5 Summer Fundraising Tips for Nonprofits

We’re right in the middle of these long days of summer, and with the weather being warm, exempt organizations are becoming warmer as this season is one of the most excellent time of the year to bring in contributions for your nonprofit or charity cause.

Break from the monotony of traditional fundraising tactics and take full advantage of these summer days with even more interaction with your community. Here are five simple strategies to earn more donations by using Summer to its full potential!

Embrace the Outdoors
When you think of Summer, you think of being outside – literally; people spend a great deal of their leisure time outside during the Summer. For you, this is a perfect opportunity to construct an outdoor activity as a fundraising campaign. You can set up a lemonade or ice cream stand for donations. A more simple and quick idea could be handing out bottles of ice-cold water on a hot day at the park for a small monetary gift towards your cause.

Make a Specific Request
If you need volunteers, contributions, or whatever is necessary, make sure your “call-to-action” is clear like blue summer skies. You want to be as transparent as possible with those who are getting involved with your organization. Be open with your mission goals, the use of donations, and how people can volunteer if they want.

Work with the Community
To be for the people, it makes sense to be with the people. With the summer season, there comes summer gatherings like pool parties, sporting events, and barbecues. How about hosting a summer festival with the proceeds going towards your exempt organization? If you happen to find any other city-sponsored activities in your area, see how your organization can become a part of it and use that platform to inform people about giving towards your leading cause.

Use your Creativity
There are no limits with whatever you can come up with – you can reshape a summer chore into an opportunity to fundraise. You could organize a small group of volunteers to mow lawns or wash cars for donations. With the proper resources, you could even put together an afternoon program for children where parents can contribute for how long their child is there. The possibilities are nearly endless for those serious enough.

Enjoy Yourselves
Though the point of these suggestions is to bring in money to your exempt organization, the primary goal should always be to have fun outside and be among those within the community. Just one fun summer activity can accomplish so much and bring positive recognition to your mission – ever thought about how a water balloon fight could be a fundraiser?

Once you’ve gathered all your donations, be sure to visit us at ExpressTaxExempt.com so you can quickly and easily bulk upload your contributors and amounts from fundraising events – these are figures required on your IRS Form 990/990-EZ. And if you need more time file, we also offer IRS Form 8868 for automatic tax extensions.

Contact our live, US-based customer support in Rock Hill, South Carolina, for any questions or assistance with e-file your exempt organization’s tax return. We’re available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST at 704.839.2321 – email us 24/7 with [email protected].