In-memory P2P fundraising campaign recipe

This guide outlines how to set up an ongoing in-memory P2P fundraising campaign. A few hours dedicated to updating your homepage and educating donor service can create a campaign that generates returns for many years.

In-memory fundraisers are among the best-performing P2P fundraisers, boasting both high average and median amounts raised. The activation rate from creation to receiving some donations is also one of the highest for any type of P2P fundraiser.

However, it has a major downside - promoting and advertising it is nearly impossible. Even if identifying supporters who have recently passed away were feasible, we suggest you refrain from marketing to their relative activively. This type of fundraising is all about respecting your supporters and their relatives.

The approach should be to ensure that relatives are presented with the option, should they seek a way to support your organisation in connection with the funeral or later on.

Health charities will find this type of fundraising can be a significant part of their total P2P fundraising income, and it should be prioritized. But we have also seen emergency aid and environmental charities be very succesfull with this campaign type.

Recipe: Ongoing in-memory P2P fundraising

Time to prepare: 3-6 hours. Longer if you opt for all the optional add-ons.

Campaign period: Ongoing

Ingredients (List of prerequisites)

• Access to your website content management system (CMS)
• BetterNow (or another P2P fundraising system)

Optional:

• 1-2 case stories of supporters who have donated their birthday to you
• Ability to influence your organisation's social media calendar
• Separate BetterNow site

Campaign instructions:

1. Gather the Ingredients: Ensure access to all systems, such as the CMS and BetterNow.

2. Create a separate landing Page for in-memory fundraisers: This page will serve as a hub for links from other pages. Include:

• A section explaining what an in-memory fundraising page is and how it differs from in-memory donations.
• A section presenting 1-2 cases or at least a few testimonials from those who have created an in-memory fundraiser for you. If you don’t have any cases or testimonials yet, explain why an in-memory fundraiser is beneficial and how it will support relatives after their loss.

3. Identify which pages on your homepage have information about in-memory donations and giving. This will likely involve the page about this specifically, but also the thank you page for making an in-memory donation and pages on legacy. 

• Page on in-memory donations: This page will already have an option to give an in-memory donation in the name of a person. You should edit this page so it prominently features an option for creating an in-memory fundraiser (by linking to landing page created in step 2)
• This is the thank you page you also most likely have for when anyone has successfully made an in-memory donation. In case a relative missed the first call-to-action, then this is a place to have a second one. 
• Page on legacies: This is different from the above, as you here will be speaking to a person who is setting up a legacy. Here you can add a section on how theyn can leave instructions their relatives to encourage donations rather flowers for the funeral. 

4. Optional: Create a separate BetterNow site: Considering the sensitivity of in-memory fundraising, you might decide to host it on a separate site. This is particularly advisable for large health charities with multiple event types.

5. Educate donor service or reception staff: Since many relatives may call in for advice rather than visit your website, it's crucial that staff can inform relatives about in-memory fundraisers and assist less tech-savvy individuals in setting up their pages.

6. Regular follow-ups: These fundraisers should be an ongoing stream. If they aren’t, it could indicate a problem (e.g., a broken link or a new employee in donor service). Ensure regular follow-ups and access to performance data.

Why encourage in-memory fundraisers above in-memory gifts?

You might wonder why it's preferable to encourage supporters to create an in-memory fundraising page rather than simply having relatives and friends donate through your website. There are two main reasons:

• Fundraising pages raise more: Anecdotally, our clients tell us that fundraising pages tend to raise more money. A P2P fundraising page offer a shareable link that can reach old friends through social media, including those not invited to the funeral or unaware of the death notice. This leads to more donations from more distant social circles.
• Less administration: Your donor support team will likely agree that updating relatives on the amount raised for the funeral is time-consuming. With a P2P fundraising setup like BetterNow, communication is automated, and progress is visible to relatives.

If you found this post useful, we also have another recipe - this is for an ongoing birthday fundraiser campaign.