What is Performance-Based Fundraising?

Performance-based fundraising is a type of peer-to-peer fundraising that empowers anyone to raise money through their performances. Supporters can pledge a donation for every mile, repeat, minute, point, or any stat you’d like! The event can last for a single day or span an entire month. After results are finalized, pledges automatically turn into donations that directly benefit the fundraising campaign’s cause.

Performance-based fundraising allows individuals to use their performance to earn donations by simply being active!

The main difference between a performance-based campaign and a traditional flat-donation campaign are:

-Instead of donors making a gift of a set dollar amount, donors make a commitment (pledge) to give a specific amount based on the participant’s performance. For example, instead of donating $50, a donor pledges to give $5 per mile run by the participant. When the participant logs his or her mileage, the donor is charged for his/her gift.

-To generate excitement and investment, performance-based campaigns are typically for a set amount of time. We recommend a month-long campaign.

Why are Performance-Events Compelling?

Performance-events not only raise more money per fundraiser, but they also allow for a deeper connection and sense of community than typical peer to peer fundraisers.

First, the fundraiser is investing their time and energy into the performance. This means that they are more likely to ask others for support. In fact, Pledge It fundraisers share their campaign and ask others to donate 20-30% more than during typical peer-to-peer campaigns! Additionally, donors become more interested in the outcome of the campaign and the success of the individual they donated to. This results in the average donor giving 10-15% more than they would to a non-performance based campaign. Lastly, the culmination of all of this means that a fundraiser is more likely to participate in the event again.

How to get Started:

Creating your performance-based campaign is easy! The first step is to determine what type of performance would be best for your fundraisers. Whether it be biking, dancing, bird watching, lifting weights, or something broader like a mileage challenge where individuals can do any type of activity. It’s completely up to you, the possibilities are endless! You can take a look at our list of Performance-Based Fundraising Ideas here! If you already have an event in mind, simply connect with one of our experts below who can help walk you through easily adding the performance-based element to your event!