Why Lent AND Easter are powerful moments for fundraising

Lent might not be the first moment that comes to mind when planning your fundraising calendar. It can feel traditional, faith-bound, even slightly out of step with an increasingly secular society. But each year, it influences people’s behaviour across the country, prompting them to pause, reflect, give something up, and often give something back.

It’s easy to assume that traditional religious moments have lost their power.
The data seems to support this: in the 2021 Census of England and Wales, fewer than half of people (46.2%, or 27.5 million) described themselves as Christian – a sharp fall from 59.3% (33.3 million) just a decade earlier.

So it’s a reasonable challenge for charities to ask: is Lent still a relevant moment for fundraising?

The short answer is yes, and not only for faith‑based organisations.

Lent beyond religion

While fewer people may overtly identify as Christian, the values associated with Lent remain deeply embedded in our wider culture. Traditionally, Lent is a period shaped by:

• Self‑reflection and mindfulness
• Living more intentionally
• Caring for others and the world around us

These themes resonate far beyond church walls. Many people (and me included!) don’t  consider themselves as religious, yet still choose to ‘give something up’ during this period, whether that’s alcohol, social media, sugar or unnecessary spending. Increasingly, this takes the form of giving up to give back: using the discipline of Lent as a prompt to support a cause they care about.

In that sense, Lent has evolved from a purely religious moment into a broader cultural movement – one that invites reflection, generosity, and purposeful action.

Evolving tradition: the Trócaire Box

I’ve worked closely with Trócaire on the Trócaire Box appeal (formerly the Trócaire Lent Appeal), the most important moment in their fundraising calendar. Running for over 50 years, the Box has become a nationally recognised symbol of charitable giving in Ireland.

In recent years, Different Kettle has helped the charity evolve the appeal to reflect their changing audiences and priorities. This has included:

• Shifting the narrative to focus more strongly on the impact of climate change
• Refreshing the look, feel, and tone of the campaign
• Ensuring it resonates with more secular audiences, particularly schools

The result is a strong, impactful campaign, raising €8 million each year, empowering supporters and communities around the world. And as it remains rooted in tradition and in Trócaire’s core values, it also speaks clearly and credibly to new, less religious supporters.

Expanding Lent appeals beyond churches

We’ve also supported the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) in expanding their Individual Giving programme by introducing a Lent appeal into their fundraising calendar. SVP supports people experiencing poverty and loneliness, and while it is a Catholic charity, its mission connects with universal values of dignity, compassion, and community, which many people can connect with.

After exceeding targets last year, we’ve developed this year’s Lent appeal – soon to land on supporters’ doormats. It builds on that success and reinforcing Lent as a meaningful moment for generosity.

A season for all charities

While Lent may feel like an obvious choice for Christian organisations, its relevance extends well beyond them. With Lent comes Easter – a significant moment in the British calendar: the long-awaited Easter break and its mountain of chocolate eggs! But there’s also something less tangible and equally powerful: a sense of renewal, reflection, and optimism as spring arrives, which anyone can relate to – religious or not. That gives the Easter period natural momentum, making it a key date in fundraising calendars.

We’ve seen this play out clearly in the NSPCC’s Spring Appeal.  It’s not explicitly framed around Lent, yet it lands squarely in this seasonal window of reflection and generosity.  By focussing on the impact of local NSPCC services, helping supporters see the difference being made in their own communities, the appeal taps into that broader cultural moment rather than the religious one. The results have been strong, reinforcing that charities don’t need overt religious framing to benefit from the timing.

It’s less about Lent itself, and more about what Lent represents from a more universal perspective: a pause, a reset and a time to think about others.

Why it works

Lent and Easter prove to be effective fundraising moments not necessarily because of religious obligation, but because they align with how people naturally feel at this time of year. They invite reflection after winter, offer a sense of renewal, and encourage generosity – values that remain powerful regardless of belief.

Whether you have faith or not, Lent and Easter offer a natural moment when people are already reflecting, resetting and thinking about others. The opportunity isn’t to lean into religion unless it’s authentic to you – it’s to tap into that seasonal mindset with timely, hopeful fundraising that makes generosity feel like a natural next step.

Pauline Maugueret – Senior Account

If you want to find out more about how we can help you with developing your approach to giving, then get in touch at SayHi@differentkettle.com