11 spring fundraising ideas we can’t stop thinking about

With the weather warming up, the days getting longer, and the school year coming to a close, your fundraising options are seemingly endless. Below, we share our favorite springtime ideas for raising money for your nonprofit, team, or other worthy cause.

11 spring fundraising ideas to celebrate the season

The sun's out, the trees are blooming, and with more disposable income available than during the holidays, it's a great time to hit the fundraising trail. Which of these 11 spring fundraisers might your organization adapt to fit your budget, needs, and community? 

1. Host a car wash 🚙

The snow, sleet, and mud are behind us—let's give those vehicles a spring cleaning!

Organize a car wash to raise money for your school, club, or good cause. Simply hit the local hardware store to collect water hoses, buckets, soap, and other necessities, then print some signs advertising the date and time of the fundraiser. And don't worry about handling cash—you can simply have each driver pay via Venmo (or the virtual payment method of their choice!) when their vehicle is sparkling clean.

2. Knock out your spring cleaning with a garage sale 🏡

Want to spark a little joy this spring? Then get rid of all those clothes, books, and other household belongings collecting dust in your home, and donate the proceeds to a good cause.

Get your neighbors involved and organize a community-wide garage sale to raise funds for a local nonprofit. Want to make things incredibly easy on your volunteers? Use text-to-donate so individuals can purchase items and donate directly to the organization in one convenient place.

3. Sponsor a golf tournament 🏌

The trees are finally budding, so don't you think it's time to hit the green?

Hosting a tournament at your local golf course is a wonderful way to raise funds. Plus, you can sell tickets at different price tiers, giving donors the option to select the package that works best for them. At the 14th Annual UGA HEROs Golf Tournament, donors chose from a single-player ticket, a team package, or a whole host of sponsorship packages and extras like buying a mulligan (an extra stroke). If a supporter wanted to give but found the $150 entry fee outside their budget, they could purchase drink tickets or simply type in a donation amount of their choosing.

4. Create a March Madness bracket 🏀

If you're a basketball fan, springtime means one thing: March Madness. For a fun online fundraising idea, create a bracket and donate buy-ins to a worthy cause.

This March Madness fundraiser from the Leukemia Research Foundation successfully raised over $2K (Spoiler alert: The campaign was so successful they launched a second pool and raised over a grand more!). The fundraiser organizers set an entry cost of $10 per bracket, or three brackets for $25. Once players donated, they sent out their link to ESPN's Tournament Challenge.

5. Throw a bake sale 🍪

Roll up your sleeves, put flour and sugar on this week's grocery list, and preheat the oven, changemakers! Or, you can put a twist the classic bake sale model by partnering with local restaurants and bakeries. The Austin Food and Wine Alliance did just that, raising over $16,000 for local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their no-contact bake sale used different kinds of ticket options on Givebutter to create a custom menu, wherein each "ticket" was actually a baked good available for purchase. Community businesses were able to profit during the pandemic, while community members enjoyed sweet treats baked locally.

6. Waltz in a fashion show 👚

Have you always imagined yourself strutting down the walkway? Well, why not strut your stuff while raising money for a nonprofit? There are so many ways to raise money through a fashion show. Proceeds can come in the form of ticket sales, raffles, or even a silent auction.

With their fashion show fundraiser, the Zeta Tau Alpha college sorority managed to raise over $20,000 for breast cancer awareness. After their event, these clever sisters kept the fundraising and fun going with a "Think Pink" week at their university, wearing their best pink looks across campus.

7. Make someone smile on Mother's Day 💐

One day out of 365 to recognize mothers as the superheroes they are will never be enough—so why not make this Mother’s Day extra special?

With Mother's Day just around the corner, you can plant flower bulbs or vegetables and sell the potted plants. Or, partner with a local nursery or community garden to make flower bouquets in exchange for a donation. Culminate your efforts with a community gathering where mothers and their children learn to make bouquets together, or you can make gardening kits available for pickup for families to do together at home.

8. Clean up for Earth Day 🌏

Spring is the perfect time to give back to the community and clean up your local park, basketball courts, or riverfront. To celebrate Earth Day (April 22) and raise money for your local team, community organization, or PTA, host a clean-up day.

To get you closer to your fundraising goal, consider organizing your fundraising campaign into a team fundraiser. Each volunteer who participates in the clean-up day can rally their friends to donate, sparking a little friendly competition through leaderboards and personalized pages.

10. Grab your shoes for a walk-a-thon 👟

With winter finally in your rearview mirror, it's time to get outside. Grab your walking shoes and host a walk-a-thon, raising money for a nonprofit organization.

Creature Comfort Pet Therapy was able to surpass their $60,000 goal by over 10 grand by sponsoring a "Furry Scurry" walk-a-thon for fur friends and humans alike. Event organizers took advantage of a fun promo video, peer-to-peer fundraising, and various sponsorship tiers to garner excitement for their walk. Plus, friends and family members got to partake in a healthy activity by walking throughout their hometown together.

11. Design spring break T-shirts 👕

Now that we're not bundled up under layers, it's time for a T-shirt sale.

A T-shirt sale is always a great fundraiser, and it's easy to combine a T-shirt sale with other fundraising events. You can create a T-shirt design contest, sell fun designs for spring break or an end-of-school-year bash, or sell tie-dye kits for a fun night at home.

🌸  Don't stop here! Learn how to make your fundraising bloom this spring and beyond -->

Spring forward with the right fundraising platform

Givebutter makes it incredibly simple to make your spring fundraiser a smashing success. With creative campaign features, numerous payment options, social media tools, and automated thank-you's, running a fundraising campaign or event has never been easier—or more fun.

Ready to launch your own campaign? Create your free Givebutter account now to start creating a gorgeous spring campaign in minutes.