Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

IMG_5364In February 2014, more than 300 people gathered in Atlanta to discuss the latest in peer-to-peer fundraising. The program included pre-conference workshops, summits and a wide range of plenary and breakout sessions.  Highlights included the release of the 2013 Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Top 30 Results and the presentation of the Cash, Sweat & Tears Award to Dave Van der Linden for his participation and fundraising efforts benefiting Walk MS.

For more details on the 2014 gathering, check out:

  • Descriptions of the Endurance, National Series, Local/Regional Program and Cycling Summits
  • Pre-Conference Workshops
  • Main Conference Program
  • Sponsors

 

Pre-Conference Workshops

EVENT 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: Corporate and nonprofit guest speakers will share behind the scenes insights from their successful relationships.

MANAGING DIY FUNDRAISING

After years of resisting supporter requests to “do their own thing”, smart nonprofits realize that there is lots of money to be made in allowing supporters to leverage peer-to-peer fundraising in their own ways. Donna Wilkins of Charity Dynamics and Nancy Paloof Blackbaud show you how to increase revenue by providing independent fundraisers with the support they need without overextending your staff.

P2P ANALYTICS FOR NON-MATH MAJORS

Don’t miss this chance to discover the secrets hidden in your program’s data — even if you suffered from math anxiety in high school!  Data analytics expert Laurie Schaecher from Plenty shows you how to find your most important numbers and what to do based on the data.

P2P MYTHS HOLDING YOUR PROGRAM BACK

Are you aware of the five fundraising myths that trip up even senior staff running P2P fundraising events? Join Suzanne Mooney and Kari Bodell from Plenty to explore which of these blind spots is hindering your program’s success and what to do about it.

2014 Summits

The Endurance Summit for managers of programs that leverage third-party events (e.g. marathons, triathlons, century rides)

As if running an endurance program weren’t tough enough, you’ve had to grapple with a hurricane, a terrorist attack and a government shutdown. Learn how to make the most of 2014 from expert speakers and each other.

Program included:

  • Program Profile: Team Up! with Autism Speaks – Phillip Hain shares his program’s history and views on choosing the right race partners.
  • The Ironman Opportunity – In spite of its insane physical challenges, the Ironman phenomenon keeps gaining speed. Dave Deschenes shares his vision for The Ironman Foundation’s charity program and lessons learned by the nonprofits it has worked with to date.
  • Smarter Recruiting – For the overwhelming majority of endurance fundraisers, their participation in your program is a “once and done” experience. Endurance veteran Staci Brown shares valuable tips for attracting your next crew of folks willing to raise big bucks.
  • Not All Participants Are Created Equal and Not All Audiences Have the Same Value – Targeting the right audience with your message is key. You can reap a big “ROE” (return on effort) by segmenting your marketing efforts and creating different messages to attract and motivate different potential fundraisers (e.g. core cause supporters vs athletes seeking scarce entries or men vs. women.) Learn how from Active Networks’ Amber Martin and nonprofits that have tested this approach.
  • DonorDrive “Driving Growth” Contest Big Ideas — Tracy Evans of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Geoff Curless of DonorDrive each share a big idea that can move a program forward.
  • Plus themed roundtable discussions, energy food worth ingesting, new industry research and much more!

The National Series Summit for leaders of proprietary walk, run and other activity series

Whether you sit at the top of the org chart or make things happen in the field, we’ll customize your experience to make this a session you don’t want to miss.

  • Persuading Folks to Use the “F” Word – Fundraising, that is. Field staff reluctance to actively encourage participants to fundraise is one of our sector’s dirty little secrets. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society SVP Liza Munson describes how training and hiring made Light The Night managers and volunteers more effective at moving people to raise money, a key success factor behind recent growth.
  • Turning Far Flung Staff and Volunteers Into a Team – Dotted-line reporting, conflicting objectives and constant turnover are just three of the obstacles we confront trying to manage national series. In a highly interactive session, Make A Wish America’s Christie Madsen and peer-to-peer fundraising expert Rachel Armbruster share proven strategies and problem solving techniques to unify your staff.
  • Why Do Registration Fees Depress Participant Fundraising – And Do They Have To? – Recent research indicates that walk/run registration fees can depress participant fundraising, yet for some organizations they are a key success factor. Is this throttling effect inevitable, like death and taxes? Blackbaud’s Kathryn Hall explores this dilemma with nonprofit panelists who have taken a proactive stance on walk/run fees and participant fundraising.
  • Plus discussion roundtables with peers who share your experience level and concerns, fortifying snacks and much more!

