Peer-to-peer fundraising takes the form of short-term campaigns, events and competitions that are organized by your nonprofit donors and volunteers, during which fundraisers engage with a network of their peers. Peer-to-Peer fundraising is an effective form of fundraising. According to DonorDrive's 2015 State of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising report, team captains raise 54 percent more and team members raise 17 percent more than individual participants. This form of fundraising is an excellent method for nonprofit organizations to not only garner donations, but also empower existing donors to become directly involved with the organization's cause, goal and message.

However, nonprofits would be wise to focus on ways to encourage P2P fundraisers to continue donating instead of just participating, as this benefits them on two fronts.

Here are three ways to encourage your organization's P2P fundraisers to donate:

1. Leverage registration fees
Registration fees are a major source of funds for any P2P event, but oftentimes, these fees are eaten up by event costs, leaving little to spare for the actual cause. It's extremely important to make sure fundraisers and participants know what the registration fee will be used for, and how much more money is needed to hit any particular fundraising goal.

2. Encourage social sharing
DonorDrive's 2015 State of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising report also revealed social media is responsible for one third more donations that it was in 2012. One of the key qualities of P2P fundraising is engagement. P2P fundraising allows donors and organizers to engage with a network of their peers through a cause that is important to them and show their communities they are active in charitable giving. Since P2P fundraising is inherently social, the donation process should be, as well. In order to encourage your P2P fundraisers to donate more, make sure that through every step of the organizational, fundraising and donation process, they have an opportunity to share their impact with their social networks. 

3. Keep the digital donation process simple
P2P fundraisers are often consumed with organizational details leading up to, and during, a P2P fundraising event. In order to encourage these participants to donate, it is important to keep the donation process simple. A few ways to optimize your organization's site and make the donation process simpler include:

• Making sure the "donate" button is a clearly visible call-to-action on your organization's mobile landing page
• Partnering with a payment processing company that allows donors to store information and donate quickly and easily
• Simplifying your online donation form

By optimizing your donation and payment processing pages on  your organization's site, you can help ensure P2P fundraisers are more willing to donate during the organizational process.