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Spring is a season of renewal and growth, making it an ideal time for nonprofits to engage their communities through creative fundraising initiatives like Mother's Day brunch. Research shows that 85% of U.S. donors volunteer, and 81% attend nonprofit fundraising events, highlighting the public's enthusiasm for participating in charitable activities.
Whether you're hosting a Mother's Day brunch, gardening class, or Memorial Day barbecue at a local watering hole, the spring season offers a variety of holidays to give nonprofits a reason to celebrate. Here is a list of the best spring fundraising ideas, events, and tips to make your fundraiser successful:
Spring provides numerous opportunities for nonprofits to host creative fundraising events, like outdoor movie nights and Easter Egg Hunts.
Seasonal events such as Pi Day campaigns and Bingo Nights engage the community and encourage donations.
Fundraisers can target different groups, with ideas for schools, sports teams, and college students.
Successful fundraisers require clear goals, effective promotion, a fundraising page, and follow-up with donors.
20 Best Spring Fundraising Ideas
Spring is a great time to hold a fundraising event for your nonprofit. The weather is finally warming up, and families are looking for things to do over the weekend with school still in session.
March fundraising ideas
Employee Appreciation Health & Wellness Fair
Date: March 1st - Employee Appreciation Day
Health and wellness fairs can spread your organization's mission and help you form solid partnerships with potential sponsors. Host one yourself, or partner with other health organizations in your community.
Equal Pay Day Picnic & Auction
Date: March 6th
Nonprofit organizations can hold a picnic and silent auction to recruit volunteers willing to advocate for equal pay. You can welcome female politicians, business leaders, and other local authorities to speak and sell tickets or solicit donations from event attendees. Remember to collect contact information from event attendees for your donor and volunteer database.
Women's History Month Movie Marathon
Date: March 8th - International Women's Day
March is Women's History Month, formally known as International Women's Day. With so many influential movies with female characters, stories, and stars, developing a marathon of movies to inspire donors should be easy. Some excellent choices include Erin Brockovich and Iron Jawed Angels. Ticket sales, concessions, and raffles can all help you meet your fundraising goal.
Additionally, consider incorporating a brief discussion or panel after each film to further engage the audience in meaningful conversations about the impact of women in various fields. This can help highlight the importance of celebrating women's achievements while encouraging further contributions to your cause.
Ramadan Poetry Slam
Date: March 10th - April 8th
A unique take on a Ramadan fundraising event is a poetry slam where people can share their favorite verses from the Quran, and local poets share their work. Make sure to hold your event after sundown so attendees can break their fast together. Ramadan is a time of service and charity for people of the Muslim faith so that a simple donation solicitation can bring in hefty donations during this event.
In addition, creating an inclusive atmosphere where participants can reflect on the spirit of Ramadan through art and poetry can provide a sense of community and unity. You might even consider incorporating light refreshments to enhance the experience, fostering connection and conversation among attendees.
Pi Day Campaign
Date: March 14th
The simplest way to celebrate Pi Day is with an online recurring donation campaign complete with a fundraising page. Ask everyone to give $3.14 a week for an annual total of $163.28! Make sure you send regular updates to these recurring donors and find other ways to make membership to your organization an exciting prospect. You can create a sense of community around your cause by highlighting Pi Day's fun and educational aspects.
Consider offering exclusive content or rewards, such as educational videos, downloadable resources, or access to a virtual event with expert speakers to enhance engagement. This not only boosts fundraising but also strengthens long-term donor relationships.
Hosting a Pi Day-themed event could also help build excitement around the campaign. Organize a virtual pie-eating contest or a pi-recitation challenge, or share fun facts about pi on social media to encourage participation. Make sure to recognize top contributors or participants in creative ways, fostering a sense of accomplishment while simultaneously supporting your organization’s mission.
St. Patrick's Day Bingo Night
Date: March 17th
No one can resist the luck of the Irish. Why not host a St. Patrick's Day Bingo Night for supporters and community members this year? Partner with local businesses to cover the cost of traditional Irish cuisine, beer, and award prizes.
Spring Equinox Stargazing
Date: March 19th
The Spring Equinox is one of the best times of year to watch nature's light show. Stargazers have a better chance of seeing the Northern Lights during the Spring Equinox in March and Winter Equinox in September. Even if you miss it, the sky is beautiful for attendees to enjoy.
Consider inviting local astronomers to offer insights about the constellations visible during the equinox. This enhances the experience and encourages learning and appreciation of the night sky, making the event more interactive and memorable for all ages.
