60 High-Impact Spring Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits to Re-engage Supporters

Spring feels like nature’s way of hitting the refresh button, doesn’t it? For nonprofits, that same energy makes it the perfect time to reconnect with supporters who’ve drifted away. We figured we should do a li’l deep dive into spring fundraising because, well, there’s something about warmer weather and fresh optimism that makes people more receptive to hearing from causes they once cared about. In this piece, you’ll discover 60 practical ideas to re-engage lapsed donors without burning out your small team, plus real-world tactics we’ve seen work beautifully across all kinds of organizations.

Why Spring is Your Re-engagement Sweet Spot

Here’s the thing: the combination of warmer weather, tax season wrap-ups, and that general feeling of new beginnings creates ideal conditions for reconnecting with folks who’ve gone quiet. Plus, the numbers back this up. Repeat donor retention hits 36.3% (Bloomerang), far above new donors at just 11% (Bloomerang), so focusing on getting that second gift from someone who’s lapsed makes serious strategic sense.

Let’s explore proven spring fundraisers and re-engagement strategies that small teams can actually implement without adding to your already-full plate.

March Momentum Builders

Tap into early spring energy with holiday-tied events that gently remind supporters why they fell in love with your mission in the first place.

Women’s History Month peer-to-peer fundraisers let supporters create personalized pages honoring women’s contributions to your cause. St. Patrick’s Day clover seed sales add a touch of whimsy while raising funds (sell packets and encourage virtual “pots of gold” photo shares on social). Pi Day $3.14 challenges work brilliantly for quick social media asks. And Spring Equinox “spring into action” volunteer calls paired with donation matching create that beautiful sense of urgency.

These seasonal campaigns re-engage by blending nostalgia with novelty, prompting quick gifts from past donors who remember their original connection to your work.

Protip: Segment lapsed donors (those who haven’t given in 1-2 years) for personalized emails thanking their past gifts. This approach boosts open rates 20-30% (Team Allegiance).

Virtual Reconnection Strategies

Use low-cost online tactics to reconnect without the logistical nightmare of in-person events. Lapsed donor webinars sharing impact updates with Q&A sessions create genuine dialogue. 24-hour social blitzes rally shares with compelling stories and built-in deadlines. Donor-centric emails highlighting “your gift fed 500 families” remind supporters of their personal impact (not just yours). Recurring gift reactivations offering easy monthly opt-ins convert one-time givers into steady supporters.

Digital approaches suit small teams perfectly. In our experience, virtual fundraising removes geographic barriers while keeping costs minimal, and Funraise P2P fundraisers raise 2x more than industry averages (Funraise Growth Statistics).

Common Challenges We See Daily

Look, before nonprofits switch to Funraise or even while getting started, we witness these relatable struggles all the time:

• the “spray and pray” approach: organizations send identical reactivation emails to everyone who’s lapsed, completely ignoring whether someone gave three months ago versus three years ago (segmentation really does make all the difference),
• manual thank-you burnout: executive directors spending hours on individual acknowledgments while donations sit unprocessed (and here’s the thing about automation: it isn’t impersonal when you do it thoughtfully),
• event-only thinking: teams convinced they need massive galas to reconnect supporters, exhausting themselves planning logistics when simpler digital campaigns could work way better,
• data scattered everywhere: donation records in one system, emails in another, event registrations in spreadsheets (without centralized tracking, re-engagement becomes guesswork instead of strategy).

April Earth & Awareness Activations

Leverage Earth Day and awareness months for community involvement with these high-impact activities:

Idea	Description	Re-engagement Hook	Potential Revenue Stream
Earth Day cleanups	Partner for park/beach events	Invite lapsed via SMS for volunteer spots	Sponsorships, $10 entry fees
Autism Awareness workshops	Co-create with community input	Personalized invites to past family donors	Ticketed sessions ($20+)
Plant/tree sales	Sell local saplings online/in-person	“Replant your support” emails	$5-50 per item bundles
April Fools pranks	Humorous impact reveals turning to asks	Tag inactive supporters playfully	Surprise donation upsells

Protip: Use multi-channel approaches (email plus social plus direct mail) for 2x higher reactivation rates. Track everything with tools like Funraise’s built-in reporting.

These outdoor ideas combat donor fatigue, and spring events historically peak donations in April and May (Teak Media).

AI-Powered Campaign Planning Prompt

Ready to supercharge your spring planning? Copy and paste this prompt into ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, or your preferred AI assistant:

I'm planning a spring fundraising campaign for my nonprofit focused on [YOUR CAUSE AREA]. Our target audience is [DESCRIBE YOUR SUPPORTERS]. We have a team of [NUMBER] people and a budget of approximately [BUDGET AMOUNT]. Generate 10 creative, actionable spring fundraising ideas specifically tailored to re-engage lapsed donors who haven't given in 12-18 months. For each idea, include: the concept, estimated timeline, required resources, and one specific message angle that would resonate with someone who previously supported our mission but hasn't engaged recently.

