There are a range of software options out there for conducting peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraisers -- from fully-hosted products, to open source DIY options. Whichever route you go, look for these features when making your selection or building your own.

Focus on the user experience

• Make it fully responsive so people can donate from their tablets and smart phones 
• Make it easy for donors to set up their own fundraising pages
• Make it personal by giving participants options to add their own images, video and text
• Make it shareable by email and social media
• Make it exciting with leader boards and visuals to show progress towards each fundraising goal

Automate and integrate administrative tasks

• Make receipting and acknowledgements automatic
• Allow administrators to adjust amounts, donor information or other items on the back end
• Where possible, integrate the donor and donations information with your existing contact management system and accounting system

Be aware of hidden fees

Some software charges a percentage of the total amount raised, plus transactional fees. That can quickly add up! Using an open-source solution such as CiviCRM allows you to know your costs up front. Have a system custom-built to meet your needs, and avoid the monthly fees that proprietary software charges.

Consider the big picture

Organizations that are successfully leveraging P2P fundraising have one common denominator: web-based CRMs (contact management system). When the donation information from peer-to-peer fundraisers can flow into an existing donor database it makes it easier to use. CiviCRM is one tool that can manage donations, event registrations, payments, email distribution, case management, and more. Learn how the University of Minnesota Foundation used CiviCRM to grow the University's giving day by more than 50 percent!

Related article: WHAT UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PEER-TO-PEER FUNDRAISING

Photo credits: Cash Register by Allen Sky