Easter Egg Hunt
Date: March 31st
An Easter Egg Hunt isn't exactly unique, but it is always a fun idea for this spring fundraising event. Whether you're hosting a hunt for supporters' kids or dogs, you must include a visit from the Easter Bunny, easter baskets, and easter games like an easter egg toss. Most easter egg hunts are free for community members, so finding other ways to raise funds is essential.
April fundraising ideas
April Fool's Day No Show Gala
Date: April 1st
The COVID-19 pandemic was a struggle for many nonprofits, but a few organizations devised an idea perfect for an April Fool's Day fundraiser. A "No Show No Dinner" Gala is a virtual fundraiser connected to no actual event. Nonprofits can have fun with the wording on dinner invites like, "Purchase your tickets today and don't join us for an expensive meal or TV dinner."
Al-Qadr Iftar Dinner
Date: April 5th
Al-Qadr remembers when the Quran was first shared with the world. This night is more of a religious than a celebratory holiday, but many Muslim and East Asian nonprofit organizations have Iftar dinners with family and close friends on this date. Your nonprofit can host an Iftar dinner, charge an entry fee, and solicit donations from attendees, which is also seen as a time to give Sadaqah (charitable donations).
Earth Day Tree Campaign
Date: April 22nd
Earth Day tree-planting campaigns are a perfect fit for schools and environmental organizations. This Earth Day event is a simple and affordable option and can be combined with a plant sale at a local nursery or on school grounds. Invite donors to purchase a tree or plant and enjoy the warmer weather by planting a garden with other community members on Earth Day.
Additionally, consider offering educational workshops during the event to raise awareness about the environmental benefits of planting trees and taking care of green spaces. This would engage participants of all ages and foster a sense of shared responsibility for the environment.
Seder Cooking Class
Date: April 22nd - 1st Night of Passover
The first night of Passover is Seder, and it is the most important Jewish holiday of this holiday. When the sun goes down, followers of the Jewish faith eat a Seder dinner with family members and drink four glasses of wine, tell stories, sing, and eat traditional Passover foods. Nonprofits can share in this holiday by educating the public on the importance of Passover and introducing foods like Karpas, Beitza, Maror, and Chazeret.
May fundraising ideas
May Day Flower Sale
Date: May 1st
April Showers bring May Flowers. During May Day, flowers and maypoles are everywhere. Your school or nonprofit organization can celebrate May Day by selling flowers from a community garden, collaborating with local florists, or making and selling handmade flowers to students. Create a free e-commerce page with Zeffy to post pictures and sell spring flowers this May Day.
You could also offer flower arrangements or bouquets as special packages to entice larger donations. Promoting the event on social media can help increase visibility and encourage community participation, leading to even more successful sales and greater support for your cause.
Kentucky Derby Gala
Date: May 4th
The Kentucky Derby brings up images of artistic hats and fast horses, but if you don't live near Louisville, the closest you'll get to this event is your TV. Your nonprofit organization can bring the Kentucky Derby to supporters with this spring fundraising idea. Encourage participants to wear their fanciest chapeau and register to attend your Kentucky Derby Gala.
Cinco de Mayo Photo Contest
Date: May 5th
Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexican American culture, not its independence. Mexican Americans love their culture, and they hold parades, eat street food, attend block parties, and share it with the public. A photography contest can allow supporters to share these holiday events and win prizes.
Pet Parade
Date: May 5th to 11th - National Pet Week
National Pet Week starts May 5th this year. Pet ownership is so common in the United States that you're sure to have enough participation in your organization's Pet Parade. Choose a date and time that works best for supporters, and contact your local municipality to use a local park or street. Invite local community members to set up tables and join the fun for a fee. Additionally, you may collaborate with local businesses to finance your spring fundraiser ideas.
Host pet-related competitions like costume contests or agility challenges to make the event even more engaging. Offer small prizes or certificates for winners to encourage friendly competition and increase community involvement.
Holocaust Remembrance Campaign
Date: May 5th to 6th - Yom HaSoah
Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943. An online campaign during this time may be more appropriate than an event through a fundraising page. Jewish Holocaust Centers can create a fundraising page and raise funds for antisemitism education, capital campaigns for Holocaust centers, or support for Jewish survivors of the current atrocities.
In addition to the fundraising campaign, organizing a virtual vigil or a series of short videos featuring survivors or experts can help to educate a wider audience. This approach ensures that people worldwide can participate and reflect on the lessons learned from this dark chapter of history.
