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By mid-summer, fundraising can feel a little different. Colleagues are in and out on annual leave, some deadlines may have eased and the usual rhythm of meetings and activity can shift. For some charities, summer is anything but quiet, but if you do find yourself with a little breathing space, it can be a great opportunity to look at your fundraising more broadly. Here are five things you can do to reset your fundraising and get ready for the months ahead.

1. Take Stock of What’s Working

When you’re busy moving between applications, campaigns and other fundraising activities, it can be difficult to find the time to stop and look at the bigger picture. If summer brings a little more breathing space, use it to consider what’s working well and where your time and energy are having the greatest impact.

Look beyond the amount of money raised. Perhaps you’ve developed a promising new relationship with a funder, seen a better response to a particular type of communication or found that one activity is taking far more time than the return justifies. You don’t necessarily need a formal review or a new strategy. Sometimes simply taking the time to notice what’s working, what isn’t and what you might do differently is enough to give your fundraising a useful reset.

2. Review Your Funding Mix

It’s easy for charities to become reliant on the funding streams they know best, particularly when time and resources are limited. But taking a step back can help you spot opportunities to broaden your income and build greater resilience.

Look at where your funding currently comes from and consider whether there are other areas worth exploring. That might mean developing your individual giving, building relationships with major donors or looking at corporate partnerships. For others, trusts and foundations or legacy giving may offer more potential.

Diversifying doesn’t mean trying to do everything at once. Different income streams require time and investment, so think about what is realistic for your charity and where there is the strongest fit. Summer could be a useful time to do some initial research and identify one or two opportunities you’d like to explore further.

3. Nurture Your Existing Relationships

Fundraising relationships shouldn’t only become a priority when you need to ask for support. Those relationships might include individual supporters, major donors, trusts and foundations, corporate partners or previous funders. Is there someone you haven’t spoken to for a while? Perhaps you have an update they would genuinely be interested in, or an opportunity to show them what their support has helped to achieve.

Not every conversation needs to have an ask attached. Keeping people informed and involved helps them understand your work and reminds them that their contribution is valued. Relationships take time to develop, and investing in them when you don’t immediately need something can help build stronger support for the future.

4. Strengthen Your Fundraising Foundations

There are always those fundraising jobs that are important, but somehow get pushed down the list when there’s an application deadline or campaign to deliver. A little extra space over the summer can be a good opportunity to give some attention to the foundations that support your fundraising.

Take a look at the information and resources you rely on regularly. Is your case for support still up to date? Do you have recent impact data and strong case studies to draw on? It may also be a good time to speak to colleagues delivering your services, or to involve beneficiaries in gathering the insight and experiences that help bring your work to life.

Getting these foundations in place now can save a lot of time later. More importantly, it means that when the next opportunity comes along, you have the evidence and insight you need to make a strong case for support.

5. Do Some Forward Planning

Taking some time to look ahead can make the next few months feel much more manageable. Have a look at upcoming funding deadlines, campaigns and other opportunities, and think about what you could put in place now to make life easier later.

That might mean starting conversations with potential funders, researching new opportunities or thinking about the activity you want to prioritise over the coming months. You don’t need to map out every detail, but having a clearer idea of what’s ahead can help you focus your time and avoid the last-minute rush.

And finally, if summer does bring a change of pace, don’t feel you have to fill every spare moment. We all need some downtime, and taking a proper break can give you a fresh perspective on all sorts of things. Sometimes stepping away for a while is exactly what you need to come back with renewed energy and new ideas.

Wishing you a happy summer, and hopefully some time to switch off and recharge too.