Fundraising
Fundraising Before Summer
With fundraising slowing down during the summer months, be sure to get in front of your donors before.
Ever since I started working in nonprofit fundraising, I have gotten in the habit of taking most of my time off for the year during the summer.
Although this may be different for some nonprofits, summer time is when many donors are not donating. They are “summering”!
Most of the work I am doing around fundraising and appeals slows down in the summer, with a fall appeal going out in late August or ealy September. This doesn’t mean you close up your fundraising shop, it means that you can plan around summer.
May is a great time for a fundraising event (I am supporting one and attending a few others), doing some type of fundraising around Mother’s Day, and appealing to your donors and supporters to think about your mission before getting into the business of summer.
If you work on a fundraising team that makes very few asks during the year, May is a great time to make one of them. I’m working on two direct mail appeals and several e-appeals. I’ve learned over the years that getting in front of donors before summer can be very helpful.
