Fundraising Tips and Tricks

Creating a 12 Month Fundraising Plan

Nonprofits and charity groups need to create a strong 12 month fundraising plan to ensure a steady stream of funds to use for community work. With 2023 just around the corner, now is the time to make a fundraising calendar template for the year ahead and ensure a successful 2023!

Drawing up a 12 month fundraising plan is a sensible idea for any nonprofit. Creating a fundraising planner for the year helps charity groups to include a variety of fundraising events, plan accordingly for resources needed across the year, and help ensure financial stability. This article includes different 12 month fundraiser plans for your nonprofit group, school club, or sports group to give you an idea of how to plan a fundraiser for each month of the year.

So grab your pen and paper and take notes for how to create your own successful fundraising program for the year ahead!

Create A Unique Template For Fundraising

When it comes to creating a template for fundraising, there’s no one-size-fits-all. Each nonprofit is different in terms of its audience, budget, resources, and the people it serves. For this reason, every nonprofit should have a unique 12 month fundraising plan tailored to its supporters, available resources, and goals.

When creating your 12 month fundraising plan, consider when in the calendar year you may need more funds depending on what your group does. For example, school groups will be more active during the semester, whereas nonprofits may find themselves busier during the winter.

Secondly, it’s important to include a wide range of fundraising activities that appeal to all audiences. Include activities suitable for kids and teenagers, alongside activities that are family friendly or that adults will also enjoy. The good thing is that with a 12 month fundraising plan you can vary the activity each month to create a strong fundraising program across the year!

Finally, it’s good to schedule events across your 12 month fundraising plan to vary in terms of cost and expenses. Hosting three expensive fundraisers in a row could cause financial difficulty down the line.

By considering cost, audience, and season in your fundraising plan, you’ll be setting your group up for huge success this year!

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.

Fundraising plans for nonprofits

Consider the following fundraising plan for nonprofits, which you can adapt to your own organization’s purpose and needs.

January	New Year’s Challenge	Create a New Year’s challenge to kickstart your fundraising year. Organize a Fun Run or a month-long challenge such as no alcohol or 10,000 steps every day. Individuals can raise funds through sponsorship.
February	Quiz night	Host a quiz night, either online or in-person. Create your own quiz or grab one online. Teams pay an entrance fee.
March	Restaurant Fundraiser	Choose from one of the hundreds of restaurants in your local area that offer fundraisers and invite the community to eat out for a good cause. Find local restaurants near you. For every order made through your event, a percentage of sales will be donated back to your cause!
April	Easter Event	Host an Easter egg hunt, Easter basket decorating competition, or Easter movie night to engage with children and young families.
May	Donation drive	Organize a donation drive to collect clothes, food, books, or toys, depending on your cause. Donation Drives are the perfect low-cost nonprofit groups to plan for a quieter month. Check out this post for tips on hosting a Donation Drive fundraiser.
June	Golf Tournament	Sports competitions are always popular and effective fundraising ideas! Participants pay to enter the tournament and spectators pay to watch. Enjoy some early summer sun and show off those golf skills! If not golf, you could also hold a tennis, baseball, mini-golf, or basketball tournament.
July	Movie night	Take advantage of the warmer summer nights to host an outdoor movie night. Put on a feel-good film and raise funds through ticket sales.
August	Summer Fair	Celebrate summer with a fantastic summer day out! Get volunteers to host different stalls, such as games, food, and live music. Raise funds through tickets funds and stalls sales, and enjoy a day connecting with your community.
September	Krispy Kreme Digital Dozens	Krispy Kreme Digital Dozens is a delicious and easy fundraiser for the end of summer. With Digital Dozens, supporters can enjoy some Original Glazed donuts and up to 70% of sales will be donated to your cause! Book your Digital Dozens campaign here.
October	Halloween Fundraiser	Choose your favourite spooky activity and get fundraising! From pumpkin carving to costume parties and scary movies, there’s no shortage of Halloween fundraiser options, suitable for all ages.
November	Thanksgiving fundraiser	Pot-luck dinners, Turkey Trots, and pumpkin pie competitions are just some of the Thanksgiving fundraisers that are great for kids, families, and adults alike. Embrace the festivities and raise funds! You can find more ideas for a Thanksgiving fundraiser here.
December	Festive gala event	One to always include in a fundraising plan for nonprofits - a Gala is the ultimate way to raise funds! Host an evening of music, food, and drink and raise funds through tickets, auctions, and other donations.

Fundraising plans for schools

When fundraiser planning for schools, pay attention to the school semester and plan your fundraising template in line with busier months, such as the run up to the new school year.

