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Community
P2P Fundraising
MC Nonprofit Committee webinar explores ‘the power of empowering’
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Nonprofits can have a great impact on a community by providing aid and supporting causes that benefit the area it serves. One important aspect of nonprofits that allow them to complete their objectives is fundraising, where these nonprofits call upon donors and other companies to help promote and support their causes.
Fundraising gives nonprofits the resources to make an impact and truly give back to the community. At the MC’s Nonprofit Committee Webinar in April, keynote speaker Jeff Key, Principal Consultant of Nfinity Enterprises, went into detail about how to efficiently conduct peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising, while including all kinds of ideas on how companies can best use this method to their advantage.
Key started off by describing P2P fundraising as supplying donors with the background and tools that directly empowers donors to help a certain cause. This is a more personable method that can call for fewer individuals to connect with donors in a way that makes them more invested in the cause and ready to provide funds or service when needed.
Some notable points to strengthen one’s peer-to-peer fundraising include engaging with one’s volunteers to make them more excited about the cause, to be active on social media and interacting with donors and to have a clear goal that the company is working towards in order to more efficiently plan out their execution.
According to Key, nonprofits should keep in mind the company’s strengths and the amount it is overseeing so that the organization can best strategize methods of personable fundraising and keep the close bond between donors and the organization.
To start out, nonprofits can plan out trials and put into motion different fundraising methods such as direct giving platforms, like GoFundMe pages. Others may allow donors to host their own events that rally for the cause.
Important pieces of information to note throughout the trial phase is who the core donors are and what methods are most effective in creating a powerful message that will put donors to action. Key emphasized that it is acceptable to start off small because having a group of fervent supporters to one’s nonprofit can be just as helpful in raising the necessary funds.
About Jeff Key
Jeff Key is the founder and principal consultant of Nfinity Enterprises. He has fifteen years of experience working in multiple sectors, specializing in providing operations and technology support to small and midsized nonprofit organizations and businesses. His experience also includes extensive coaching, mentoring and leadership development training for nonprofit professionals.
Outside of his work with operations and technology, his work in the nonprofit sector includes developing partnerships, resources and consulting with organizations on IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access), organizational learning, professional development, succession planning, board engagement and governance.
The goal of the MC Nonprofit Committee is to encourage and support area nonprofits by providing resources, guidance and visibility to better connect them with the business community. The committee is comprised of nonprofit professionals representing the nonprofit members of the MC Chamber. The group meets monthly and offers educational programming throughout the year.
Co-Chairs: Denise Morelli, Comprehensive Behavioral Healthcare: dmorelli@cbhcare.com, (201) 935-3322; Jeffrey Ware, District 6 Little League: district6da@njd6ll.org, (201) 916-8496
Celebrated in April each year, National Donate Life Month features local, regional and national activities that encourage Americans to register as organ and tissue donors and to celebrate those who have saved lives through the gift of donation.
Local residents show support for organ and tissue donation and celebrate those who have saved lives
On April 1, Emma Rothman of Cranford helped NJ Sharing Network kick-off National Donate Life Month by celebrating the 10th anniversary of her life-saving heart transplant. She is also just weeks away from graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in Food Studies.
Like most college graduates, Emma has mixed emotions about taking the next step in her life’s journey. She also remains humble and always thankful for her donor who gave her the gift of life and made her achievements possible.
“I am definitely a bit terrified, but I am excited about the variety of opportunities that lie ahead,” said Emma. “Everything after my heart transplant was working towards moments like this. It motivates me to appreciate the day to day – being able to travel, go away to school, and have life experiences without my health dictating what I can and cannot do is a blessing. I owe all of this to my organ donor’s act of extraordinary humanity, and I am proud to help NJ Sharing Network encourage others to register to be organ and tissue donors.”
Joe Roth, president and CEO of NJ Sharing Network, appreciates Emma’s support and the efforts of its thousands of local volunteers and healthcare partners. “Donate Life Month has always been a time to rally around the importance of organ and tissue donation, which we have traditionally done through community events and activities,” said Roth. “Although we will not be able to do in-person activities this year, our team of dedicated staff and volunteers are driven to spread our life-saving message using our online platforms.”
Raising awareness
Lakisha Bray of Plainfield is an incredibly strong and resilient woman who is using Donate Life Month as a time to help raise awareness about the importance of organ donation. Lakisha’s daughter, Talea, was born with cerebral palsy and passed away just before her 21st birthday, but she was able to save three lives with her donations. Just six months later, Lakisha’s sister Tabitha died while waiting for an intestinal transplant.
“I was touched on both sides - I was able to give the gift of life and had a family member not be able to receive the gift life,” said Lakisha. “I became an advocate for organ donation to honor both of their memories.”
Michael and Lucy Patriarca of Point Pleasant Beach have been advocating for organ and tissue donation since the tragic passing of their son Alexander. Michael and Lucy hoped to one day meet the recipients of their son’s gifts. With the assistance of NJ Sharing Network, the Patriarca family united with two of the four individuals whose lives Alex saved. In December 2019, they met with his heart and kidney recipient, Bill Hoffman. Surrounded by family and friends, they greeted one another with hugs and tears, exchanged small gifts, and took turns listening to Alex’s heart beat in Bill’s chest. Two months later, they united with Alex’s lung recipient Ed Walsh, and his wife, Tammy. The day Alex died was the Walsh’s son’s birthday, and Ed’s restored health was the best gift the young man could ever receive.
“Out of our tragedy those families had a triumph,” said Michael. “I think it’s important that we connected with them and understand their stories.”
In New Jersey, there are nearly 4,000 residents currently waiting for a life-saving transplant, and one person in New Jersey dies every three days waiting for a transplant. Just one organ and tissue donor can save 8 lives and enhance the lives of over 75 people. Transplantable organs include heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and intestine. Transplantable tissue includes corneas, heart valves, skin grafts and bone grafts, ligament and tendons.
NJ Sharing Network is the federally designated non-profit organization responsible for recovering organs and tissue for the nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents currently waiting for a life-saving transplant. With headquarters in New Providence, NJ, the organization is part of the national recovery system, serving the 110,000 people on the national waiting list. NJ Sharing Network was selected by NJBiz as one of the state’s “Best Places to Work” for the third consecutive year. To learn more, get involved and register as an organ and tissue donor, visit www.NJSharingNetwork.org.
