It's so tempting to take a step back from fundraising now that the rush of year-end giving is over. Summer is right around the corner… what's the harm in waiting for the more traditional summer fundraising rush?
While late winter and spring might not be the most popular time of year for fundraising, there are many advantages to using this time strategically. Since the New Year, enough time has passed that many people are ready to consider making another donation, especially before summer vacations and travels begin.
Before you start feeling too overwhelmed, take a deep breath! We're here to help you plan some fun and effective spring fundraising events without too much stress. We'll also shed some light on spring fundraising trends and best practices.
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5 Spring Fundraising Trends and Best Practices
We've come a long way since the spring of 2020 when the Coronavirus impacted practically every aspect of life. A lot has changed in the last two years, especially in fundraising. Here are some trends and best practices that will help you keep up with the charity trends and fundraising best practices for your spring fundraisers!
1. Donors are digital-first; meet them there
When the pandemic shifted many events and activities online (thanks Zoom), donors began expecting nonprofits to meet them in digital spaces, too.
What does this mean for spring fundraising? Even if you're planning an in-person event, many donors want additional options to engage digitally. Whether through high-quality online donation pages or sharing digital content before, during, or after the event, be sure to add an online element to each fundraising event.
An added benefit of offering digital content is it's easier to entice current donors to share about your organization with their network since they're already engaged online!
2. Focus on one goal for each spring fundraising event
Many fundraising experts recommend focusing on one goal or strategy for your spring fundraising event. For example, you might decide to acquire new donors or encourage people to enroll in your monthly giving program. Whatever your goal, ensure you have one primary priority for your spring fundraiser.
Your goal might be as simple as refining your process for peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns. Whatever you set out to accomplish, ensure your entire team understands the objective and the "why" behind this goal.
3. Tell a compelling story with your spring fundraising
Stories are powerful fundraising tools. Choose a beneficiary who received your support recently and invite donors to help more people, causes, or animals just like them by participating in your spring fundraising event.
Educate your supporters about your work throughout the year and remind them how their gifts make a difference. Share how making more than one donation is an excellent way to increase their impact, especially for supporters who participated in recent fundraising campaigns.
4. The spring theme isn't necessary, but reflect the correct season!
We get it; the spring-themed events and content can get a bit old. While it's not necessary to incorporate spring themes and blooming flowers into your fundraisers, it's worth ensuring that any photos you're using reflect the correct season.
If you're using your own photos or stock images, skip the snow-covered shots and choose photos that reflect the correct season. Even if the temperatures in your area haven't quite thawed out yet, people are in the mood for nicer weather. Take advantage of that with a little visual aspiration that might grab your reader's attention and prompt a more positive response.
Reflecting the correct season in your fundraising content throughout the year is a subtle way to reinforce the year-round nature of your efforts.
5. Create a memorable and repeatable experience for supporters
Consider creating an annual event that becomes a memorable tradition for attendees and participants to look forward to each spring. Many people enjoy having traditional events and activities in their calendars. Think of how many families sign up for a Santa Shuffle 5K around Christmas or who carve pumpkins or go apple picking in the fall.
What kind of fundraising event can you create that will become a "mainstay" tradition for your community or your donors?
These kinds of annual events become easier to plan over the years, and you can take advantage of the momentum of tradition. People will begin to look forward to your event and help you build momentum by inviting their friends and family.
5 Spring Fundraising Ideas that Donors Love
Your spring fundraising events don't have to incorporate a spring theme. But this is an excellent opportunity to take advantage of some of the holidays, events, and seasonal activities. Here are some fun spring fundraising ideas that your supporters will enjoy.
1. Host a March Madness Bracket Challenge spring fundraising event
For sports fans, spring means March Madness. The NCAA basketball tournaments dominate most of March, and it's an excellent opportunity to engage your network with a fun online fundraising event.
The Leukemia Research Foundation raised over $2,000 with their March Madness Bracket Challenge in 2021. In fact, the fundraiser was so successful they launched a second bracket pool!
Organizers set an entry price of $10 per bracket or three brackets for $25. Once participants donated, the organizers sent a link to the ESPN Tournament Challenge bracket pool.
Many nonprofits offer a prize to the bracket challenge winner. A percentage of the proceeds or another desirable incentive can go a long way to attract participants. Some nonprofits ask corporate sponsors to donate prizes to these fundraising events since that's an easy way to reduce overhead costs and offer more valuable prize packages.
2. Spring cleaning or garage sale fundraising event
Spring cleaning and home maintenance is an annual ritual for many people. An increasing number of people consider spring cleaning part of their self-care because of its benefits to mental and physical health.
