How Peer Pressure Could Drive Your Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Efforts [Statistics]

For many people, peer pressure has a negative connotation, calling up flashbacks to lectures in school about the danger of saying yes to things like drugs or cheating on tests. But what if you could use peer pressure to help raise money for your organization? In Why America Gives 2019: How current events, technology, and seasonality impact donor plans, Classy* found that peer pressure may increase people’s likelihood to give to an organization:

What These Peer-To-Peer Fundraising Statistics Indicate About Giving

“Two-thirds of consumers (67%) said that their primary motivation for giving is to help a cause they care about. However, being asked to donate in front of others can also influence their action. Approximately one-third of all respondents (34%) said they would be more likely to give to a nonprofit or charity if they were asked to donate in front of other people. Of all the generations, millennials (47%) and Gen Z (42%) said they would be most likely to donate to a nonprofit if asked in front of others.”

Here are some other interesting things Classy found in their report as it relates to peer pressure and the inclination to donate to an organization.

Peer-To-Peer Fundraising Statistics:

• Gender: Men (43%) seem more inclined than women (39%) to donate if asked in front of others.
• Political affiliation: Republicans and Democrats see largely eye to eye on this, with 39% of Republicans and 37% of Democrats impacted by peer pressure.
• Geographic region: Americans living in the western portion of the country are slightly more likely than others to admit they would be more likely to give to charity if asked in front of another person, coming in at 40%, compared with Northeasterners at 38%, Southerners at 31%, and Midwesterners at 30%.
• Age: Millennials (47%) and Gen Z (42%) said they would be most likely to donate to a nonprofit if asked in front of others. This compares to Gen X at 39% and baby boomers at 14%.

Interesting, right? So now the question is: What does these statistics mean for you and your organization?

Using Peer-To-Peer Fundraising To Drive Fundraising Efforts

If you’ve paid attention to how charity: water has encouraged people to donate their birthdays to the organization or how Facebook and Instagram have rolled out features that facilitate charitable giving, you’ve probably seen how peer-to-peer fundraising and crowdfunding efforts have become more mainstream. Classy has noticed too, explaining that peer pressure could be “one driver of the explosive growth in recent years.”Now that you know how integral peer pressure can be when it comes to soliciting donations, we encourage you to take a look at your fundraising plan and see what role peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns play in it.

Fundraising Strategy Questions for Nonprofits

• Do you have annual fundraisers that include a peer-to-peer fundraising aspect? If not, can you build that into the plan?
• Is there a dedicated group of supporters you can encourage to fundraise for your organization? What assets and information can you provide them with in order to set them up for success?
• Have you put together information you can send to your donors about how they can raise money through Facebook or Instagram around their birthdays or a specific event that is meaningful to your organization?

As you look forward to the year ahead, we encourage you to see how you can leverage peer pressure to have your best peer-to-peer fundraising campaign and raise more funds for your organization.*indicates the organization is an integration partner

Looking for more on planning and executing your peer-to-peer fundraising campaign? We've put together the most up-to-date peer-to-peer and crowdfunding resources to help you get started.

Go To Peer-To-Peer Resource Center »