COVENANT HOUSE INTERNATIONAL NAMED 2026 ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR BY PEER-TO-PEER PROFESSIONAL FORUM
BALTIMORE, MD, UNITED STATES, February 25, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A nonprofit that has inspired tens of thousands of people to sleep outside on the sidewalk to raise funds for homeless youth will be honored as the North American Organization of The Year at the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum conference on February 25.
Covenant House’s Sleep Out program raised a record $18.9 million in 2025 by recruiting more than 3,000 supporters to spend a night sleeping outside at locations from balmy South Florida to frigid Anchorage, Alaska. Since 2011, the efforts by more than 65,000 advocates have brought the Sleep Out program’s total raised to more than $170 million.
Sleep Out’s unique format—for an organization fighting youth homelessness—has long made it a fascinating program in the peer-to-peer fundraising space, which has traditionally been dominated by walks and rides.
Collectively, peer-to-peer fundraising programs raised more than $1.7 billion dollars in 2025 for thousands of nonprofits in North America, according to the annual U.S. and Canadian Peer-to-Peer benchmarking studies.
“The creativity that Covenant House has applied to its signature peer-to-peer fundraising program for fifteen years is an inspiration,” said Forum CEO Marcie Maxwell. “Expanding relationships with corporate partners, leveraging social media in new ways, and heavying up on personalized fundraiser coaching are just three of the strategies Covenant House successfully employed to grow revenue by 10% last year, triple the U.S. Top Thirty average growth rate.”
"Covenant House is thrilled to be recognized as the 2026 Organization of the Year,” shared Bill Bedrossian, President and CEO, Covenant House International and 12-time Sleep Out participant. “Sleep Out is a movement that invites community members to be in solidarity with the millions of young people who are navigating homelessness, exploitation, and injustice every single day. We are reminding them that they are not alone. Our Sleepers not only raise money to help keep our doors open 24/7/365, but they are also supporting our strategic imperatives for housing, workforce development, mental health, and alumni engagement. We hope that this recognition will breed curiosity and that we'll see an even larger increase in participation and revenue this year."
Some past winners of the Organization of the Year honor include the American Heart Association, Alzheimer’s Association, Children’s Miracle Network, Blood Cancer United, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NAMI, Pan-Mass Challenge, and the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.
The Organization of the Year awards stand alongside Peers of the Year and Fundraising Volunteer of the Year as part of the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum’s P2P Impact Awards program. These awards celebrate the people, programs, and organizations shaping the future of peer-to-peer fundraising. They recognize exceptional leadership, innovation, and community spirit, spotlighting those who inspire others to act, give, and make a lasting difference through the power of connection.
ABOUT COVENANT HOUSE: Covenant House builds a bridge to hope for youth facing homelessness, including survivors of human trafficking and young families, through unconditional love, absolute respect, and relentless support. Covenant House is the largest primarily privately-funded agency in the Americas offering shelter, food, medical and mental healthcare, crisis intervention, educational and vocational programs, legal assistance, and an array of supportive services at no cost. Covenant House sites are open 24/7 in 34 cities across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. In 2025, Covenant House reached 63,000 youth facing homelessness, provided 896,000 nights of safe housing, and served 1.9 million meals. Our North Star is ending youth homelessness as we know it. To learn more, visit www.covenanthouse.org.
ABOUT THE PEER-TO-PEER PROFESSIONAL FORUM: The Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum is North America’s leading resource for nonprofit professionals who power participant-driven fundraising programs. Founded in 2007, the Forum supports its community through a robust mix of connection and learning, including its annual conference, industry recognition like the P2P U.S. and Canadian Top Thirty Reports and the P2P Impact Awards, and year-round resources such as webinars, a podcast, monthly newsletters, guides, a job board, and a vibrant member community. To learn more, visit www.peertopeerforum.com.
Covenant House’s Sleep Out program raised a record $18.9 million in 2025 by recruiting more than 3,000 supporters to spend a night sleeping outside at locations from balmy South Florida to frigid Anchorage, Alaska. Since 2011, the efforts by more than 65,000 advocates have brought the Sleep Out program’s total raised to more than $170 million.
Sleep Out’s unique format—for an organization fighting youth homelessness—has long made it a fascinating program in the peer-to-peer fundraising space, which has traditionally been dominated by walks and rides.
Collectively, peer-to-peer fundraising programs raised more than $1.7 billion dollars in 2025 for thousands of nonprofits in North America, according to the annual U.S. and Canadian Peer-to-Peer benchmarking studies.
“The creativity that Covenant House has applied to its signature peer-to-peer fundraising program for fifteen years is an inspiration,” said Forum CEO Marcie Maxwell. “Expanding relationships with corporate partners, leveraging social media in new ways, and heavying up on personalized fundraiser coaching are just three of the strategies Covenant House successfully employed to grow revenue by 10% last year, triple the U.S. Top Thirty average growth rate.”
"Covenant House is thrilled to be recognized as the 2026 Organization of the Year,” shared Bill Bedrossian, President and CEO, Covenant House International and 12-time Sleep Out participant. “Sleep Out is a movement that invites community members to be in solidarity with the millions of young people who are navigating homelessness, exploitation, and injustice every single day. We are reminding them that they are not alone. Our Sleepers not only raise money to help keep our doors open 24/7/365, but they are also supporting our strategic imperatives for housing, workforce development, mental health, and alumni engagement. We hope that this recognition will breed curiosity and that we'll see an even larger increase in participation and revenue this year."
Some past winners of the Organization of the Year honor include the American Heart Association, Alzheimer’s Association, Children’s Miracle Network, Blood Cancer United, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NAMI, Pan-Mass Challenge, and the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.
The Organization of the Year awards stand alongside Peers of the Year and Fundraising Volunteer of the Year as part of the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum’s P2P Impact Awards program. These awards celebrate the people, programs, and organizations shaping the future of peer-to-peer fundraising. They recognize exceptional leadership, innovation, and community spirit, spotlighting those who inspire others to act, give, and make a lasting difference through the power of connection.
ABOUT COVENANT HOUSE: Covenant House builds a bridge to hope for youth facing homelessness, including survivors of human trafficking and young families, through unconditional love, absolute respect, and relentless support. Covenant House is the largest primarily privately-funded agency in the Americas offering shelter, food, medical and mental healthcare, crisis intervention, educational and vocational programs, legal assistance, and an array of supportive services at no cost. Covenant House sites are open 24/7 in 34 cities across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. In 2025, Covenant House reached 63,000 youth facing homelessness, provided 896,000 nights of safe housing, and served 1.9 million meals. Our North Star is ending youth homelessness as we know it. To learn more, visit www.covenanthouse.org.
ABOUT THE PEER-TO-PEER PROFESSIONAL FORUM: The Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum is North America’s leading resource for nonprofit professionals who power participant-driven fundraising programs. Founded in 2007, the Forum supports its community through a robust mix of connection and learning, including its annual conference, industry recognition like the P2P U.S. and Canadian Top Thirty Reports and the P2P Impact Awards, and year-round resources such as webinars, a podcast, monthly newsletters, guides, a job board, and a vibrant member community. To learn more, visit www.peertopeerforum.com.
Emily Patrick
Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum
emily@peertopeerforum.com
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