You can harness this tradition to create some effective local fundraising events. One strategy is to host a community-wide garage sale. People can donate their gently used items and come purchase new treasures.
Another option is to host a spring cleaning drive to help people knock some of those items off their to-do list. Whether it's yard work, power washing, or other chores, many people will enthusiastically invite your team to tackle the task in exchange for a donation!
Scout Troop 141 in Virginia raises money each spring by offering mulch delivery and spreading services. They partner with a local nursery to purchase the mulch at a discounted rate. Customers can either order mulch to be delivered or pay an additional donation to have the Scouts spread the mulch.
There are many creative ways to harness the "spring cleaning" drive for your fundraising advantage. Whether you decide to spread mulch, host a community-wide yard sale, or any other spring cleaning idea, there are many ways to raise money for a great cause.
The Soapbox Engage Forms app will streamline the administration side of these kinds of fundraisers. Because it's fully customizable, you can create any type of form you need! Participants can fill out your custom form to sign up for your services or even donate items to your yard sale.
3. "Spring" into shape with fitness fundraisers
People have been hunkered down all winter, and they're itching to get outside to enjoy the spring weather and get back into shape. There are countless strategies and ideas for spring fitness fundraisers that donors will love.
While it didn't happen in the spring, The Creature Comfort Pet Therapy organization raised more than $70,000 during their recent Furry Scurry Walk-a-Thon! They used peer-to-peer fundraising strategies and various sponsorship tiers to drum up excitement for their walk. Participants walked and jogged around their towns (furry walking buddies obviously encouraged) to raise money for a great cause.
There are loads of great ways to host virtual or in-person fitness fundraisers. You can have people pedaling, walking, swimming, or otherwise sweating for a great cause in no time! Plus, with the rise of virtual fitness challenges during the pandemic, more people are comfortable participating in virtual or in-person fundraisers.
4. Host a themed fundraiser for a spring holiday
Spring brings a few popular holidays that many people celebrate: Easter, Passover, St. Patrick's Day, Earth Day, and more. Why add some spring holiday fundraising events to your calendar this year?
Whether you decide to go with an Easter egg hunt fundraiser or a St. Patrick's Day Irish stew cook-off, the options are endless. The Soapbox Engage Events app makes event registration for these kinds of fundraisers a breeze!
The Somerset Wildlife Trust got extra innovative and created a Facebook Easter egg hunt fundraiser! Participants made a donation to the Easter Egg Fundraiser donation page then received instructions about how to hunt for the 12 numbered Easter Eggs hidden in the "Get Involved" section of the organization's website. We'd like to give bonus points for this detail–what a creative way to get your audience learning about other ways to get involved!
5. Mother's Day can be for fundraising, too
Spring is the time to show mom some love and appreciation for all she does. Help your supporters do that with some creative Mother's Day gift options for your spring fundraiser.
Some nonprofits partner with a local nursery or community garden to sell flower bouquets or even potted plants for Mother's Day. Another creative twist to this fundraiser is to host a learning event where people can learn to make bouquets or other crafts for Mother's Day gifts.
Nonprofits with e-commerce stores can sell Mother's Day gifts. Many people are excited to buy meaningful gifts that support a great cause. Don't forget the more obvious fundraising strategy of inviting donors to make a gift to your organization in honor of a mom they love.
Overall, a spring fundraising campaign is a powerful way to add more fundraising events to your annual calendar. Plus, it's the ideal time to begin raising money for new initiatives or wrap up your fiscal year. Plus, it's the perfect time of year to engage new donors, reconnect with current supporters, and attract prospective partners.
No matter what you add to your spring fundraising calendar, Soapbox Engage has the tools and resources to help you make it a smashing success!
Here are three more resources to check out as you plan your spring fundraising events.
- Make a Fundraising Calendar in 5 Simple Steps: Creating a fundraising calendar can be an excellent recipe for year-round fundraising success. The great news is that you can develop and implement a fundraising calendar any day of the year! Check out this blog for some tips, tricks, and strategies to help you build an effective fundraising calendar for your nonprofit.
- 3 Ways to Boost Your Current Fundraising Campaign: Nonprofit fundraising campaigns are more than just raising money for your cause. It's about helping your nonprofit form relationships with members of your community. This increased visibility can lend itself to even greater fundraising opportunities as time goes on. This blog offers some best practices for helping organizations boost their current fundraising campaigns.
- 9 Must-Have Features for your Nonprofit's Online Donation Page: No matter what time of year it is, every nonprofit needs a robust online donation page because online giving continues to grow in popularity. This blog will walk you through a quick "donation page check-up" to ensure you've got all the essential features.
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