How Rush to Crush Cancer Achieved Nearly 50% Increase in Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Revenue With haku

The Opportunity

Rush to Crush Cancer is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit that brings its community together to support innovative cancer research at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. Its signature May event, the PNC presents Rush to Crush Cancer Ride Weekend, includes cycling routes and a walk for cancer survivors. The organization also hosts Bespoke Bash, a spring gala and auction, and is expanding its portfolio with year-round community engagement events.

As Rush to Crush Cancer worked to increase the impact of its cycling event, it needed to grow both the number of people fundraising and the amount each participant could raise.

That required more than attracting additional registrations. Peer-to-peer fundraising is deeply personal. Participants need the tools to share why the cause matters to them, engage their networks, monitor their progress, and feel supported when they need help.

Rush to Crush Cancer also needed to understand the broader relationship behind each fundraiser. A participant might attend Bespoke Bash, make donations, purchase merchandise, volunteer, lead a corporate team, or return to the cycling event year after year. Understanding that history would allow the team to provide more relevant support and create meaningful opportunities for continued involvement.

The challenge was finding a way for a small team to deliver that level of personal stewardship as its fundraising community grew.

Where haku Made the Difference

haku helped Rush to Crush Cancer turn supporter knowledge into more effective fundraising stewardship.

The team gained the context to understand who each fundraiser was, how they had previously engaged, what they were working toward, and where they might need support. Staff could use that insight to respond more personally, guide fundraisers more effectively, and build on relationships established through previous events and interactions.

This allowed Rush to Crush Cancer to preserve a human fundraising experience while reaching a larger community.

As Katie Gerdenich, Senior Manager of Operations and Community Engagement, explained:

“haku has allowed us to create a full picture of our participants, be able to create a personal connection with them, know them by name, know their history with our event. When they call, when they email, they need help, we know who they are and how we can best assist them.”

haku’s role was not simply to bring information together. It was to help Rush to Crush Cancer use that information to strengthen fundraiser relationships, reduce participation friction, and drive stronger outcomes.

Helping More Fundraisers Reach Their Potential

Peer-to-peer fundraising is central to the PNC presents Rush to Crush Cancer Ride Weekend. Many participants commit to fundraising requirements, making their experience a direct contributor to the event’s performance.

haku gives participants the ability to personalize their fundraising pages, share their stories, engage their networks, and track their progress. At the same time, Rush to Crush Cancer can understand how fundraisers are performing and provide support based on their individual needs.

The organization also trains team captains and corporate teams to use the platform. This empowers leaders to support their own communities, keep larger groups engaged, and help more participants move toward their goals.

When someone reaches out for assistance, the Rush to Crush Cancer team does not have to begin without context. Staff can understand the person’s history and provide guidance that reflects their relationship with the organization.

That combination of fundraiser ownership and personal organizational support helped Rush to Crush Cancer achieve significant growth. From 2025 to 2026, the cycling event attracted 26.6% more fundraisers while peer-to-peer revenue increased by almost 50%.

Extending Supporter Relationships Beyond the Ride

Rush to Crush Cancer’s cycling event is the centerpiece of its peer-to-peer fundraising program, but it is not the only way people support the mission.

Bespoke Bash engages the community through a ticketed gala and auction. Donations, merchandise, volunteer opportunities, corporate teams, and emerging events give people additional ways to participate throughout the year.

Rather than treating these experiences as unrelated programs, Rush to Crush Cancer can understand how someone’s involvement develops over time.

A gala guest might become a donor or rider. A cycling fundraiser might attend Bespoke Bash, bid in the auction, or invite colleagues to form a team. A volunteer might eventually become a fundraiser or captain.

This insight helps the team identify relevant opportunities for continued involvement without treating every supporter the same. It also allows Rush to Crush Cancer to build a broader fundraising community around its mission rather than repeatedly starting from the beginning with each event.

Making Personal Stewardship More Scalable

Rush to Crush Cancer’s small team manages event strategy, fundraising, marketing, participant education, community engagement, and supporter relationships.

As participation grew, the team needed to expand its impact without allowing administrative work to consume the time required for fundraiser support.

haku automated matching campaign workflows that previously required hours of manual input. This reduced repetitive work and the risk of errors while freeing the team to focus on participants, fundraisers, and community relationships.

The organization could spend less time maintaining processes and more time helping people succeed.

This balance is essential to Rush to Crush Cancer’s growth. Technology creates efficiency, but that efficiency is valuable because it gives the team more capacity for the personal stewardship that drives fundraising performance.

A Partner Invested in Their Growth

As Rush to Crush Cancer expands its programs, it needs a technology partner that can support new ideas, respond to emerging challenges, and evolve with the organization.

The organization describes the haku team as responsive, receptive to feedback, and committed to helping find solutions.

Katie summarized the relationship:

“If you’re looking for a platform that really works with you as a partner regardless of the size of your event, it’s really a no-brainer.”

That partnership gives Rush to Crush Cancer confidence that it can continue growing its fundraising community without losing the experience that makes people want to participate.

The Results

Rush to Crush Cancer achieved:

• 48% year-over-year growth in peer-to-peer fundraising revenue
• 26% year-over-year increase in BeSpoke Bash ticket sales
• 26% increase in cycling event participants who fundraised
• 16% year-over-year growth in total revenue
• Matching campaigns automated, eliminating hours of manual work
• Greater visibility into each fundraiser’s history, progress, and broader involvement

These results show what can happen when a nonprofit combines effective fundraising tools with a deeper understanding of the people using them.

Rush to Crush Cancer increased the number of people fundraising while more than doubling the revenue generated by its cycling event. At the same time, it expanded participation in Bespoke Bash and created more opportunities for supporters to stay involved throughout the year.

More importantly, the organization achieved that growth without replacing personal relationships with impersonal processes.

As Katie explained:

“It’s using all of those features, having it in one place to quickly create that human experience. And I think that’s what’s allowed us to see growth across the events.”

Scaling Fundraising Without Losing the Human Experience

Growing a peer-to-peer program requires more than recruiting additional participants. Organizations must give fundraisers the tools to succeed, understand when they need support, and build relationships that encourage them to return.

Rush to Crush Cancer shows how personalized stewardship can remain a growth strategy even as participation increases.

With haku, the organization can:

• Give fundraisers greater ownership of their experience
• Provide support informed by each participant’s history and progress
• Equip captains and corporate teams to lead their communities
• Reduce the administrative work behind fundraising campaigns
• Create relevant opportunities for continued involvement
• Turn stronger fundraiser relationships into measurable revenue growth

The result is not simply a more connected operation. It is a fundraising community that is growing in size, impact, and commitment to the mission.