Unique Nonprofit Fundraising Ideas for Each Month

Each month of the year is an opportunity to raise money. Here are our favorite nonprofit fundraising ideas for each month.

January

The New Year is a great time to fundraise! January is an excellent time to host an open house. Make sure to hold it during an evening or weekend, so working people can attend. You don’t need to solicit donations but you can sell merchandise, T-shirts, calendars and coffee cups. Also, make sure to have a “wish list” printed on a take-away sheet. The more people see your workspace and programming, the more they can visualize a clear picture of items that you need.

February

Valentine’s Day is an underutilized fundraising time period. Most organizations can craft a clever pitch that ties together their mission and a pull on the heartstrings. One of our favorites is for a local Aviary, “Give a Tweetie to your Sweetie” which is a specialized valentine that acts as a way to sell sponsorships for their bird rescue.

March

March is an excellent time to have a party. It could be as simple as a dinner party where you ask that each guest make a donation and show slides of the work that your organization does. Another simple and fun idea is to host a crafter noon, where attendees pay $5 or $10 dollars to come together and complete an organized craft.

April

Partner with a local business for the month of April. Does your organization offer student programming? Ask a local smoothie place to donate a portion of proceeds, say 15%, for one day of the month. Invite all of your students, parents, friends and teachers to buy a healthy smoothie for a good cause! Are you an animal rescue organization? Talk to a local pet store.

May

Take advantage of spring cleaning and host a garage sale. Garage sales are a great way to get volunteers, staff and others to network with the community and share your mission. An added bonus is that you clear out your closets and make money!

June

Welcome spring and donations with a well-placed lemonade stand. Pick a busy corner and provide plenty of info about your organization, like signs and T-shirts. Make sure your thirsty customers know you are raising money and awareness- for a nonprofit.

July

A great nonprofit fundraising idea for July is to piggyback on the festivities of the 4^th. Try to participate in a local parade or host a bake sale or coffee bar along a parade route. Many coffee shops are willing to donate boxes of coffee; you simply need the fixings, cups and a strong arm to pour.

August

End of summer shouldn’t mean the end of fundraising. August presents a great time to get outside and FUN-raise! Think 5k or family bike race. Charge an entrance fee and have plenty of decoration supplies on hand, like face-paint, or tissue-paper streamers for bikes.

September

Back to school time can mean big dollars for your nonprofit organization. Try hosting a raffle at a popular school supply shopping location. The prize could be tickets to a local sports event or an amusement park.

October

There are all kinds of nonprofit fundraising ideas for October. Our favorite is an old fashioned pumpkin sale. Buy a bin of pumpkins from a local farm then sell them around town at a mark-up. Ask for a special discount and advertise for the farm. Besides pumpkin sales, here are a few other clever ideas.

November

The last couple of months of the year tend to be when donors do the bulk of their giving. Try an email or direct mail campaign for the month of November.

December

December fundraising ideas could be selling note cards or wrapping paper designed by clients or kids that you serve. Another idea is to host a present wrapping station to get folks ready for the giving season. Ask for a donation for every present wrapped. Here are some other ideas to encourage year end giving.

Each month of the year presents a unique fundraising opportunity. By fine-tuning the details you can take any of these nonprofit fundraising ideas and make them into your own successful fundraiser.