For two intense days in February, more than 400 professionals gathered to learn, network and connect on the explosive growth happening in peer-to-peer fundraising.
Check out some images of the excitement and the jam-packed program below.
Special thanks to our Sponsors for all of their support.
Tuesday, February 24
Pre-Conference Opportunities
Workshop: Work Better Together
Much like how coffee is better with donuts, event directors and techies make a perfect pair for successful Peer-to-Peer programs. But, you may not always speak the same language. Join Blackbaud’s Taylor Shanklin and Shana Masterson along with Kristin Flickinger of AIDS/Lifecycle in a workshop designed for YOU and focused on breaking down communication barriers, closing the gaps and implementing the right planning and strategies to take your event to the next level.
Workshop: Sponsorship Sales
Want to take your corporate sponsorship program to the next level? Join expert trainer Maureen Carlson for field-tested strategies and tactics to build strong relationships with cash and in-kind sponsors. Bonus: Bonnie Gordon, former head of cause marketing at Walgreens, will share behind the scenes insights from her experiences with dozens of nonprofit organizations.
Workshop: Leadership and Change Management From the Middle
You have a boss, you manage people and you’re a leader among peers. You have control over some things, and no control over other things. Every day you navigate and negotiate within your organization. Some days you nail it and some days you don’t. You’re in the middle in a dozen different ways. Join Jeff Shuck and Kari Bodell from Plenty for a rigorous conversation about being an impactful, effective leader from your spot within the organization.
Workshop: Making the Case for Investment
We all want to grow our programs, but with competing projects in every organization you need to make the case for investments that have a true return. Join Donna Wilkins of Charity Dynamics for a workshop to guide you through developing ROI forecasts with methodologies for predicting revenue. You’ll leave with a workbook to help you set a methodology for your organization to understand impact and potential for new investments.
One-on-One Consulting
Free, 25-minute sessions enabling conference participants to get valuable advice on a problem from an industry expert.
Conference Kickoff
Welcome
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Thirty Premiere
Be the first to hear our annual benchmarking report on America’s leading peer-to-peer fundraising programs from the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum President David Hessekiel.
Behind the Numbers
Plenty’s Jeff Shuck and a panel of senior peer-to-peer fundraising executives explore the issues, trends and best practices impacting program performance and how you can strengthen your initiatives.
Peer Group Discussions
We’ll match you with peers who share your interests for a fascinating hour of facilitated discussion. Katrina VanHuss of Turnkey again moderates this session which received rave reviews in 2014.
Program Summits
Considered by many the highlight of our annual gathering, program summits immerse you in conversation and learning with colleagues focused on your kind of peer-to-peer fundraising.
Choose from the following:
More details on Summit programs and speakers.
Opening Reception
Cash, Sweat & Tears Dinner
Join us in honoring the year’s most inspiring volunteer. To read more about past years’ honorees, click here.
Apres-Dinner Hospitality
Cash, Sweat & Tears Award and Apres-Dinner Hospitality sponsored by:
Wednesday, February 25
Exhibit Hall Breakfast
Morning Plenary
Program Spotlight: charity: water
No one celebrates birthdays like charity: water. Moving celebrities and regular folks to donate birthdays to fund water access projects is the group’s core fundraising program. Supporter Experience Manager Kaitlyn Jankowski describes how impact reporting, extreme transparency and a 100% giving model fuel the group’s growth.
Peer-to-Peer Psychology
Data analysis tells us how participants act. Psychology tells us why (as in “why does a registration fee depress fundraising?”) This introduction to the psychology behind fundraiser behaviors by Turnkey’s Katrina VanHuss and neuropsychologist Otis Fulton will empower you to generate greater short- and long-term results.
The Pursuit of Growth
Overall giving to charity is nearly flat, but you’re expected to bring in more peer-to-peer revenue each year. Where will it come from? Blackbaud’s Amy Braiterman explores this critical topic with National MS Society’s Betty Ross and the Alzheimer’s Association’s Wendy Folk Vizek.
Exhibit Hall Break
Inspiration from Down Under
Australia is a hotbed of peer-to-peer fundraising creativity. Kate Van de Peer, Steptember campaign manager for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, shares lessons learned from her initiative as well as other Aussie inventions such as Dry July and Febfast.
Breakout Sessions:
- Acquisition, Recruitment & Retention
Committed supporters who are willing to take action on your behalf are the lifeblood of any successful peer-to-peer fundraising program. Plenty’s Meghan Dankovich shares ways to find and draw new fundraisers to your programs and keep them engaged year after year. - Participant Journey Mapping – The Path to Higher Revenue
Multi-channel marketing offers multiple ways to engage peer-to-peer fundraisers – and to the possibility of losing them in a web of disjointed communications. In this interactive session, hjc’s Heather McLean and Oracle’s Brian Walsh share donor experience mapping techniques that will improve your program’s results. - Tap the Power of P2P Video
Online, offline, short form, long form, professional or homemade, organizations are using video to increase reach, engagement and fundraising performance. Eventage Creative Director Matt Glass screens some of the best and provides tips on harnessing video’s power.
Exhibit Hall Reception
Lunch & Learn – Video Gaming: The Next Frontier?
Video gaming’s growth as an activity and spectator sport is breathtaking. Get the inside scoop on this sector and Extra Life, peer-to-peer fundraising’s largest video gaming program from Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ Jeromy Adams.
Lunch & Learn sponsored by
Exhibit Hall Break
Breakout Sessions:
- Event Experience Investments That Pay
Trendy events compete for new participants. Long-time supporters often feel they’ve “been there, done that.” Explore ways to give walks and runs more appeal to newbies and veterans alike with Susan G. Komen’s Chrissy Matthews and Event 360’s Ali Finkel. - The Lightening Round
In this high-energy session, peer-to-peer veterans from the Morris Animal Foundation, Team Fox, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Canadian Cancer Society get ten minutes to share one big idea that will empower you to achieve greater success in 2015. - Seven Genius Copy Tips That Will Boost Your 2015 Fundraising
Simple tweaks to your recruitment emails, landing pages, fundraising emails and social media can make a huge difference. You’ll leave this hands-on class led by ConnectedNonprofit’s Mandy O’Neill with powerful copy that will improve your 2015 results.
Exhibit Hall Break
Closing Plenary
Lessons from the Ice Bucket Challenge
What are the most important lessons for peer-to-peer fundraisers from the Ice Bucket Challenge? The ALS Association’s Lance Slaughter ventures beyond the hype with Armbruster Consulting Group’s Rachel Armbruster (an architect of the high-profile LIVESTRONG bracelet campaign.)