The campaign can also include sharing personal stories, photos, and testimonies to preserve the memories of those who suffered. Collaborating with schools and community organizations to promote the event can amplify the message and ensure that younger generations are also engaged in Holocaust remembrance. This can be a significant way to ensure history does not repeat itself and that the memories of survivors live on.
Mother's Day Golf Tournament
Date: May 12th
From 2020 to 2022, more than 800,000 women took up golf, increasing the number of women golfers to 6.4 million. This Mother's Day, your nonprofit can host a golf tournament exclusively for women or invite families to join the fun with a mini-golf tournament. Charge a registration fee or entry fee, and contact local golf courses for auction items that may appeal to golf lovers.
Consider offering a variety of prizes, such as golf lessons or gear, to attract participants of all skill levels. You can also organize a silent auction with exclusive golf packages to raise funds for your cause.
Additionally, local businesses should be encouraged to sponsor the event, helping to cover costs while promoting their services. A post-event brunch or picnic could create a fun and relaxing atmosphere, allowing participants to bond while supporting your nonprofit. The tournament format can be flexible to cater to both experienced golfers and beginners, ensuring a wide range of participants.
Spring Cleaning Day
Date: May 23rd - Buddha Day
Buddha Day celebrates Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death, which are believed to be all on the same day. Buddhists may celebrate this day by abstaining from eating meat, drinking alcohol, cleaning their homes at local restaurants, and donating to the poor.
A Spring Cleaning Fundraising idea on Buddha Day can allow followers to clean their neighbors' yards, a local park, and public spaces for donations.
Memorial Day Concert
Date: May 27th
Memoria Day is a somber day for many Americans, so be careful how you choose to celebrate. An outdoor concert can be a wonderful way to get together, honor those who were lost, raise funds for veterans, and enjoy patriotic and other music from local artists. Connect with local restaurants to add a Memorial Day barbecue to your concert and enjoy celebrating the start of the summer.
20 Fundraising ideas for schools and sports teams
Schools and Parent-Teacher organizations are always looking for new ways to raise funds. The following twenty spring fundraisers work for all ages.
Great Spring fundraising ideas for schools
Tea Party
A high tea party allows young children to dress up like princesses and princes and enjoy sweet spring treats with their parents and friends. Schools can hold a tea party in the school lunch room, at local businesses, or at the community center. Decorations can include flowers, balloons, authentic teapots, cups, and saucers, and food should be a combination of traditional high tea items and kid-friendly treats.
Book Sale
A book sale is always a great fundraising idea for school children. Collect book donations from parents and the community and host a sale online and in person. Encourage more participation by using the funds to upgrade your school's playground or classrooms using a fundraising page.
Spring Scavenger Hunt
A school spring fundraising idea is a fun and educational activity that engages students in exploring the outdoors while promoting teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity. Choose a location and create a theme tied in with the season.
Create clues and tasks that students must complete to find each item on the scavenger hunt. Form teams and get ready to have fun. Ask parents and the public to sponsor a team, and be sure to take pictures of the hunt to share on your school's social media platform.
Sweetness Fair
Invite parents and companies to set up vendor tables and share or sell delicious treats. Make this event fun for the kids with themes from their favorite board games like Candy Land. Invite them to collect an item at each table and fill up a map to win a prize.
Mother-Daughter Fashion Show
The best thing about young children is their willingness to dress up. Why not have fun with this and host a Mother-Daughter Fashion Show? Participants can come up with matching outfits to compete for a prize. You can sell tickets to the show and find sponsors to cover the cost of the venue, prizes, and concessions.
Spring fundraiser ideas for high schools
Spring Fling Dance
A Spring Fling Dance for high school students is a great spring fundraising idea and can be a fantastic way to celebrate the arrival of spring and provide students with a memorable social event. You can raise funds for your school, club, or external charity.
Pet Photo Contest
A Pet Photo Contest is an affordable and simple spring fundraising idea for high school student clubs. Set your financial goals, choose a theme, and set entry fees and guidelines. After the contest and winners are chosen, you can add to your event's income by turning the winning photographs into a calendar and selling them the following school year.
Garage Sale
A sign of spring is the start of neighborhood garage sales. A great high school spring fundraising idea is doing a school-wide garage sale. Set a date and location and invite the student body to donate genty-used items. Promote the garage sale with eye-catching flyers and posters around town and online.
