As a proud sponsor of the 2025 P2P Forum in Atlanta, Hustle had the opportunity to engage with industry leaders, nonprofit innovators, and fundraising strategists on the evolving landscape of peer-to-peer (P2P) giving. This year, a few common themes resonated throughout the discussions: simplicity, authenticity, diverse engagement strategies (including SMS), and segmentation.
The state of peer-to-peer fundraising: growth and challenges
According to the 2024 P2P Top 30 & Benchmark Report (Streetlight Digital, P2PPF):
✅ $1.14 billion raised in 2024 by the top 30 U.S. programs, reflecting a 3% increase
✅ Participation growth at 3.5%, lower than previous years
✅ The top 30 Canadian programs raised $194 million, growing 3.9%
✅ Only 11 of the top 30 U.S. programs grew faster than inflation
✅ The P2P sector is more crowded than ever, with 1.8M nonprofits in the U.S., up from 1.48M in 2006
This data underscores the need for back-to-basics strategies — ensuring that fundraisers remain accessible, authentic, and effective.
Insights from industry leaders: Pan-Mass Challenge & Wounded Warrior Project
A highlight of the forum was hearing directly from top-performing organizations, including Pan-Mass Challenge and Wounded Warrior Project, who shared how they continue to drive engagement and fundraising success:
- Pan-Mass Challenge, one of the highest-grossing P2P programs, emphasized the importance of authentic storytelling and community-driven participation to sustain donor loyalty.
- Wounded Warrior Project showcased how multi-channel engagement, including SMS and social outreach, has played a crucial role in maintaining engagement both with donors and participants.
Both organizations reinforced that simplifying the fundraising experience, leveraging segmented communication, and staying true to mission-driven messaging are key differentiators in an increasingly competitive landscape.
The power of text messaging: direct, personal, and effective
One of the clearest takeaways from this year’s forum was the undeniable impact of text messaging (SMS/MMS) as a P2P engagement tool:
- Programs using SMS had higher fundraising activation rates (66% vs. 58%) (P2P Top 30 & Benchmark Report).
- Those programs also saw a 27% higher average fundraising per participant ($1,885 vs. $1,528).
- Organizations that paired SMS with email, social ads, search, and direct mail saw 20.4% participation growth—one of the highest engagement boosts among multi-channel approaches.
For nonprofits, these numbers make a compelling case: text messaging is no longer an optional add-on—it’s an essential channel for donor and volunteer engagement.
Segmentation: the key to meaningful engagement
Beyond broad outreach, segmentation was another major focus at P2P 2025. Points of Light’s session on volunteer engagement (Strengthening Your Volunteer Program) highlighted the importance of tailoring strategies to different demographics:
- Gen Z (13-28 years old): Prioritizes fast, flexible, and career-aligned volunteering.
- Millennials (29-44 years old): Prefer micro-volunteering and family-friendly opportunities.
- Gen X (45-60 years old): Seeks hands-on, results-driven opportunities.
- Baby Boomers (61-79 years old): Value structured, long-term commitments.
The same principles apply to outreach for P2P fundraising. By leveraging text messaging for targeted outreach, organizations can:
✅ Personalize messaging based on past engagement.
✅ Tailor content to donor preferences.
✅ Create segmented campaigns that drive action.
What’s next for P2P fundraising?
To maximize impact in an increasingly competitive space, organizations should:
1️⃣ Prioritize simplicity—make it easy for supporters to engage and give.
2️⃣ Emphasize authenticity—build trust through transparent, meaningful storytelling.
3️⃣ Diversify engagement strategies—integrate text messaging with email, social, and direct outreach.
4️⃣ Leverage segmentation—use data to target and personalize communication.
As this year’s forum showed, the future of P2P fundraising isn’t about complexity — it’s about refining what works.
Text messaging stands out as a proven, high-impact tool, making donor engagement more personal, direct, and effective. For nonprofits ready to optimize their approach, leaning into segmentation, authenticity, and multi-channel strategies — including text — is the key to sustainable growth.
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