The Local/Regional Summit for leaders of proprietary programs that are NOT a part of a national series

From Boston to LA, nonprofits produce substantial peer-to-peer fundraising programs with challenges and opportunities that differ from national series. Join us for this overdue gathering of the people behind substantial hometown happenings.

  • Program Profile: Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer – Now in its 12th year, this Atlanta institution has had some major competition from national series players over the years.   Executive Director Kimberly Goff shares her event’s history, challenges and lessons learned.
  • Take Your Regional Program’s Sponsorship to the Next Level – Regional events face unique sponsorship opportunities and challenges and few realize their corporate alliance potential. Learn to advance your performance from Good Scout Group’s Maureen Carlson, formerly City of Hope’s corporate alliance leader, and a panel of corporate and NGO executives.
  • Make Your Program Mobile Friendly – Accessing the internet via mobile devices is so common now that it’s imperative to adapt your program for cell phones and tablets. But how — and how much will it cost? Cathexis Partner’s Mark Becker gets you started on the journey to mobile friendliness with examples from Give Kids The World, Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation and other nonprofits.
  • DonorDrive “Driving Growth” Contest Big Ideas — Alex Murphy of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and Todd Levy of DonorDrive each share a big idea that can move a program forward.
  • Plus curated discussion roundtables,  fun food and drink and much, much more.

The Cycling Summit for leaders of cycling fundraising events

At last an opportunity for cycling program leaders to compare notes on creating more successful programs.

  • All for One and One for All – The national movement to make cycling better for everyone is gaining momentum, and cycling fundraising is playing a central role. People For Bikes President Tim Blumenthal explores the issues and opportunities facing bicycling America and explains how we’ll all benefit by working together.
  • Program Profile: Tour de Cure – American Diabetes Association Special Events Director Nicole Preston shares valuable tips on building safe events and dealing with the inevitable weather, injury and other crises that come with the territory.
  • Enhance Your Cycling Program with a Better Brand – Creating an engaging brand and a distinctive voice spells the difference between an event that people merely show up for and a movement that engages people to give their all. Eventage’s Matt Glass and Yale-New Haven Hospital’s Jessica Scheps tell the story of the Closer to Free Ride to illustrate how branding can more deeply connect participants to your cause.
  • DonorDrive “Driving Growth” Contest Big Ideas — Andrew Valaianis of Climate Ride and Andrea Frieder of DonorDrive each share a big idea that can move a program forward.
  • Plus curated discussion roundtables,  fun food and drink and much, much more.

Main Conference Program

Day One

9:00 am – 12:00 pm   Pre-Conference Workshops 

  • Event Sponsorship Sales
  • Managing DIY Fundraising
  • P2P Analytics for Non-Math Majors
  • P2P Myths Holding Your Program Back

11:00 am – 1:00 pm   One-on-One Consulting – Get some instant analysis and advice from an industry expert on a problem you are grappling with. Space in these 25-minute sessions is limited. Pre-registration required.

1:10 pm – 2:30 pm   Conference Kick Off – First, Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council’s David Hessekiel explains why and how this year’s conference will be different from any you’ve attended before. Next, Katrina Van Huss, of Turnkey Promotions, describes our new peer group process. Then, sitting with your P2P Peer Group, people who share your level of experience and concerns, you’ll dive into a discussion that will powerfully expand your network and set the table for an extraordinary day and a half.

2:45 pm – 5:45 pm   Program Summits – Spend three hours with “your people” – peers who understand the challenges involved in your kind of P2P fundraising and experts with insights to share. Choose from the:

  • Endurance Fundraising Summit
  • Local/Regional Program Summit
  • National Series Summit
  • Cycling Summit

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm   Opening Reception

7:00 pm – 8:30 pm   Cash, Sweat & Tears Dinner, sponsored by Blackbaud – Join us as we honor the year’s most inspiring volunteer fundraiser

8: 30 pm until…   After-Dinner Hospitality, sponsored by Blackbaud

Day Two:

7:30 am – 8:00 am   Exhibit Hall Breakfast  

8:00 am – 8:15 am   Run Walk Ride Thirty Premiere– Be the first to learn who was up and who was down in 2013 from Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council’s David Hessekiel – and take home an in-depth benchmarking report.

