The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the flowers are blooming. It’s officially spring! With the warmer weather comes several revitalizing spring fundraiser ideas to help your nonprofit raise more money.
Why Should My Nonprofit Fundraise in the Spring?
Spring is a great time to fundraise!
Mild temperatures make planning outdoor events a safer bet. There are also plenty of spring themes and holidays to inspire you and your team, giving you several opportunities to find a date or idea that works with your mission.
Plus, your donors have been cooped up all winter. They’ll be excited to have something to do! And enough time has passed since last year’s giving season that it won’t feel like you’re asking them to donate again too soon.
Tip from the Playbook: Before deciding to host a fundraising event – no matter the season – set goals to ensure every event aligns with your mission, budget, and available resources.
15 Spring Fundraiser Ideas for Nonprofit Organizations
From outdoor events to holiday celebrations, here are 15 spring fundraiser ideas to help your fundraising bloom.
Spring-Themed Fundraisers
These spring fundraiser ideas are focused on celebrating the season that’s all about renewal and growth.
1. Flower Sale
Donors may be on the lookout for beautiful blooms to decorate their homes inside and out this spring. And they’ll see it as a win-win if they can purchase their plants while supporting your mission during a flower sale fundraiser!
Choose to sell fresh cut flowers, potted plants, or annuals to be planted in pots or gardens. Consider using an online order form or setting up a booth at a local farmer’s market.
Advice in Action: We’ve seen this fundraiser work well for places of worship and other organizations with in-person services or events. Ask donors to pre-order flowers that will decorate your venue. Allow them to choose a plant to take home following the event.
2. Flower Arrangement Class
Host a floral arrangement class where participants learn the art of flower arranging, whether in vases, baskets, or even wreaths. For a fee, participants receive all the materials they’ll need as well as a tutorial on creating the best arrangement. They’ll get to keep their creation at the end of the event.
To keep costs low and boost community engagement, partner with a local florist for this spring fundraiser idea. They may be willing to provide materials, an event space, or even serve as a teacher for the class, boosting your credibility. A florist may also be willing to host a class with a portion of the proceeds benefiting your nonprofit.
3. Adopt-an-Animal Fundraiser
A lot of animals are born in the spring! Nonprofits focused on serving these animals can host an “adopt-an-animal” fundraiser, allowing donors to provide food, shelter, medical care, and more to any new babies.
This is one of the spring fundraiser ideas that works well for zoos and animal sanctuaries. Animal shelters can also take advantage by asking those who can’t adopt a pet to cover care costs or even adoption fees.
4. Spring Cleaning
Host your own spring cleaning in this dual-purpose volunteer and fundraising event! Ask volunteers to join you in sprucing up your nonprofit by helping with anything from landscaping to painting to minor repairs. Host an online fundraiser to collect donations – whether monetary or physical items – to help with the cleanup.
This is one of the spring fundraiser ideas perfect for nonprofits with large grounds or property to take care of, such as parks, schools, or camps.
Spring Fundraiser Ideas for Holiday Celebrations
There are several notable holidays and awareness days that take place throughout the spring season! Taking advantage of these days helps you reach broader audiences.
You’ll find a few ideas for spring holiday celebrations here, but check the calendar to see if any others would be a good fit for your nonprofit.
5. St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
Are you a family-focused nonprofit? Host a kid-friendly St. Patrick’s Day celebration complete with themed treats, crafts, games, and story time. Either charge a small entry fee or ask for a free will donation.
And if it’s adults you’re targeting, plan a St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl. Those ages 21 and up can purchase a ticket that covers transportation and drink specials at partnering locations. Include a branded t-shirt to help spread the word about your nonprofit!
6. Egg Hunt
Another spring fundraising idea that can be adjusted depending on your audience is an egg hunt.
If you’d like to target families, host a traditional egg hunt. Hide plastic eggs filled with candy, small toys, and gift certificates to local ice cream shops or family-friendly restaurants. Consider offering several hunts for different age groups throughout the day, increasing the difficulty for older children. Families simply purchase a ticket to reserve a spot in their desired time slot!
Or, host an adults-only Rotten Egg Hunt. Adults purchase a ticket to hunt for eggs filled with traditional items like candy and gift certificates, but a few are also filled with higher-value items. Slips of paper hidden in the eggs can list prizes such as cash, jewelry, themed baskets, and more. Consider selling adult beverages and food throughout the event to raise additional funds.
7. Breakfast with the Easter Bunny
Another great spring fundraising event for families is Breakfast with the Easter Bunny. A single ticket may include a brunch buffet as well as themed crafts and games. And, of course, a meet-and-greet and photo op with the Easter Bunny is a must!
8. Earth Day Fundraising Campaign
If your nonprofit is focused on conservation or the environment, you can’t miss out on celebrating Earth Day. Run a fundraising campaign leading up to the big day with messaging focused on making our planet a better place for all.