That said, while AI tools provide excellent brainstorming support, remember that in daily nonprofit work, solutions like Funraise deliver AI components built directly into your workflow. This gives you full operational context right where you’re actually executing tasks, rather than constantly switching between separate platforms.

May Family & Holiday Ties

Focus on personal connections for emotional pulls during this relationship-focused month. Mother’s Day honor gifts with e-cards let donors tribute mom while supporting your cause. Pet Week tributes engage animal lovers with gifts honoring their furry friends. Graduation showcases feature program “graduates” while recruiting sponsors for new participants. Memorial Day care packages (digital or tangible) connect with military support networks.

Mother’s Day pampering events or golf outings add family fun elements, rekindling donor loyalty through shared experiences.

The most successful nonprofits don’t just ask for money. They create movements that people want to be part of, and spring gives you the perfect seasonal hook to re-invite people into your story.

Funraise CEO Justin Wheeler

Quick Digital & Gamified Ideas

Gamification drives participation without big budgets, making these perfect for lapsed donor reactivation:

Bracket challenges (March Madness-style) let supporters crowdfund brackets with built-in incentives. Temperature match days create goals where donations match the daily high temperature. Donor raffles enter past gifts for prizes without requiring new contributions initially (smart, right?). Opposite Day social pushes encourage wearing reverse colors and donating to “right” things.

These gamified tactics work because they’re shareable, time-bound, and fun rather than heavy-handed.

Protip: Integrate Funraise pop-ups for 12.1% monthly giving conversion lifts (Funraise Growth Statistics). Test them specifically on spring campaign landing pages.

Event-Based Community Builders

Host hybrid events blending fun with purpose. Easter egg hunts and golf tournaments bring families together. BBQs and field days create those casual connection points that feel natural, not forced. 5K run/walk-a-thons combine fitness with fundraising. Silent auctions with spring bundles featuring flowers and cleaning kits tap into seasonal needs.

These foster genuine belonging. Invite lapsed supporters as VIPs and collect their stories about why they first got involved. Honestly, personal reconnection often outperforms any campaign copy you could write (and we’re pretty decent writers).

Unconventional Fresh Twists

Stand out with quirky, shareable concepts that break through inbox clutter:

• googly eyes invasions where you sell googly eyes and safely decorate town landmarks create Instagram-worthy moments,
• egg baby challenges modernize the classic school project,
• vintage cookbook cook-offs requiring gelatin add retro fun (okay, maybe a li’l cheesy, but that’s the point),
• DIY mud runs use natural spring mud for low-cost outdoor challenges,
• secret handshakes taught to donors post-gift create that insider community feeling.

Funraise organizations grow online revenue 73% year-over-year (Funraise Growth Statistics), providing the financial cushion to test bold ideas like these.

Protip: Survey 10% of lapsed donors pre-campaign for feedback. Reference their specific input in your outreach, and you’ll dramatically increase response rates.

Peer-to-Peer & Matching Powerhouses

Amplify reach through supporter networks with these community fundraiser ideas:

Facebook-synced P2P campaigns deliver 83% fundraising increases (Funraise Growth Statistics). Company matching alerts during spring “double your impact” windows maximize gifts. Scavenger hunts themed around Cinco de Mayo or Purim combine culture with cause. Surprise $5 gifts mysteriously delivered create buzz and reciprocity.

Peer-to-peer strategies re-engage through advocacy rather than direct asks, which feels less pushy. One Funraise campaign raised $340K in weeks using P2P approaches (Funraise Growth Statistics).

Hybrid Volunteer & Drive Combos

Blend service with fundraising asks for supporter reactivation:

Spring cleaning drives and garage sales turn decluttering into dollars. Pet walks and flower deliveries combine service with joy. Beach days and bonfires create casual cultivation events (not everything needs to be a formal gala). Thing drives collecting socks or toys engage those who can’t give financially right now but still want to help.

Research shows early outreach to lapsed donors (around the 13th month) yields best reactivation results (Team Allegiance). So don’t wait until they’ve been gone three years.

Protip: Automate thank-yous and impact reports through platforms like Funraise for consistent stewardship that enables 1000% recurring growth potential (Funraise Growth Statistics).

Sustaining Your Spring Wins

With donations historically peaking in April and May (Teak Media), stack multiple ideas to maintain momentum. Build-a-budget workshops educate while engaging. Farm-fresh feasts celebrate local partnerships. Zoo baby bingo connects families to your mission. Stream-your-series documentaries share impact stories in binge-worthy formats.

The beauty of spring fundraising campaigns? They’re incredibly adaptable. Start small with one virtual idea if your team is stretched thin. The 60+ concepts outlined here work for organizations of any size because they focus on genuine re-engagement rather than just transactional requests.

Want to implement these ideas without adding to your already overwhelming workload? Funraise offers both free and premium tiers designed specifically for nonprofits of all sizes. Test the platform with no commitments and discover why users consistently report higher conversion rates and recurring revenue growth. Start for free at funraise.org and bring your spring campaigns to life with tools that work as hard as you do.