Team PBI-USA Fundraising Toolkit

If you are looking to donate to our campaign, click the Donate button in the upper right corner of the campaign page.
You do not need to join the campaign to donate!

WELCOME TO TEAM PBI-USA!

Thank you for dedicating a few days this year to fundraising for Peace Brigades International - USA. The funds you raise will make a big impact in helping to keep threatened human rights defenders safe and more specifically for 2024, funds raised will help cover the cost of our upcoming National Gathering to be held in Washington, DC. Details to be shared soon.

For our 3-Day Flash Fundraiser, we use the Givebutter platform. Team member fundraising on Givebutter is what’s often referred to as “peer-to-peer fundraising” by folks in the nonprofit industry. Team members receive credit for donations by sharing your custom link, and any donations made will automatically be credited to you. Without using the link, donors still also have the option to assign a donation to a specific team member, to ensure credit goes to the correct party. See more below.

We truly appreciate you being a part of Team PBI-USA! Let’s gather our collective energy and raise some much needed funds for the work of PBI! Together we can be a part of the solution to a more just and peaceful world.

Becoming a Fundraiser

First step to becoming a fundraiser with Team PBI-USA is creating your fundraising page. Click on the link below to create a login, set your goal, and share your personal story. You can also join the fundraising campaign by clicking on the fundraise button on the campaign page. Once your page is personalized, you are all set to start fundraising!

http://givebutter.com/pbiusaflash/join

Note: If you’d prefer to use a Network for Good, PayPal, Cashapp, Venmo, or other donation platform for your fundraiser, we’d be happy to help set that up and have the funds raised count towards our flash fundraiser!

Creating a Member Profile

Once you click the link above to join our campaign (or the Fundraise button), you'll be asked to create a Givebutter login. If you already have one, click Sign in at the bottom of the pop-up window instead of entering new information.

Givebutterlogingraphic

Fundraising Tips

Thank you for fundraising for PBI-USA! Your efforts make a difference to our organization. We hope the tips shared below will help you succeed.

Personalizing your Page

Edit your page to add photos and videos to bring interest to your profile and story. Personalizing your page is the best way to motivate people you know to support your efforts.

  • Set a High Goal. If you set your goal at the minimum amount needed, donors are likely going to stop donating to your page once you hit that goal. Set an aggressive goal and you are not only more likely to meet your fundraising minimum but you could go above and beyond!
  • Start Small and Build. Ask a few close friends to donate before you invite your broader network to support your efforts. Those few initial gifts will help people feel that they are joining a successful campaign.
  • Activate your Network. Use the tools available on your campaign page to contact your network and ask for donations. Social media, email, texts, and phone calls are great ways to engage people you know. Use the tips provided below to guide your strategy.

Finding Donors

  • Self-Donations. Consider donating to your page to get things started, even if it’s small it will show you believe in your own efforts!
  • Draft Potential Donor List. Think of people that you can count on for their support – friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. 
  • Segment your Donors. For best results contact your potential donors in the way that is best for them. While sending a group email might be the easiest method for you, a personal email or phone call to key contacts might be best for them. Lay out your approach and group your contacts by the best form of contact. Start with friends and family, co-workers, and fellow volunteers.

Reaching Out

  • Ask, then Follow Up. People want to support you, but everyone is busy and forgets. Follow up with your supporters, send updates to help remind them of your efforts and personalize your requests.
  • Turn-it-Around Fundraising. Remember those people that have asked you to buy products they sell, purchase cookies from their kids, support school events and donate to their charitable fundraisers? Now is the time to turn around and ask them to support YOUR efforts!
  • Update Often. Don’t just send out asks, send out updates on your progress as well. Let your donors know when you’ve reach certain milestones, or if there has been an exciting update from Peace Brigades or the human rights defenders we accompany. Consider making posts on the campaign page as well, finding unique ways to show your progress and appreciation of donors.

Thank Them. Be sure to personally thank your supporters, either by email, phone, eCards or in person. They want to know you appreciate them. Be sure to include an update on the campaign’s progress.

Methods for Success

Use Stories.

Tell your audience your PBI story. Why did you choose to fundraise for PBI? If you don’t have a PBI story, share a social media post from a PBI project. A compelling story is always more likely to draw in donors.

Make it Personal.

You want to email as many donors as possible, but you also don’t want to sound like you are sending a mass email. When emailing important donors, take the time to send individual personal asks.

Be Sure to BCC.

To prevent sending an email to 100 people and revealing everyone's contact information, instead, send the email to yourself and BCC everyone else to protect their privacy.

The more personal, the better!

Naturally, personal phone calls, texts, and emails will be more effective than group emails and social posts. Donors want to hear directly from you!

Schedule It.

Fundraising may be top of mind at first, but it’s easy for that to wear off, don’t let the fundraising deadline creep up on you. Add the fundraiser to your calendar with suggested posts for each day to keep yourself on track.

Use Analytics.

Keep track of your likes and responses to understand which efforts you make are performing the strongest, and double down where you’re seeing the most success. For example, did sharing a personal story resonate, or was a direct appeal for support more effective?

Get Noticed! A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words. 

Always share the link with a photo of yourself or the cause. Your post can easily get lost without an image. See below for PBI photos you can use!

Sample Fundraising Plan

Raising $1,000 can cover the costs associated with a human rights defender’s visit to Washington, DC for advocacy meetings, including travel, lodging, and food. Here is a plan of how you can raise $1000 through your network and enable a defender’s visit to the U.S.

  • Make a self-donation of $50
  • Ask your partner or roommate to match your donation of $50
  • Ask your bestie or mentor or boss for $50
  • Reach out to 10 close family members or friends for $40 each
  • Ask 5 co-workers, classmates, movement buddies or retirement buddies for $20 each
  • Post a message on social media with a link to your page to raise another $200, tagging individuals who haven’t given but are potential donors
  • Send personal emails to your extended family and/or extended professional network to raise $150

Create Urgency.

With each post, create a greater sense of urgency, tell your audience you really need their help to hit your fundraising goal or to support peace building work. Explain why they should donate now rather than later.

Offline Donations

An offline donation includes any funds not coming in through your online fundraising campaign, commonly cash or check. If you receive a cash or check donation, please use the

when mailing it in so we know which donor to credit the funds to. Please DO NOT mail cash. If you receive cash, keep the cash and either submit a donation online to your campaign page in the donor's name, or mail us a personal check for the same amount.

Checks can be made out to the PBI-USA and mailed to:

PBI-USA
P.O. Box 75880
Washington, DC 20013

How can I get a copy of a donation receipt?

Contact us to request a donation receipt. We will need the name on the card or check used to process the donation and the date of the donation.

Photo Library

A picture really is worth a thousand words. Use this library to find compelling Peace Brigades photos to include in your social media posts and emails. If you need a photo of something more specific, reach out to Amelia @ PBI-USA by phone (202-232-0142) or by email (amelia@pbiusa.org).