your goal.

Joining a campaign​

Two paths:

  • Through a team — a captain invites you, you click their link, you become part of their team
  • As an individual — you sign up directly through the campaign / event landing page

Both put you on the same fundraising track; the difference is whether you're aggregated with a team or fundraising solo.

Setting up your page​

After you sign up:

  1. Visit your participant dashboard at /p2p/my/:donationToken
  2. Personalize the page:
    • Upload a photo (a real photo of you, not a stock image)
    • Set your goal — pick something achievable but ambitious; most participants are surprised what they can raise
    • Write your story — why this cause matters to you (more on this below)
  3. Save and share

Writing your story​

The story is what makes the page work. Without a personal story, your page is just an asking-for-money page; with one, it's a connection.

What works:

  • A specific personal connection — "I've volunteered with the affiliate for 5 years and seen what these builds mean to families"
  • A specific impact ask — "Every $50 buys X — your gift makes this real"
  • A clear ask — "Will you help me reach my goal?"
  • A real, personal voice — write like you talk

What doesn't:

  • Generic language about helping people
  • Apologies for asking
  • Overly polished prose that feels like a marketing brochure

A 200-word story that's genuine outperforms a 600-word polished one.

Sharing your page​

Where to share:

  • Email — personal emails to specific friends and family, not a mass send
  • Text — for closer friends; very high response rate
  • Social media — your fundraising page URL with a personal caption explaining why
  • Word of mouth — at coffee, at the office, at events

The strongest path is one-to-one outreach. A dozen personal asks beat a single broadcast post almost every time.

What to say when you ask​

A simple ask works:

"I'm fundraising for [affiliate] this year — they do [specific thing that matters to you]. Would you give? My page is at [URL]. Anything is appreciated."

That's enough. Don't overthink it.

Tracking your progress​

Your dashboard shows:

  • Total raised
  • Number of donors
  • Recent gifts (with donor name, amount, optional message)
  • Days remaining
  • Where you stand on the leaderboard

Watch your progress and celebrate it — share milestones publicly ("I just hit 50% of my goal — thanks to everyone who's given!"). Public progress drives more giving.

Thanking your donors​

When someone gives:

  • They get an automatic receipt from the affiliate
  • You can also send a personal thank-you — a quick text or email matters more than the formal receipt
  • Tag them publicly when appropriate ("thanks to [Name] for giving!")

Donors who feel personally thanked often give again next year, often more.

Reaching out for help​

If you're stuck — page won't update, donors say they didn't see your link, anything else — reach out to the affiliate's office. They're invested in your success.

For motivation help (you don't know what to write, you're hesitant to ask) — reach out to your team captain or a fellow participant. Other participants are often happy to share what's working for them.

After the campaign​

When the campaign ends:

  • Final standings are published; top fundraisers and teams get recognized
  • Your page stays accessible for a while so any last gifts can come in
  • The affiliate sends a thank-you to all participants

Most participants who do well in their first P2P campaign become repeat fundraisers. The hardest part is the first one — once you've done it, the second one is much easier.