Many of us tend to wind down a bit over the summer, if we can. We go on holiday, we finish projects, and we take time away from our work desks and phones to enjoy the weather and one another. Charitable giving also tends to slow down over the summer, as people shift their attention to other activities. By one account, average weekly summer donations are more than 10% lower compared to autumn and winter months. (The end of year and holidays remain the highest times of giving.)
While August tends to be a slow month for giving, it’s also an ideal time to plan or implement strategies that will boost your after-summer and year-long donations. Here, we present four effective and achievable ways you can beat the summer giving slump. You, too, can wind down a bit this summer, and know that you’re set up for success this fall and all year long.
Think Small: Provide a Range of Giving Options
While donations tend to decrease over the summer, by no means do they stop entirely. Another consideration is how COVID-19 changed the landscape of charitable giving. According to the CAF UK Giving Report 2022, older people responded to the pandemic by giving larger gifts, while younger people ended up giving smaller donations. The report suggests that donations from people aged 16 to 24 years fell from £46 to £29.
Leverage this trend by adding small donation options that will appeal to young people and others. When it comes to branded charitable merchandise, consider adding small, affordable items to your catalogue, which can be sold in-person or through your online charity shop. We suggest functional, trendy little items like badges, water bottles, and keyrings—all of which are affordable to design and produce within your seasonal or annual budget. As a bonus, functional or wearable merchandise like eco-friendly reusable shoppers or charity wristbands help boost awareness of your charity every time a supporter takes it out and about this summer.
Get Ahead of Fall Fundraising
Take advantage of any downtime your charity has this summer to plan for your fall fundraising initiatives and events. You can use the summer months to seek out new or repeat partners, refine your fundraising strategies or events calendar, or even to plan something entirely new and oh-so-doable, like a Facebook Challenge fundraising activity!
The summer is also a great time to consider what new and exciting lines of merchandise you can add to your charitable store. This way, when people return from summer holiday and get back to their desks, they’ll be greeted with new options to support your charity. For example, you might consider adding creative, bespoke items; we just love the new sports wear collection from the Bone Cancer Research Trust. Men, women, and animals can all don a slick vest, jersey, bandana, or hat for all of the upcoming fall triathlons and runs.
As a bonus, planning for new merchandise now will provide your supporters with some extra time to consider adding your charity merchandise to their upcoming holiday gift lists. As you introduce new items, remember to plan a series of communications to alert your base to the additions and build early and ongoing interest.
Plan an Easy, Breezy Summer Event
Even though we all wind down a bit in the summer, it’s still an opportune time to plan a fundraising event. Just follow the theme of the season and keep it easy and breezy! This will limit the time and resources you need to invest in it. We see countless fun ideas out there, from hosting a bake sale or a community yard sale to offering a local car wash or happy hour gathering. A summer fundraising event doesn’t need to be a complicated affair. Just think about your supporters and what might entice them to come together, outside, to enjoy the weather while supporting your critical cause.
Summer is (Donor) Pool Time
As we mentioned above, the busiest fundraising months come after summer, and especially during the last two months of the year. Now is an ideal time to grow your donor pool. Every effort you put into this over the summer will pay off in dividends when it’s time to make your appeals and meet your year-end goals.
It doesn’t have to be tedious, either. While research and spreadsheets are necessary, the methods you use to expand your donor pool can also be fun. Chances are, your staff and volunteers are spending time this summer with friends and family at barbeques, weddings, sporting events, and whilst travelling. Why not enlist the help of your dedicated team to spread your message far and wide via these trusted, personal connections?
We imagine that most of your staff will dive right in on this task. But why not make it a little more enjoyable at the same time? Consider incentivising your staff to help with donor cultivation by creating friendly competitions to benefit your shared cause. You can award points for every donor contact a staff member or volunteer obtains over the summer. Then, at the end of the season, you can award gifts to the top point-earners. This could be higher-end charitable merchandise or even gift certificates to local restaurants or shops.
We hope this post inspires you to beat the summer giving slump, whether it’s adding new merchandise, preparing for the next season, planning a quick and easy summer event, or cultivating your important donor base. What other activities do you plan to focus on this summer? We’d love to hear more about how your charity spends these lovely warm-weather months, and where we might be able to help you meet and exceed your goals, any time of year.