To connect with multiple audiences through this and other spring fundraising ideas, plan multichannel campaigns. Include outreach such as an appeal letter and email, social media posts, media appearances, and more.
9. Arbor Day Plant-a-Tree
Planning to host a volunteer plant-a-tree event for Arbor Day this year? Take it one step further with a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign!
Ask each volunteer to set up their own peer-to-peer fundraising page (connected to your overarching campaign) before the tree planting event. They then share this page with their family and friends, asking for donations on your behalf.
Each peer fundraiser can pledge to plant a tree for a certain number of donations, such as one tree for every $200 donated. Or, create a contest to see who can raise the most!
10. Mother’s Day Brunch
Encourage your audience to celebrate their moms while making a difference! Offer a Mother’s Day Brunch for a set price per person that includes the meal and a small gift for every mother figure, such as a potted plant.
Consider having a photographer on site to take family photos as well as activities for children. If your nonprofit is a museum, zoo, or other attraction, include entry for the day.
Outdoor Spring Fundraising Event Ideas
Take advantage of spring’s (typically) mild weather by hosting an outdoor fundraising event, like one of the spring fundraising ideas listed here. Just make sure to have a backup plan, such as an indoor venue or rain date, in case of those infamous April showers!
Tip from the Playbook: Raise more donations at your next event by adding exciting fundraising activities to your program. Think silent auctions, raffle tickets, wine pulls, and more!
11. Art Fair
Is your mission all about art? Plan an outdoor art fair for the spring! Bring in artists and vendors from across the region to sell their goods. Charge a flat fee to each participating vendor and plan to supply tents and electricity to those who need it.
Art fairs are often free to attend, but you can still find ways to raise more! Consider hosting an art auction, offering 50/50 raffle tickets, or selling take-home craft kits.
12. Golf Tournament
While a charity golf tournament isn’t exactly a novel idea, planning one during spring might be! Depending on where you’re located, golf tournaments likely often take place during the summer.
Hosting your golf tournament in late spring increases your chances of fair weather, helps you avoid vacation season for your donors, and just might get you on the calendar ahead of other golf fundraisers.
Be sure to offset the cost of your golf tournament by offering sponsorship packages for everything from individual holes to the bar cart, prizes, and post-game meal. You can also collect donations through selling mulligans, branded merchandise, and more.
13. Race or Fun Walk
Like golf tournaments, races and fun walks are popular fundraisers for nonprofits and participants alike. Planning your nonprofit’s racing event for the spring could give you the edge, though!
This is particularly true if your nonprofit is especially stunning in the spring. Have fun walkers explore your botanical garden and collect flower facts or Easter eggs along the way for a prize. Plan your 5K route through the most beautiful sections of your park or grounds. Or host a trail run or nature hike when the leaves turn green and flowers bloom.
14. Family Carnival
Although county and state fairs are typically a summer staple for many families, hosting a carnival of your own in the spring has its perks.
As we mentioned with several other spring fundraiser ideas, the weather should be a bit more agreeable. Plus, your carnival won’t be as likely to overlap with similar events in your area. And springtime is ideal for family fundraising, before children are out of school and headed on family vacations. A carnival is the perfect way to celebrate the end of the school year!
You don’t have to offer big rides to draw crowds to your carnival. Book a few inflatable slides or bounce houses, plan out fun games, and bring in some food trucks. You can also book entertainment like local bands, magicians, animal shows, and character meet-and-greets. Raise funds by selling tickets to participate in various activities.
15. Community Yard Sale
Spring is a popular time for yard sales. Many people are hoping to do some spring cleaning of their own, and that often includes getting rid of a few things. Why not take advantage and host a community yard sale or rummage sale?
There are three ways to host this spring fundraiser:
- Individual Yard Sales – Encourage people throughout town to host their own yard sales on the same day. For a small donation, each participant’s sale can be added to a map that is promoted by your nonprofit via flyers, social media, and more.
- Multi-Household Yard Sale – Set up a multi-household yard sale in a single location where participants can pay a small fee to sell their items at their own booths.
- Rummage Sale – Ask people to donate gently used items to a rummage sale run by your nonprofit. Every dollar made during the sale will directly benefit your mission.
You can also combine any of the above into one big event! But do be sure to check with your local government for any rules and regulations surrounding yard sales.
Grow Your Spring Fundraising
Are you ready to grow your fundraising? Use these creative spring fundraiser ideas to plan your next campaign or event.
And if you’re looking for more than ideas, MVP Advisors is here to help. We’re an experienced group of nonprofit consultants ready to offer a hand in campaign planning, content development, donor prospect research, and more.
Book a call or email us today to see what MVP Advisors can do for your nonprofit this spring and beyond!