8:15 am – 9:00 am   Behind the Numbers –  You won’t want to miss a word as peer-to-peer fundraising guru Jeff Shuck of Plenty interviews Run Walk Ride Thirty program leaders about trends and best practices you can tap to move the needle for your program.

9:00 am – 9:30 am   The Brainiac’s Guide to Social Change – By getting how people think, you can get them to do. Network for Good’s Kate Olsen explores brain research and behavioral economics to show you how to craft campaign messages that win more hearts, minds and dollars.

9:30 am – 10:00 am   Break

10:00 am – 10:45 am   Adapting to Thrive in 2014 and Beyond – Economic turmoil. Changing consumer dynamics.  New competition. Organizational crises. Numerous factors have development leaders reassessing their programs. Annemarie Rickes Schindler director of events at the LIVESTRONG Foundation, and Craig Fordham, head of challenge events at the UK’s Macmillan Cancer Support, reveal how they are re-thinking P2P.

11:00 am – 12:00 pm   Breakouts

  • Crisis Communications: Talking to Your People and the Press – Your reaction to a disaster or the death of a participant can bring your community closer together – or create big problems. Get a road map to good outcomes from crisis communications expert David Kalson and our nonprofit panelists.
  • Hands-on Learning: What Would You Do? Recruiting –  Attracting the right number and types of participants is key to success, but easier said then done. You’ll grapple with a recruitment case study shared by Blackbaud’s Deepa Karani then hear how a panel of nonprofit pros would attack the problem.
  • P2P Skill Building: Recruitment – You Built it and They Didn’t Come? – Struggling to attract enough fundraisers?   Connected Nonprofit’s Mandy O’Neill will show you how to reach your ideal participants and move loads of them to participate in your events.

12:00 pm – 12:30 pm   Exhibit Hall Reception

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm   View from the Top: Pelotonia CEO Tom Lennox – Armed with seed funding and a dream, former Abercrombie & Fitch executive and cancer survivor Tom Lennox took Pelotonia’s fundraising for Columbus, Ohio’s cancer research center from zero to $60 million in five years.  Learn how obsessive attention to branding contributed to this cycling phenomenon’s rapid growth – and what it could do for your program. 

1:45 pm – 2:45 pm Breakouts

  • It’s Working for Us, Could It Work For You? – In this session, two innovators share efforts that have paid big dividends for their organizations.  Learn from Greg Borkowski how Ronald McDonald House Charities has raised millions at minimal cost by empowering corporate partners to produce virtual fundraising events.   Then hear how digital discipline helped breathe new life into American Diabetes Association programs from Shana Masterson. 
  • Hands-on Learning: What Would You Do? Fundraising – We all want to move the needle on fundraising performance, but with limited resources it’s hard to know what to focus on.   First HJC’s Michael Johnston will share a fundraising case study that you’ll grapple with in small groups.  Then hear how Johnston and our nonprofit panelists would attack the problem.
  • P2P Skill Building: Essential P2P Engagement – Get a crash course in setting fundraising strategy and tactics from Plenty’s Jeff Shuck, Kari Bodell, Suzanne Mooney and Laurie Schaecher.

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm   Alternative Events: Lessons to be Learned – Novelty runs and obstacle races have exploded in popularity over the last few years. What are the implications for charity programs?  Eventbrite’s Chris Aker dives into the topic with panelists including Alex Patterson from Tough Mudder,  Chad Leathers of the Children’s Tumor Foundation’s Cupid’s Undie Run and Gary Wohlfeill of CrowdRise.

3:30 pm – 4:15 pm   Check-in with “Your” People – Reunite with your peer group to explore how you can turn the lessons of RWR14 into personal and organizational progress in the months ahead.

4:15 pm – 4:30 pm   The Grand Finale – We’ve got a few surprises up our sleeve and some big prizes – don’t miss the exciting conclusion!