Make no mistake about it—giving in the summertime always declines for nonprofits and ministries.
The key question every nonprofit must answer is: When does the dip begin, and when does giving begin to rebound? The answer is usually different for each organization..
Timing is critical.
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For some, the decline begins around Memorial Day weekend
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For others, it’s when children return home for summer break
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In some cases, giving doesn’t dip until the Fourth of July holiday
Understanding when your summer slump begins is essential. It’s the secret to launching proven fundraising strategies before it’s too late.
You need to be deploying key industry best practices approximately 30 days before the summer slump begins. Wait too late and you have made a big mistake. Move too early and you will minimize your impact dramatically.
Industry Best Practices for a Successful Summer Slump Campaign
1. Integrated Messaging by Channel
Make your Summer Slump messaging part of a coordinated communication strategy across:
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Direct mail
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Email
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Social media
Sometimes the truth works and in this case it most certainly does. Reminding donors that we
need them to make an extra gift now to help with the summer slump is critical.
2. The Magic of the 3-Gift Ask
Ask donors to consider making a small gift for each summer month.
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In direct mail, include three reply envelopes—ideally in different colors
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In email, provide a unique giving link for each month
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On social media, link to separate giving pages for each month
Some donors will give all three gifts up front, others will send or reply as each month arrives. Just remember, you will do follow ups with this campaign and you will track results over the 2-to-3-month period, not just over 4 to 6 weeks.
Be sure to follow up, and track results over a two-to-three-month period, not just over four to six weeks.
3. Engage Your Major Donors
Talk to your major donors. I mean have an actual phone or in person conversation. Email or text interactions are fine too but tell them the truth… during the summer people are hurting and giving overall declines.
Ask them point blank, “could you make a one-time special gift to help us during the summer slump?” Remember, you are looking for 5-figure+ gifts from this group.
4. Involve Your Middle Donors
Create a Summer Slump campaign. Give it a deadline. Your own personal countdown to disaster. Set a goal to raise a certain amount of money in the next 24 hours.
Explain the situation. Ask these donors who often give you $500 to $1,000 to consider giving 2 to 3 gifts smaller gifts to get you through the summer.
Many non-profits use the “24-in-24 model. Raise $24,000 over the next 24 hours. You just have to be targeted in who you are sending this message too.
You don’t want to downgrade giving from major donors who give you $10,000 a gift to giving you something much
smaller. Focus on your middles here.
Bonus Strategy
Finally, we’d be remiss if we did not encourage you to host a pre-summer community event. Tell your friends and neighbors the truth.
Often your biggest needs are in the hot summertime, and it is often when your donors give the least.
Be innovative. Have a 5k, a community yard sale, a bake sale, a BBQ contest.
Use your imagination. Telling others about your “summer slump” is the key to getting through it successfully.
Fit Fundraising works with nonprofits, large and small, in human services, international relief, advocacy and education. Founder Roy Jones has helped raise more than half a billion dollars over the last decade alone. Ready to elevate your fundraising efforts to new heights? Discover how Fit Fundraising can transform your results. You can reach Roy at rjones@fitfundraising.com.