January	Car boot Sale	Kickstart the new year with a simple but effective fundraiser. Get everyone to bring any items they no longer have use for - clothes, toys, books, CDs, DVDs, games, etc - and organize a car boot sale in the school parking lot. All proceeds go towards your cause.
February	Valentines momentos	Plan a fundraiser in the month of love when kids can send momentos to friends, such as candies or cards for a small price. Spread the love and raise funds too!
March	Bake Sale	Each class takes it in turn to bake and sell their goodies at recess. All proceeds go towards your cause!
April	Talent Contest	A talent contest is a super fun fundraiser event for schools. Set a date and invite kids to sign up to showcase their talents, from music to dance to standup - anything goes. Sell tickets to raise funds and enjoy a night a superb talent!
May	Restaurant fundraiser	A super easy school fundraiser that kids and parents can all enjoy. Choose a local restaurant giving back near your and book a restaurant meal to raise funds for your cause. A percentage of all sales is donated back to your group. Search local restaurants here.
June	Sponsored Summer reading	Challenge kids to keep up their reading throughout the summer with a reading challenge. Parents and family pledge a donation for every book a child reads, and the child who reads the most over the summer wins a prize!
July	Summer Sports Day	Take advantage of the summer weather and organize a Sports Day for kids while on school break. Get children active and keep them busy during the holiday, while collecting funds for the new school year.
August	Donation Drive	As kids head back to school, organize a donation drive to collect books, textbooks, toys, or other items that either your organization needs or to donate to kids without!
September	Krispy Kreme Fundraiser	Welcome in the new semester with a donut fundraiser. With the Krispy Kreme Digital Dozens campaign, everyone can enjoy a box of delicious Original Glazed donuts, and your group will receive a donation of up to 70% of all sales. Book your Digital Dozens campaign here.
October	Pumpkin carving competition	Get in the Halloween mood with a spooky competition for the best pumpkin! Kids pay to enter and everyone can vote on their favourite design using a dollar bill to raise funds.
November	Coin Drive	Host a coin drive across the school to raise funds for your cause. Kids all bring in loose change from home to see how far you can create a coin loop around the school!
December	Secret Santa	Children always get excited by Christmas, so plan a fundraiser around the theme. Organize a charitable Secret Santa where kids can donate a present and take one out for a small cost, raising funds and spreading Christmas joy at the same time! For more great Holiday Fundraiser ideas, check out this blog.

Fundraising plans for sports groups

Putting together a fundraising plan for sports groups can be really fun. Make sure to include lots of active challenges as well as a variety of different events for the most effective year of fundraising!

January	Games night	Start of the New Year with a friendly games night for the team, such as a quiz, beetle drive, board games, or a Mario Kart tournament. Make it extra fun with great snacks for the kids and charge for entry tickets to raise funds.
February	Parent/Child sports match	Parents and kids battle it out to see who will win! Charge for participation but also spectator tickets, and make sure to get some lemonade stalls and other food stops for the crowd to raise extra funds.
March	Bake sale	One to include in every fundraiser planning template! Get the team into the kitchen to bake some delicious goods to sell after a club meet. It’s the perfect way to raise funds and a delicious way to refuel after training!
April	Sports showcase	Invite friends and family to a fun evening event to showcase the team’s talents and skills. It’s a great way to show parents what their kids have been up to and also prepare for the upcoming season and competitions. Sell tickets to raise funds and enjoy a night a superb talent!
May	Krispy Kreme Fundraiser	A super easy and effective way to raise funds. With Digital Dozens, individuals can enjoy a box of Krispy Kreme Original Glazed donuts and up to 70% of all sales will be donated back to your cause! Simply book your event and spread the word to start raising funds with Digital Dozens. Book your Digital Dozens campaign here.
June	Car wash fundraiser	A sports team car wash is a quick and simple summer fundraising idea that always works! Set up in a central location, such as a parking lot, and spread the word. Charge for each wash and enjoy the sunshine while you work!
July	Virtual fundraiser event	Organize a virtual fundraiser event in the off-season, such as a social media challenge or and online class, like art or cooking. Explore this blog for more virtual fundraising ideas.
August	Summer camp-out	Invite kids on a weekend away or overnight camp out! Give parents a night off and get children outdoors for a few days of adventure and team bonding. You’ll need a few volunteers and some camping kit too, so ask around your community to see who could help out! Raise funds through participation fees.
September	Team stash sale	Wear the sport club colours proud by selling custom stash to team members and supporters. There are lots of great websites where you can design team stash for a reasonable price. Take orders in advance and raise funds for your cause!
October	Halloween fundraiser	Embrace the spooky season with a Halloween fundraiser. A fancy dress party, pumpkin carving, or other spooky activity - there are lots of options! Check out this blog for more great spooky fundraiser ideas.
November	Fall fundraiser event	Celebrate the season with a fall fundraiser event - but with a sporty twist! Host a Fantasy football event to raise funds and get everyone invested in the sports season. Check out this blog for more ideas.
December	Restaurant fundraiser	Celebrate the hard work the team has put in this year and enjoy a meal out at your favourite restaurant! With a restaurant fundraiser, the whole team can enjoy delicious food while raising for their cause. Simply choose a place and a date, and a percentage of all sales will be donated back to your cause. Find local restaurants near you.

Planning a fundraiser: the basics

Whatever type of charitable group you are, there are a few basic considerations when it comes to planning a fundraiser and creating a complete 12 month fundraising plan.

Audience

Make sure to plan fundraisers that appeal to your main audience, be that kids, families, or adults. Whatever your demographic, the most important thing is to include a good variety of fundraiser events in your fundraising calendar template for the best results.

Budget

Planning a fundraiser can be more or less expensive, depending on the event. When creating a 12 month fundraising plan be sure to spread the more costly events, such as galas and concerts, with less costly events, like restaurant fundraisers and bake sales. This strategic fundraising planning will ensure that you don’t run low on funds during the year.

Time of the year

With so many national holidays, seasonal events, and festivals to celebrate, it would be crazy not to take advantage of them when planning a fundraiser. Turn traditional Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas activities into a seasonal fundraiser for all to enjoy.

Let’s get planning!

We hope this article has got you excited for 2023 and all the fabulous fundraisers your nonprofit or charity group is going to hold. Take inspiration from these sample 12 month fundraising plans and create your own template for fundraising to have a successful year.

While you’re here, make sure to check out which of your local restaurants offer fundraisers to raise funds in the most delicious way possible!

Find local restaurants giving back near you

Katie Tincello