The P2P Soapbox

The next great campaign idea may not come from watching what other organizations are doing. It may come from paying closer attention to the people who already support your mission. In this episode, Marcie Maxwell talks with Laura Rusche, Strategic Fundraising Priorities Manager at DAV (Disabled American Veterans). Laura shares the story behind Field of Flags, a program that began outside of peer-t...

As organizations look to engage the next generation of fundraisers, many are asking the same question: what actually motivates Gen Z, and especially young men, to show up and take action? In this episode, Marcie Maxwell sits down with Shaw Guidi, Director of Chapter Engagement at The Ability Experience, the philanthropy of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. Shaw brings a firsthand perspective from working w...

Social challenges surged during COVID, creating a powerful wave of participation and connection. Now, as the landscape matures, many organizations are asking where these P2P campaigns truly fit and how to evolve them with intention. In this episode, Marcie Maxwell sits down with Gareth Mulcahy, Head of Proposition at Cancer Research UK. Gareth brings a candid perspective on why social challenges s...

Peer-to-peer fundraising continues to hold a meaningful place in many organizations. But as revenue strategies diversify and new channels emerge, it’s facing fresh scrutiny, often from leaders who haven’t grown up in the P2P space. That shift is prompting important questions about where it fits and how its value is defined. In this episode, Marcie Maxwell sits down with Kathe Goller, Senior Direct...

What happens when you rethink everything about your signature event all at once? From branding and location to timing, Curebound took a leap that could have reshaped everything or strengthened it. In this episode, Marcie Maxwell sits down with Liz DiGeronimo, Director of Community Fundraising, and Erik Gordon, Director of Marketing at Curebound. Together, they unpack what it really takes to guide...

For many families, a peer-to-peer event is more than a fundraiser, it’s their first step into a community that understands and supports them. When organizations show up with care in those early moments, they create a foundation for trust, connection, and long-term engagement. In this episode, Marcie Maxwell talks with Christie Godowski, Vice President of Community Engagement at Autism Speaks. Chri...

In a world where inboxes are overflowing and attention is limited, email isn’t dead, it just needs a new approach. The organizations seeing results today aren’t sending more, they’re sending smarter. By focusing on relevance, timing, and human connection, email can still be one of the most powerful tools in your engagement strategy. In this episode, Marcie Maxwell sits down with Charlotte Conmy, A...

Endurance fundraising is about more than race entries and revenue goals. At its best, it’s a relationship-driven experience that connects people to purpose in lasting ways. When organizations move beyond transactional touchpoints and invest in the full journey, fundraisers don’t just participate, they stay, grow and advocate. In this episode, Marcie Maxwell talks with Kelly Lamb, Director of Devel...

Many fundraising teams are stretched thin, yet the work keeps expanding. Instead of pushing harder, some organizations are stepping back and reimagining what healthy capacity really looks like. When leaders center people, clarity and collaboration, teams gain the space they need to grow with purpose. In this episode, Marcie Maxwell talks with Diana Perrault, Director of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising at...

Recognition is no longer just about t-shirts or medals - it’s about meaning. Thoughtful, mission-driven recognition strategies can deepen fundraisers’ emotional connection and inspire long-term loyalty. In this episode, Marcie Maxwell talks with Meredith Perkins, Director of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Meredith shares how her team has evolved reco...

Many large nonprofits struggle with the tension between standardization and localization in their fundraising programs. When national organizations move toward centralized models, they risk losing the authentic community relationships that make peer-to-peer events successful. Yet operating entirely through local structures can create inefficiencies and inconsistent donor experiences. In this episo...

Managing volunteer leadership presents unique challenges, especially when your entire executive team changes annually. The most successful campaigns don't just recruit great volunteers—they systematically develop them into unified, mission-driven teams that can execute at the highest level despite constant turnover. In this episode, Marcie Maxwell talks with Suzanne Graney, Executive Director of F...

