I’m going to be honest: summer in Minnesota has never been my favorite season. It’s hot, muggy, and each year I’m determined to be a prolific gardener, only to get sick of watering my plants by July 4th. Inundated with photos of picturesque beaches on Instagram, I feel overwhelmed that I’m simply not “summer-ing” correctly.
On top of that, I’m a fundraiser and, like many of us, I’m most in my element under the pressure of a year-end appeal deadline or pulling together a fundraising gala. I thrive under pressure, and the long days of summer (mirrored by long weekends and long response times) create a perfect storm that can make me feel like I’m spinning my wheels.
But this year has been different. I’m letting go of my gardening aspirations, and trading it for time spent wandering my neighborhood with an ice cream cone in hand. I’m fully embracing the lack of chores and lengthy to-do lists. And after six years as a fundraiser, I feel like I’m finally getting the hang of keeping the momentum up during these long, sweltering summer days, doing work that the October, November and December versions of myself will appreciate when that time arrives.
With donors and supporters unplugging more during the summer, it can be a great time for fundraisers to get back to basics and create some intentionality for the rest of the year. Summertime fundraising is the best time of year to rest and reinvigorate to set up your year-end fundraising for success. Below you’ll find my favorite tips for how to maximize a Minnesotan fundraiser’s summer.
- Seize the data: Summer is a great time to dive deep into your data to determine where your fundraising is going well, and what areas you want to focus on for the remainder of the year. Building retention reports, removing duplicates, and segmenting your donors are all strategies that will ensure you have the strongest year-end results.
- Say “I do” to donor engagement: Donors need multiple touch points before they’re ready to entertain a financial ask. Make sure that your donors and supporters are continuing to hear from you throughout the summer so that they’re ready to give in the fall and winter. Here’s some inspiration for your own donor cultivation:
- Publish a special newsletter of quotes of individuals who are most impacted and inspired by your mission. These could be quotes from volunteers, donors, or community members.
- Invite supporters to events. If your organization isn’t having an event, consider taking a group to a partner organization’s event! Think outside the box—is there a movie showing that touches on the type of work you do? What about any community-building events in the area?
- Establish a weekly or biweekly e-newsletter or blog post to share with your audience to create a consistent communications channel
- Survey says…: Surveying is one of our favorite ways to connect to donors, as it creates space for donors to tell you why they love your organization. Be sure to keep it short, and focus on what you truly care about. Bonus tip: If there are gaps in your data, see if there’s a way to connect those gaps to your survey. One prompt to get you going: “What would you like to see more of from our organization?”
- Don’t forget about the rest: Every fundraiser I’ve worked with knows that the months of September through December are all about executing on your fundraising plan. With those high-intensity months on the horizon, don’t forget to build in rest throughout the summer. If you have PTO, take it—rest can be anything that connects your mind and body, and rest has been an important part of many liberation movements. Taking time to rest means listening to your mind, body, and soul and conserving energy for the busy season.
- Reflect, reflect, reflect: Meet with your team and get together this summer to talk about what went well, and what you want to improve for this upcoming giving season. Bonus points if you talk through the donor cycle and come up with a yearly communications & fundraising calendar. You’ll thank yourself for thinking ahead when the busy season starts to ramp up!
Clara Lind is GiveMN's director of coaching and lead coach for our RaiseMN initiative.