Church Fund Raising

From LoveToKnow Charity

Church fund raising can be a lot of effort but is generally well worth it when you're able to give money to ministries that are then in turn able to help other people. Whether you hold a bake sale or do something more elaborate, there are ways to make sure that you can make as much money as possible without utterly exhausting yourself. Below, LoveToKnow Charity offers several tips and ideas for planning and running a church fund raising event.

Church Fundraisers

Planning for Church Fund Raising

There is a saying that if you aim for nothing you will get there every time. The best church fundraisers are well thought out and planned. People are more likely to give generously of their time and offerings when there is a clear and concise plan of what will be done with the money. For example, as opposed to a fundraiser for youth missions, make it a fundraiser for the youth group to take a trip to Honduras this spring. Specific projects always get better turn out than more vague ideas.

Common Ideas for Church Fundraising

Here are some tried and true favorites for fundraising. If this is your first time coordinating a fundraising event, considering doing something that has been done before is great route to take.

Spaghetti Dinner
Giant Tag Sale
Bake Sale
Cookbook Collection
Buy a brick (brick is engraved with families name).
Host an even like a concert, or show
Sell Christian merchandise
Buy something specific for another person
Gift in Kind drive (non-perishable cans, etc.)
Benefit walk or run

Church Fund Raising That's Off the Beaten Path

Here is a list of creative ideas for church fund raising. Some of these are old themes with a new twist.

A True Mystery Dinner

Have some willing thespians or talented youth that are willing to share their talents?

Have someone put together a talent show for the entertainment portion of the dinner. It doesn't have to be a mystery show. The "mystery" is actually the meal. Participants get a menu with strangely named items. So for example, straws covered in a thatched roof with rain could be spaghetti and meatballs. Make sure that you have also on the menu a fork, knife, napkin etc. They're allowed to order only a certain number of things. Guests don't know what they are ordering and so they have to guess. It's hilarious to see people trading a meatball for a fork, or a plate for a slice of bread so that they can eat their meal. It brings people together, is great fun, and is entertaining all at the same time! If you serve a pasta dish with garlic bread and salad, you can charge $10 per ticket. Sometimes you may even be able to get a catering service to donate food in exchange for free advertising.

Drive a Nail

Have a building project coming up or sending a missions team on a work project trip?

Tape a nail to a postcard. After church for several Sundays before you go, have a table set up where people can purchase the postcard and the nail. (Make sure that when they purchase the postcard, they fill it out with their address!) While you are on your trip, or after your building project, have members of the team write thank you notes on the postcards. Encourage them to share a personal testimony of what God is doing. If you've done a trip before, you can put a photo from last year's trip on this year's postcard.

Buy a Piece of the Puzzle

Have a need that is much bigger than a simple fundraiser?

Make a poster of what it is you're trying to achieve. Whether it be a new addition to the church building, raising funds for a shelter, or sending Bibles to a church overseas. Take the poster and cut it into puzzle pieces. Price the puzzle pieces according to the total cost of your project, but don't price them so as to discourage people from participating. Every time someone purchases a puzzle piece, you place it on the board and as more and more funds are raised, the picture becomes more and more clear.

Some Final Tips on Church Fund Raising

Exhausting as it may be, all the effort was well worth it when you see your goal realized. Remember to keep these tips in mind:

Seek to not only raise funds but educate the congregation on your project. They are more likely to support you in other ways if they know what's going on.
Don't plan fundraisers too close together even if they're for different things.
Get volunteers--a good fundraiser is run by several people all with different and specific jobs.
Communicate with the congregation after the even to let them know how their support blessed other people.