While many healthcare organizations treat major gifts and peer-to-peer as separate fundraising channels, some forward-thinking institutions are discovering the power of integration. When these strategies work in harmony rather than competition, both programs can amplify each other's success and create deeper donor relationships. In this episode, Marcie Maxwell talks with Jamie Lamont, Vice Preside...

When life-saving treatments transform a terminal diagnosis into a chronic condition, everything changes — including how communities fundraise. The peer-to-peer landscape isn't just evolving with technology and trends; it's being reshaped by the very success of the causes we support. In this episode, Marcie Maxwell talks with Robin Paterson, Senior Director of Special Events and Peer-to-Peer Campai...

Leading a P2P campaign means managing multiple moving pieces—fundraisers with different experience levels, corporate partners with varying expectations and internal staff with diverse skill sets. But the most successful leaders know that underneath all this complexity lies a simple truth: understanding what drives each person is the key to keeping everyone aligned. In this episode, Marcie Maxwell...

Crisis fundraising operates on a different timeline than traditional campaigns. When disaster hits, organizations have a critical 24-hour window to mobilize resources and activate their networks. But what separates organizations that thrive in crisis from those that scramble? The difference lies in preparation—having systems, messages, and community relationships ready before the emergency unfolds...

There's a fundamental difference between inheriting a well-oiled P2P machine and building one from scratch. When you're tasked with creating systems, culture and infrastructure that need to scale alongside explosive organizational growth, you're not just managing programs - you're architecting the future. But here's what most people don't realize: the "builder’s mindset" isn't just about launching...

In P2P fundraising, there can often be a disconnect between the excitement marketing generates and the direct recruitment strategies implemented by local field teams. The result? Frustrated participants, overwhelmed staff and missed opportunities to achieve participation goals and build lasting relationships with supporters. But what if marketing and recruitment worked hand-in-hand instead of in s...

Marketers love to throw around terms like “share of voice” and “share of wallet” - ways to track how much attention or spending a brand commands. But in peer-to-peer fundraising, there’s a different kind of share that matters more. Growing your “share of community” is about going deeper with the people closest to your cause - the ones who feel seen, included and inspired to take part. It’s not abo...

Celebrity gossip magazines love to remind us: "Stars — they’re just like us!" And while the world of digital creators and streamers can feel like a distant universe, the truth is that these online personalities aren’t so different from the rest of us. As P2P fundraising increasingly intersects with the creator community, it’s easy to view streamers and influencers as fundamentally different from t...

In the early days of peer-to-peer fundraising events, one of the fastest ways to grow a program was to launch events in new markets. But many organizations scaled back over time, whether due to strategic shifts or limited resources. So what happens when it’s time to grow again? How do you evaluate new opportunities and ensure long-term success? Expanding into a new market involves much more than a...

In the P2P fundraising world, we often look to the spark of organic, supporter-led moments like the Ice Bucket Challenge as examples of what’s possible when passion meets purpose. But when lightning strikes, are you ready to catch it? This episode dives into one such moment: when four friends, Pat Morissey, Brendan Cusick, Peter Durso, and Scott Forman, decided to row 2,800 miles across the Pacifi...

In the early days of the P2P industry, most nonprofits concentrated on one tentpole P2P event—typically a walk or cycling program—which allowed them to align staffing, branding, and resources around a single, large-scale initiative, focusing on broad market appeal. However, as the industry has evolved, so too has the need to diversify offerings—both to engage new audiences and to meet the changing...

Peer-to-peer fundraising inherently involves a degree of vulnerability—sharing your personal story and hoping others will respond with support and donations. But what happens when the story is difficult to tell? When the cause itself is stigmatized? Or when you’re unsure how your loved ones will react? This week on the P2P Soapbox, Shannon Greene, representing Shatterproof, joins us to explore the...

The seasoned event fundraising professional knows that in-person events often bring unexpected challenges—whether it’s extreme weather, political unrest or medical emergencies. While these worst-case scenarios can take many forms, the key to navigating them successfully lies in two essential elements: a strong external communication plan and an internal strategy to support your team during what ca...