How to run a referral contest for your campaign

A referral contest is a great way to empower your supporters to help raise awareness about your campaign. It's also proven to increase donations to your cause. A personal appeal from a friend is one of the top reasons donors choose to give to nonprofits. We encourage nonprofits fundraising on HandUp to leverage this free referral tool for a greater impact. One way to do this is through a donor referral contest which is another great engagement strategy for the mid-way point of your campaign which can sometimes lull with activity.

First, choose what type of "prize" you can give to your referral contest winner. Don't worry about high-ticket items, get creative. It could be a t-shirt or coffee with your Executive Director. It's also a great way to engage local businesses who might be able to donate a gift card. 

Next, choose how long the contest will be. A week is a good amount of time to drive engagement but wrap it up before the campaign ends. Then you can promote the winner to your supporters, and maybe even do a second contest.

Now, promote the contest to your current donors and community! Use the HandUp email tool to send a message to all donors. Create an update to pin at the top of your campaign. Share on social channels. Anyone can share their referral link to drive donations to your campaign, whether they've donated or not, so people who might be unable to give at this time can still support.

After the contest is over, find the top referrer in your campaign dashboard under 'Supporters'. Let them know they've won and get their social handles so you can publicly recognize the awesome job they did raising awareness to your campaign!