The next great campaign idea may not come from watching what other organizations are doing. It may come from paying closer attention to the people who already support your mission.

In this episode, Marcie Maxwell talks with Laura Rusche, Strategic Fundraising Priorities Manager at DAV (Disabled American Veterans). Laura shares the story behind Field of Flags, a program that began outside of peer-to-peer fundraising and grew into a powerful community-driven campaign that continues to expand its reach and impact.

Laura discusses how DAV identified the early signs of potential within the program, what it took to transform an organic idea into a scalable fundraising initiative and why understanding supporter motivations became the foundation for its growth. She also explores the importance of cross-functional collaboration, internal alignment and staying connected to the community when evaluating future campaign opportunities.

Together, we'll explore:

• ​Identifying untapped campaign opportunities by listening to supporters and recognizing organic momentum
• Scaling a grassroots fundraising concept into a sustainable DIY program across diverse communities
• Building internal buy-in and long-term vision to support program growth and innovation

​Mentioned Links

• Disabled American Veterans
• Field of Flags

Stay Connected on LinkedIn

• Connect with Laura
• Connect with Marcie
• Connect with the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum

• (00:00) - Welcome to The P2P Soap Box
• (01:12) - Introducing Laura Rusche and Disabled American Veterans
• (08:27) - Field of Flags
• (25:04) - Finding Alignment
• (36:00) - Get Involved