3 Signs It’s Time for New Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software

You might have a software platform in place to help you manage your peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns and events. But as with many technology purchases, sometimes you get busy and the next thing you know, several years have gone by.

You might look up and realize that getting things done just isn’t as easy as it used to be. Or your nonprofit might be growing and evolving, and you can’t seem to get what you need done using your current peer-to-peer software.

So, how do you know when to make the move to a new solution?

Here are three signs that it’s time for new peer-to-peer fundraising software:

1. Peer-to-Peer Participants Aren’t as Happy as They Should Be

Your participants will let you know when they’re finding the online experience for your peer-to-peer campaigns and events difficult to navigate — even if they don’t tell you directly. Here are some things to look for:

• Registration abandonment. Some number of people will start to register for your campaign or event and then get distracted or change their minds. But if you see a high number of people abandoning the registration process, or if that number starts to go up, it might be a sign that you need software that supports an easier and more intuitive participant-facing online experience. 
• Support requests. Similarly, if you find your staff is receiving an increasing number of support requests for your peer-to-peer campaigns and events, it’s a signal that your software might not be as easy for participants to use as it should be.
• Survey responses. After each peer-to-peer event or campaign, it’s a good idea to send participants a survey to capture their feedback. Be sure to ask questions about their online experience. They’ll let you know if the experience is clunky or outdated.
  

2. Staff Productivity Is Decreasing

Another sign that it’s time for new software is that your organization’s peer-to-peer fundraising team doesn’t seem to be working as efficiently as it seems like they should be. They might even be letting you know that they’re having challenges getting things done. For example, you might hear them say that:

• It’s difficult to run reports and get to the information they need when they need it.
• Making changes to the participant-facing design is difficult and/or they aren’t getting the results they expect after making changes.
• It seems to take too long to set up and/or edit a new campaign.
  

There are new things they want or need to do, such as fitness tracking, to support new event strategies, such as virtual run/walk/ride events, that they simply can’t do using your current software.

3. Your Organization’s Strategy Is Evolving (But Your Software Isn’t)

As your organization evolves, it’s not uncommon for technology that once met your needs to no longer work for you. Here are some things to watch for that will tell you that your organization might have outgrown your peer-to-peer fundraising software:

• Your peer-to-peer fundraising platform will not integrate with your donor database/customer relationship management platform, email marketing platform or other key software that your organization is now using or plans to add soon.
• Your organization’s strategy has expanded to include more social media, apps, SMS and other technologies, but your peer-to-peer software does not support or integrate with those technologies.
• Your organization has shifted money or resources toward other software, and you need a more cost-effective solution.

Your organization’s ability to run successful peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns and events depends heavily on the software platform you use to run them. Be sure you have the best technology in place for your nonprofit’s needs so you can work efficiently and deliver the modern online experience your participants expect.