I wrote an article a few years ago about the fear of asking for money. In it, I referenced fundraisers who are afraid to ask for money. But this isn’t entirely true. In most cases, they are afraid to ask a major donor for money face-to-face. An individual with this fear isn’t going to excel with a major gift strategy, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be a passionate advocate and fundraiser for your cause.

A lot of research has been done on personality and fundraising—mostly related to major gift work. And not surprisingly, there are some personality traits that lend themselves to major gift fundraising more than others. Luckily, even though major gifts are probably the most efficient way to raise funds, there are plenty of other strategies that can be implemented for fundraisers who are not suited and skilled in that arena.

First of all, it must be understood that fundraising basically comes down to relationships. And, no matter what strategy you choose, you are going to have to have some sort of relationship with your donors—even if it’s a bad one. However, there are things you can do to mitigate a negative experience for your donors such as timely thank-you’s and regular communications.

Secondly, you need to decide who you want to do the fundraising. In major gift fundraising, direct mail, and many other strategies you (as the fundraiser) are doing the work—the planning and the asking. However, in peer-to-peer, or P2P fundraising, you enlist volunteers (who are likely donors too) to do fundraising on your behalf. The relationship in this instance, is with the person fundraising on your behalf (the participant) instead of directly with the donors.

Many large events such as “Relay For Life,” are based on the model of P2P fundraising. Participants are raising money on behalf of the organization, the local Cancer Society. The Salvation Army Christmas campaign is another example of this model. In this example, the relationship is with the volunteer who is manning the bucket and asking for donations.

These events can be very successful and lucrative and if the concept catches on. If you really want to dig down on this, Katrina VanHuss and Otto Fulton get into the science and balance of challenge and rewards in their book, “Dollar Dash: The Behavioral Economics of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising.”

But there are also other ways to use the P2P model. For instance, a P2P email campaign can be just as effective with the right group of participants. Online social campaigns such as Giving Tuesday can also be very successful with planning and promotions to drive engagement.

So, if you are a passionate fundraiser who has a fear of asking people for money face-to-face, consider what other strategies might be more suited to your personality and comfort level. Maybe you have the skills to inspire others to join your cause and raise funds on your behalf through P2P. But don’t stop at events, which can have a high cost to raise a dollar. Consider how you could be more creative and have a larger reach. No one has replicated the ALS “bucket challenge” yet, but that doesn’t mean your idea couldn’t be the next big thing.

As always, fundraising should entail a few diverse strategies. If there is anything we learned from COVID, it was not to be dependent on any one strategy for the bulk of your revenue. P2P strategies not only widen the reach of your ask but can also give you an army of fundraisers.

Michelle Harder has over 25 years of experience in fundraising and non-profit development as a consultant and as part of an executive team. With a Master of Arts degree in Philanthropy & Development from Saint Mary’s University in Minnesota, Michelle has both theoretical and practical experience in fundraising. With a focus on small shop and faith-based fundraising, Michelle is driven by a passion to help organizations achieve their fundraising and strategic goals. As a consultant, public speaker, and author of “The Definitive Guide to Faith-based Fund Development,” Michelle has the expertise to help you raise the funds you need.