17 Spring Fundraising Event Ideas to Inspire Your Donors This Season

With warmer temperatures and more sunlight to enjoy, spring is a terrific time of year to host a fundraising event. The options are endless – from flower and garden inspired events to food and family-fun events, your organization can capitalize on the renewed energy of the season to fundraise for your cause.

If you’re in need of some inspiration, explore these 17 spring-inspired fundraising event ideas:

1. Flower-Arranging Workshop

Invite a local florist to offer a flower-arranging class with all ticket sales benefitting your cause. Event sponsors provide the flowers and other materials (vases, stem cutters, etc.), and attendees walk away with a colorful, seasonal bouquet.

2. Container Garden Class

Partner with a local nursery to sponsor a container garden or window box-making class. Attendees can bring their own plants or garden supplies or purchase them from the nursery. Offer tickets to purchase, or ask the nursery to donate a portion of sales to your cause.

3. Ladybug Release Party

Offer an educational session recognizing the importance of ladybugs to the local environment as pollinators and pest control. Invite children and families to attend this outdoor celebration ending with a ladybug release. Include craft stations for children and charge for ticketing.

4. Garden Tours

Host a ticketed garden party in which event attendees can tour local, private gardens. Have a horticultural guide or garden docent guide and educate your attendees. For an even more elegant experience, invite local artists to paint scenes along the tour path and provide live music. Offer various ticket tiers with benefits including drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

5. Egg Hunts

Coordinate a family-friendly egg hunt with an opportunity for local businesses to staff booths promoting their services. Offer prizes for children who collect the most eggs. Set up spring-related craft tables for other hands-on activities.

6. Picnic in the Park

Host an afternoon of food and fun in the sun with a picnic in the park. Pair live music with picnic basket lunches. Set up yard games such as bocce, cornhole, or badminton. Offer a VIP-ticket type for catered picnic basket lunches, or invite guests to bring their own.

7. Bird Watching Walk and Talk 

Work with a local birding expert and offer a ticketed walk and talk bird-watching event. This intimate event allows participants to learn more about the birds they see each day in their own backyards and community. Offer binoculars and bird guides to aid in the learning experience.

8. Toy Boat Race

Raise your sails for your cause in this fun competition! All participants build their own toy boats to race in a local pond. Charge an entry fee to enter the race with the option to create a peer-to-peer fundraiser. Offer prizes to winners provided by local businesses.

9. Pickleball or Golf Tournaments

Pickleball and golf tournaments offer a variety of ways to support your organization. Require player and team registrations with the option to create team fundraising pages. Offer hole or court sponsorships for brand visibility for corporate partners. Raffles and swag bags can incentivize participation and event sign-ups.

10. Spring Cleaning Yard Sale

Host a giant yard sale with donated items from your supporters. All the proceeds from the sale benefit your organization. Provide tablets with QR codes for those who wish to donate directly.

11. Composting Workshop

Support environmental stewardship in your community by hosting a composting workshop. Ask a member of your local government’s sustainability department to lead this workshop. Attendees will walk away with knowledge to build an at-home compost bin and understand safe composting practices. Generate funding through ticket sales and brand sponsorships from mission-aligned organizations.

12. Art Show

Recognize World Art Day (April 15) with an art show and competition exhibiting art that reflects your mission. Offer prizes from local businesses for top-performing art, or allow for donation-based voting to select competition winners.

13. May Day Celebration

Celebrate the half-way point to summer with a May Day event – a holiday traditionally celebrated on May 1^st. Invite event attendees and families and friends to this ticketed event. Dance around the May Pole, make a May Day basket, and perform live music for attendees to enjoy. Offer ticket prices or ask for donations at entry.

14. Passover, Easter, or Interfaith Spring Dinner

Many faiths celebrate significant religious holidays during the springtime. Offer an interfaith spring dinner that recognizes each of these faith’s contributions to your community. Offer various ticket types to enjoy culturally-relevant food and invite faith leaders to speak about the power of giving back.

15. Spring Harvest Dinner

Partner with local restaurants in your community for a ticketed Spring Harvest Dinner. Chefs prepare dishes celebrating the season. Offer table sponsorships to generate support from businesses. For VIPs, consider including a “Garden to Table” cooking demonstration with ingredients that allow attendees to recreate the meal at home.

16. Petting Zoo 

Host a family-friendly petting zoo day where families and children can play and interact with animals from a local farm. Offer feeding stations, invite local food trucks, and backyard style games. For an added layer of fun, conduct a naming competition for any new-born animals.

17. Mother’s Day Brunch or High Tea

Honor and celebrate mothers by hosting a brunch or high tea event. Include a silent auction with sponsored gifts from salons, spas, and other local shops. Offer a VIP experience with options for prosecco or champagne.

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Beyond selecting an engaging theme, perfect venue, and fun activities, it’s critical to use an Event Management system to execute a successful spring fundraising event. Events functionality within StratusLIVE Ignite empowers event managers to coordinate all event details while tracking and communicating with attendees with ease.

Once the event concludes, your engagement journey with your attendees just begins. Leverage the other engagement methods within Ignite – including DIY or Peer-to-Peer fundraising, volunteering, donation pages, and more to encourage your attendees to increase their involvement with your cause. See it in action!