We had the pleasure of joining fundraising professionals from across the sector at this year’s community and event fundraising conference hosted by Fundraising Everywhere. Amidst the virtual networking and knowledge sharing, several fascinating trends emerged.
Events today…
The good news? Despite economic headwinds, many events continue to deliver healthy returns on investment, with organisations reporting improved results compared to 2023. Running, in particular, remains both popular and lucrative across a range of event formats / distances.
What’s also encouraging is the increased engagement being seen from younger participants, who are showing a greater propensity to fundraise. This suggests a bright future for peer-to-peer fundraising, provided we continue to evolve our approach.
Finding a sweet spot
One key insight that resonated with many attendees was the importance of portfolio balance. While diversifying between in-real-life and virtual events remains crucial, there’s growing evidence that focusing on a smaller number of well-supported events often yields better results than spreading resources too thinly across numerous initiatives.
Communication channels: Mix It Up
The communications landscape is ever-evolving, with WhatsApp and Strava emerging as valuable additions to the traditional mix of Facebook Groups, email, and phone outreach. SMS hasn’t lost its shine either – it continues to deliver strong results when used strategically. (Added note: we’re getting great results from AI-driven personalised SMS engagement…)
Efforts to personalise communications, combined with celebrating top fundraisers within the community, help foster a sense of trust and build loyalty.
Tech and data
Google’s Performance Max is proving its worth in participant recruitment, particularly when backed by quality video content.
Another oft-repeated pro tip still stands: if Facebook Fundraising is available in your region, coupling it with a modern peer-to-peer platform can significantly boost results.
The importance of regular analysis cannot be overstated. Daily monitoring of results allows for quick adjustments and optimisation – something that several successful organisations highlighted as crucial to their approach.
Looking ahead
Perhaps one of the most exciting opportunities discussed was the rich potential for events to serve as a pipeline for other fundraising propositions. When participants have a positive experience, they’re more likely to engage with other aspects of your cause.
For those looking to innovate, the conference emphasised the value of piloting new ideas with a subset of participants. This approach allows you to quantify impact and build a solid business case for investment before rolling out more broadly.
Final thought…
We enjoyed the abundance of curiosity and innovation plus the spirit of collaboration evident throughout the conference. The willingness of fundraisers, suppliers, and partners to share insights and grow together is really inspiring. Thanks to Fundraising Everywhere for pulling it all together.
Have you tried any of these approaches in your events programme? We’d love to hear about your experiences. We’re also happy to share insights from our recent work as well as our guide to highly effective supporter engagement. Drop us a DM / email for more!