Art Show
An art show is an excellent fundraising idea to highlight the artistic talents of students while raising money for your high school club. Your school is an excellent venue, so all you need to do is set the date and invite artists to participate.
Eco-Friendly Car Wash
Organizing an eco-friendly car wash is a fantastic fundraising idea for your school club while promoting environmental sustainability. Once you find a suitable location, you must gather eco-friendly supplies, recruit volunteers from your schoolmates, and promote your car wash with emails, posters, flyers, and social media.
Spring fundraiser ideas for college students
Fitness Challenge
The "college 15" is unfortunate for many students who've left home for the first time. A fitness challenge can be a fun and straightforward spring fundraiser idea for your college club and help create a healthy student body. Select a theme like "Spring into Fitness" to better resonate with your audience and fund your fundraising idea.
Yoga and Sound Healing Retreat
A yoga and sound healing retreat can be a meaningful way to raise funds while promoting health and wellness among students. Look for venues with serene surroundings and ample space for yoga sessions. You can run the event with volunteers, using qualified yoga instructors and musicians.
Bonfire Celebration
A spring bonfire can unite college clubs and foster community spirit and fundraising ideas for your cause. Adding a theme to your bonfire event can make the event more festive and engaging. You can raise money by selling tickets and accepting donations or selling t-shirts, hats, and blankets.
Craft Fair
A craft fair for your college club can be a creative way to engage the community, showcase talents, and raise money for your club. Your club will spend the most time finding crafters and vendors for the fair, but the cost of this event should be minimal if you can host it on campus or at a local park.
Drum Circle
A drum circle can be another unique opportunity to unite the community, promote cultural appreciation, and raise funds. The trick for this type of event is finding drum circle leaders. Luckily, a college is the best place to find percussionists.
Spring fundraiser ideas for sports teams
Trivia Night
A trivia night can be a peer-to-peer fundraising idea for sports teams because trivia questions can range from general topics to ones on the history of your school and team. Sports teams can raise money during trivia by selling tickets, including a silent auction and raffles.
Sports Tournament
Organizing a sports tournament will take time, but it can be the best way to share your sports team's purpose with the public. Charge entry fee for individuals and teams to join and plan the tournament for a spring date that fits most people's schedules.
Sports Memorabilia Auction
A fun fundraising idea for your sports team is a sports memorabilia auction. If you can find items from professional teams, you can raise a lot, but if your team has won a major competition, signed team jerseys can also help raise money for your team.
Match the Temperature
A "Match the Temperature" is a unique and free way to run fundraising ideas for your sports team. The idea is to tie donations to the current temperature outside. For each degree on a specific day, donors are encouraged to match the temperature with a donation.
Flock the Yard
A Flock the Yardfundraising idea is a playful and creative way to raise funds. Team members pay a small fee to fill friends' front yards with plastic flamingos or another creative, unexpected item (cows, lambs, etc.)
5 Best Tips for Organizing Your Spring Fundraiser
Choose a captivating name and theme
Select a name and theme for your spring fundraising event that aligns with your cause and resonates with your donor base. A compelling theme can attract more participants and set the tone for your fundraiser.
Set Clear Goals
Define specific fundraising goals to prioritize your fundraising efforts and help you raise more money.
Promote Effectively
Use a variety of marketing tools to promote your fundraising event or campaign. Ensure your outreach efforts match your donor base and your event's purpose.
Offer Online Fundraising Options
Provide more fundraising ideas like peer-to-peer fundraising, online fundraising pages, sell tickets, raffle tickets, and auctions to raise additional funds.
Follow up and Thank Donors
After your event, you must send tax receipts and acknowledgments for their gifts, but contacting donors is essential. Send out regular newsletters with updates on the impact of their donations, and find ways to connect with personalized letters, phone calls, or in-person meetings.
How Northwest Georgia Transportation Club Raised $33,000 During Their Annual Charity Golf Tournament
Northwest Georgia Transportation Club held a successful event last spring that raised $33,000 and saved $1,650 for the organization using Zeffy's free online fundraising tools. The Spring Golf Tournament's sponsorship packages played a significant part in raising that money.
Sponsorships from $100 to $1,000 quickly increased for the organization and offered local businesses appealing marketing options.
Raise Money for Free for Your Spring Fundraiser event!
Let Zeffy make fundraising this spring season a breeze with free ways to sell event and raffle tickets, collect online donations, sell products, and more. Spring fundraising ideas for nonprofits provide opportunities to promote a worthy cause and connect with their community.
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