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Selecting Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software: Design and Branding Capabilities to Consider

When selecting peer-to-peer fundraising software for your nonprofit, an important area to consider is the software’s design/branding capabilities. Your software should allow you to design and brand the online elements of your peer-to-peer campaign or event in a way that’s consistent with your organization’s mission and the branding of the campaign itself.

Here are some capabilities to consider as you research options for peer-to-peer fundraising software for your organization:

  • Logo — What do site visitors see first when they get to your campaign’s microsite: your logo or the platform’s logo? Your campaign isn’t intended to further the platform’s name recognition, but rather your campaign and the mission it supports. So, it’s important that you are able to “white label” your microsite or, in other words, use your own logo on your site, versus the vendor’s logo. Vendor-branded sites also often advertise their other clients’ sites within the same environment. This is an important consideration because your constituents may get distracted with navigation or ads by other campaigns run by other organizations or corporations.
  • Custom coding — Does the platform allow more advanced administrators to take further control and customize the environment via code such as CSS, HTML, JavaScript, etc.? This is especially important if you want flexibility to create your own designs and you have the staff capabilities to dig in and tailor web pages and forms to meet your organization’s specific needs.
  • Vendor-editable design — Does the vendor (and/or their certified/approved partners) offer custom design services? This is an important consideration if you want the option to customize web pages and forms, but do not have the staff capability or time to do it in-house.
  • Domain — Does the product have product-specific (e.g., http://npo.theircom) website domains, or nonprofit-specific website domains (e.g., http://support.yournonprofit.org)? The latter allows you to brand your event or campaign in the website address.

Finding peer-to-peer fundraising software that’s right for your nonprofit’s staff and budget can seem challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. Just be sure to understand your organization’s specific requirements, request software demos, and ask questions before making a purchase.

For more tips and insights on capabilities to look for when selecting peer-to-peer fundraising software, read The Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Technology Landscape, an introductory guide for nonprofits.


Jon Reich has provided nonprofit organizations with technical services and expertise for more than 15 years. He also has a wide range of media experience from his previous work for interactive gaming, motion graphics, and 3D animation studios.

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One comment

  • One option not mentioned in your guide (which is excellent by the way) is Charitable (https://www.wpcharitable.com), which is a WordPress-based fundraising solution with support for peer to peer fundraising. (Disclaimer: I’m the lead developer)

    The beauty of using it is that you have full control over the design of your peer to peer fundraising site. You can change the logo, pick any WordPress theme (or design your own), and you can customize the functionality with code. It’s also considerably cheaper than other peer to peer fundraising solutions. 🙂

    Cheers,
    Eric

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