How to Keep Fundraising Momentum During Winter

Winter Fundraising: How to Keep Giving Alive Between Events

When the fairways frost over and tournament season ends, fundraising doesn’t have to go dormant with it. Winter is one of the most underused stretches of the year — a quiet window where nonprofits can keep their community engaged and their mission funded, even without a live event on the calendar. As the founder of Colorado Under Par, I’ve seen organizations treat winter as downtime and others turn it into a genuine fundraising season. Here’s how to keep giving alive between events. (For using the off-season to plan next year, see our off-season planning guide — this post is about fundraising in the meantime.)

Why winter is worth fundraising in

Two things make the cold months better for fundraising than they look. First, your community is still warm right after your event — the goodwill, the connection, the memory of the day are all fresh, and that’s exactly when people are most inclined to stay involved. Second, the holiday and year-end stretch is when generosity naturally peaks. Let the season pass quietly and you waste both. A little activity in winter keeps your mission present and your donors engaged, so you’re not starting cold when event season returns.

Winter fundraising ideas that work

You don’t need a tournament to raise money. A few formats that work well in the off-season, with low cost and low overhead:

• Virtual raffles or contests. A fun, low-lift way to re-engage your audience without gathering anyone in person. Sell tickets online for a donated prize and run the whole thing remotely. (Our raffles and auctions guide covers how to run these well.)
• Holiday giving campaigns. Invite donations in honor of loved ones, or build a simple seasonal appeal around the spirit of giving. The holidays put people in a generous frame of mind — meet them there.
• Corporate match drives. This is the big winter opportunity. Many companies have year-end budget to use and matching-gift programs to deploy. Reaching out now, while those budgets are open, can double donations and tap businesses looking to close the year with community impact.
• A year-end donation push. A clear, timely reminder that gifts before December 31 are tax-deductible genuinely motivates end-of-year giving. (More on this in our year-end giving guide.)

Pick one or two that fit your community rather than trying to run them all — consistency beats volume in the off-season too.

Don’t let the post-event connection cool

If you’ve just wrapped a tournament, your warmest fundraising opportunity is the follow-through. While the community is still engaged, reach out with gratitude and purpose: send genuine thank-yous to your golfers, sponsors, and volunteers; share highlight reels that show the difference they made; and ask for feedback that will sharpen next year’s event. This isn’t just good manners — it’s how you keep supporters connected through the quiet months so they’re ready to give and play again. (Our post-event follow-up guide goes deep on this.)

Use the quiet to set up the next season

Winter fundraising and winter planning go hand in hand. While you keep giving alive, use the same calm window to get ahead on next year: lock your venue before the calendar fills, renew sponsors while this year’s results are fresh, and refresh your marketing collateral so you launch with visibility. We cover that handoff in our guides to off-season planning and locking in next year’s sponsors. The activities keep your community warm; the planning makes sure you’re ready to capitalize on it.

Final thoughts

Winter may slow the play, but it doesn’t have to slow the progress. Keep your community engaged with a low-key fundraising activity or two, follow through on the goodwill from your last event, and use the quiet to set up the next season. Stay visible and active through the off-season, and you’ll head into event season with momentum instead of a cold start.

When you’re ready, explore our Resource Center to plan your next event, and list it on Colorado Under Par to reach participants across the state.

Best regards,
Andrew Mueller, Founder, Colorado Under Par