The Power of Staff Participation in Crowdfunding Campaigns.

When nonprofits run a crowdfunding campaign, a large number of them leave out an important revenue resource – their staff. I find myself discussing the pros of this more times than I can remember, but still hit a wall when it comes to putting it into action. Yet, I am a huge advocate for involving staff as active ambassadors in a crowdfunding campaign and believe they are crucial for the campaign's success.

Studies and expert insights emphasize that crowdfunding efforts require full organizational buy-in to build momentum and achieve desired goals. When staff members, who are deeply connected to the cause, actively participate in the campaign, they can significantly enhance its credibility and outreach. Moreover, having staff actively engaged shows that the organization itself is fully committed to the cause, which can inspire confidence in other ambassadors and donors.

The challenge lies in breaking the mental barrier regarding staff participation in crowdfunding or any fundraising event. To potentially change the culture and achieve this, we need to build a strategy to address the buy-in and concerns of our staff. Here is the strategy I recommend:

Groundwork (Pre-ask): Who are the first names that come to mind when I ask you, "Who will be the first to decline, make a negative comment, or not want to participate when you ask your staff to be ambassadors?" Before the staff meeting where you will share your intentions, have a one-on-one conversation with these staff members. Share your plan and ask for their thoughts and concerns without responding or trying to convince them otherwise at this moment. This is about understanding how everyone feels. An answer like "I'm not the fundraiser/not my job" or "I am not participating/asking for money" is not enough. We need to dive deeper into the root of the issue they have with it. Once we understand their true concerns—such as lack of experience, fear of the unknown, commitment issues, lack of support, motivation, etc.—we can plan to address these concerns at the staff meeting.

Tip: Do the same process with staff members who you know will participate. Ask for their insight and use them to boost motivation in the meeting after the ask from the team.

Staff Meeting - Goal of the Meeting: The aim is for them to understand the importance of the ask coming from THEM (the staff)! Here are a few things worth mentioning:

• The essence of peer-to-peer fundraising is that people give to people, not causes! Most of the people being asked by your ambassadors know little to nothing about your organization. They care about YOU, the staff member asking, and they want to help you succeed in your goal. That’s why you are super relevant to the success of this campaign.
• As staff, you often talk about the incredible work your nonprofit does to people outside the nonprofit circle. It is not out of the blue to return to those personal connections and ask them if they would consider making a donation to the cause you truly believe in. In addition, by doing this, you are creating awareness for our cause.
• I do not recommend using phrases like "You all must participate," "You need to commit to…," or "Individual fundraiser goal." Instead, try: "Every small amount can make a difference in our work," "Together we can achieve so much," or "One dollar at a time can end up reaching a million." They need to understand this is a group effort, not a personal goal. It is important to have a goal, but we will reach the amount as a team, whether you raise $500 or $5,000—we all played a part in the success of this campaign.

Crowdfunding is not just about collecting funds; it’s about telling a compelling story, engaging the community, and leveraging all available resources effectively. When everyone in the organization—from leadership to volunteers down to each staff member—is aligned and engaged in the campaign, it creates a unified effort that can lead to a more impactful outcome. In life, our actions have ripple effects we don’t always see, but they are there. My Holocaust-surviving grandfather always said to me: "Ari… If you don’t ask, the answer is always no." In crowdfunding, the people around you do respond, and you will see the ripple effect of your actions right with the first ask.