| Quick answer: Peer-to-peer fundraising turns your existing supporters into fundraisers who share your cause with their own networks — dramatically expanding your reach beyond your direct audience. A giving list makes it easy: supporters share one branded link of concrete needs, their friends give tangible items or cash, and everything tracks in one place. A free MyRegistry giving list gives champions a shareable, trustworthy link and gives you visibility into what their networks provide. |
Your most powerful marketing isn’t your own channels, it’s your supporters’ word of mouth. Peer-to-peer fundraising harnesses that: instead of only reaching your audience, you empower supporters to reach theirs. Paired with a giving list, it becomes remarkably simple and effective. Here’s how it works and how to run it.
A MyRegistry giving list is a natural fit, it gives each supporter one branded, trustworthy link of concrete needs to share, while you track what every network provides in one place.
What Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Is
In peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising, supporters raise money or in-kind gifts on your behalf by sharing your cause with their friends, family, and colleagues. Each supporter becomes a mini-campaign, extending your reach to people you’d never otherwise touch. It works because a recommendation from a trusted friend outperforms any organizational ask.
Your supporters’ networks dwarf your own — P2P unlocks them.
Why a Giving List Supercharges P2P
Abstract ‘donate to my cause’ asks are easy to scroll past. A giving list gives supporters something concrete and shareable: specific needs their friends can fulfill in a couple of clicks, from any store. The tangibility, ‘buy a backpack for a student’, converts far better than a vague appeal, and the branded link builds trust with a first-time giver.
| Giving list P2P | Generic ‘donate’ share | |
|---|---|---|
| What supporters share | Concrete needs | Abstract ask |
| First-timer trust | Branded, specific | Uncertain |
| Ease of giving | Two clicks, any store | Varies |
| Tracking across networks | One place | Scattered |
| Give champions one link to share — create a MyRegistry giving list . |
How to Run a P2P Giving-List Campaign
1. Recruit Your Champions
Ask engaged supporters, board members, and volunteers to share the cause with their networks.
2. Give Them a Branded Link
One giving list of concrete needs, with your logo and story, ready to share.
3. Make Sharing Easy
Provide ready-made posts, images, and impact lines so champions can share in seconds.
4. Recognize and Thank
Celebrate top champions and thank every new donor to turn them into future supporters.
Why It Reaches New Donors
The whole point of P2P is acquisition. Your direct channels reach people who already know you; your supporters’ networks are full of people who don’t. A friend’s share carries built-in trust, so their network gives more readily than they would to a cold organizational ask. A giving list gives that warm introduction something concrete to act on.
| Feature | MyRegistry Giving List | Single-store list |
|---|---|---|
| Add items from any store | Yes | No, one retailer |
| Cash gift funds | Yes | Rarely |
| Your logo & branding | Yes | Minimal |
| Embed on your website | Yes | Limited |
| Real-time tracking | Yes | Within that store |
| Cost | Free | Free |
A Real-World Scenario
A small nonprofit had a modest email list and limited reach. For a supply campaign, they recruited fifteen committed supporters as champions, each armed with the same branded giving list and a few ready-made social posts. Those fifteen shared with their networks, and items came in from hundreds of people the nonprofit had never reached. One giving list, fifteen champions, a reach that dwarfed the organization’s own, and a batch of brand-new donors to steward going forward.
| ✔ Pros — Peer-to-Peer With a Giving List (on MyRegistry) | ✘ Cons — Peer-to-Peer With a Giving List (on MyRegistry) |
|---|---|
| • Reaches supporters’ networks, not just yours | • Requires recruiting and equipping champions |
| • Concrete needs convert better than abstract asks | • Steward new donors to retain them |
| • Branded link builds first-timer trust | |
| • Tracks every network’s gifts in one place | |
| • Free to run |
| ★ Expert recommendation: Recruit committed champions, arm each with the same branded giving list and ready-made shareable content, and make giving concrete, specific needs, two clicks, any store. Then steward the new donors you gain. A free MyRegistry list gives every champion a trustworthy link and you one place to track it all. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is peer-to-peer fundraising?
It’s when your supporters raise money or in-kind gifts by sharing your cause with their own networks, extending your reach far beyond your direct audience.
How does a giving list help?
It gives supporters concrete, shareable needs and a branded link, which converts far better than a vague ‘donate’ ask and builds trust with new givers.
How do I recruit champions?
Start with your most engaged supporters, board, and volunteers; give them an easy, branded link and ready-made content so sharing takes seconds.
The Bottom Line
Peer-to-peer fundraising unlocks your supporters’ networks, and a giving list gives them something concrete and trustworthy to share. Equip your champions free at MyRegistry for Nonprofits.
