PHILADELPHIA, PA — America’s top thirty peer-to-peer fundraising programs have registered their second consecutive year of post-pandemic growth, with fundraising revenue increasing by 3.2% in 2023, according to a study by the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum (P2PPF).
Peer-to-peer fundraising enables supporters of nonprofit organizations to participate in activities such as walks, bike rides, or virtual challenges and solicit donations from their network of contacts. The top thirty programs raised $1.1 billion in 2023, with twenty of the thirty largest programs recording growth.
David Hessekiel, President of P2PPF, said, “With mass group activities now a regular aspect of life, the growth of the Top Thirty is returning to pre-pandemic levels.” Collective growth in 2022 was 18%, which followed two years of significant revenue drops due to pandemic-related cancellations of in-person events.
The study, sponsored by Charity Dynamics, offers valuable insights for benchmarking and is available for download on the P2PPF website. Harry Veening, General Manager of Charity Dynamics, said, “Despite a challenging economic climate in 2023, the collective gross fundraising revenue of the Top 30 was up. Peer-to-peer fundraising remains a robust revenue channel for nonprofits, particularly in building local community engagement, which is vital for donor retention.”
Among the key findings, the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk remained the largest peer-to-peer fundraising program in America, raising $106 million, a 2.9% increase. Despite a 2.0% drop, Susan G. Komen’s 3-Day event secured the 30th spot by raising $14.39 million. The Alzheimer’s Associations Walk To End Alzheimer’s showed the most significant dollar increase, growing by nearly $9.4 million to $100.0 million.
The ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospitals St. Jude Heroes program experienced the largest percentage increase, 21.1%, raising $23.3 million. Two programs from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society made the list for the first time, and the Four Diamonds’ Penn State/IFC Panhellenic Dance Marathon returned to the top thirty with a $15 million haul.
Three programs dropped off this year’s list: Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Extra Life, ALS Association’s Walk to Defeat ALS, and AIDS LifeCycle’s AIDS LifeCycle.
“The success of many leading fundraising initiatives in 2023 was anchored in a strategic return to the core values of peer-to-peer fundraising: fostering community engagement and nurturing relationships,” said Marcie Maxwell, managing director of the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum. “At the same time, they embraced innovative marketing strategies and cutting-edge technologies, allowing them to reach new audiences.”
Download a complimentary summary of the top thirty and access the study data set with insights from 94 participating programs.
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