That is a great question, and one I get asked quite frequently. There are many factors that need to be taken into account when planning YOUR campaign. But strictly speaking in terms of the best time of year, there are three optimal options:
- Fall. After the kids get back into school, summer vacations are over and people are back into a routine is the optimal time to raise money. It’s easiest to recruit volunteers during this time (and it takes a village to do this work!) and easiest to reach people by phone when there is a little more predictability to their schedules.
- Winter. What else are we going to do in the winter (unless of course you’re lucky enough to live somewhere warm like I do now? Hee! Hee!)? But seriously, late January through March (and even into April) can prove a good time to both recruit volunteers and raise capital.
- Spring. The third best option is to hold a campaign in spring, before kids get out of school and the craziness of summer commences. A spring campaign should end before kids get out of school. So depending on where you live, that might be May or even June.
The times of year you should avoid are:
- The holidays. Mid-November to early January are super busy. Not only are our schedules jam packed, we are consumed with holiday spending and less likely to be as generous as we might be if approached at another time.
- Summer. Kids are out of school, people are taking vacations and schedules are less predictable. I’ve seen (and participated!) in campaigns that take place in the summer…but if I had to choose (and sometimes circumstances don’t allow us a choice) I’d chose a time other than the summer.
Got a question about when the right time for YOUR co-op to start a capital campaign? Let’s talk about it over a 30 minute free consultation slot.
