The best church fundraising ideas make for successful campaigns and are a great way to support your faith and ministry. Whether you are raising funds for a special mission trip, important youth group work, or resources for new church programs, we have compiled several creative church fundraising events and ideas to help organize a successful church fundraising campaign.
Benefits of Church Fundraising Initiatives
If you’re looking for church fundraising ideas, your group needs to raise money. But there are benefits outside of raising funds when it comes to getting the congregation excited about your cause. Some of the benefits of church fundraising campaigns include the following:
• Strengthening of faith for active fundraising congregation members
• Raising funds for the development of church resources and educational programs
• Bringing people and talents together in new and fun ways outside of typical worship services
• Providing great opportunities to socialize and get to know members of the congregation better
Choosing a Church Fundraiser
Church fundraising is an increasingly important part of a church’s calendar and something that many churches are good at implementing. Selecting a suitable fundraising event can add to your congregation’s passion for an event and inspire those around you to support the needs of your church. As you paint a picture of how the money will be used for equipment and supplies, missionary or community activities, maintenance, staff costs, or facilities – consider the church fundraising ideas that will inspire a donation and best support your church’s mission. church youth fundraisers
Our Top Church Fundraising Events and Ideas
Churches have many fundraising options to choose from. So, what type of church fundraiser is right for your church or group? It’s important to get a small planning group together who are involved in choosing the event type. When considering the season, weather, holidays, and regular community events, the time frame plays a part in your event choices. It’s also a good idea to try and evenly space the different fundraising activities throughout the year and choose a few different event types to keep things interesting. Here are our top fundraising ideas for churches and church youth groups.
Crowdfunding & Peer to Peer Church Fundraising Events
Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or initiative by raising money from a group of people. Nonprofit P2P crowdfunding allows individuals to reach out to their network to raise funds while acting on behalf of an organization they feel passionate about. Crowdfunding may also be referred to as peer-to-peer fundraising because of how people ask their peers for financial support for a mission. This type of fundraising can help to foster a deeper understanding of the church’s mission and helps to build important new relationships among its local residents.Peer-to-peer church fundraising ideas can take many forms. Walk-a-thons and Fun Runs are the quintessential peer-to-peer event, but these events can be customized to further enable the church’s mission and ministry. What about a pray-a-thon, write-a-thon, or meditation sit-a-thon? Many organizations are now using peer to peer with virtual fundraising campaigns as well.
Our peer-to-peer software allows churches and organizations to efficiently manage these events and raise more money. Each supporter has a personal page with a fundraising thermometer, statement, and images. Participants can easily share their fundraising effort on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media channels. By letting others know why your mission matters and how it helps your church, others are motivated to give.
Community Serve-a-thons
Another interesting church fundraising idea to consider is creating a variation of the peer-to-peer theme with a community serve-a-thon event. A serve-a-thon not only provides a fundraising opportunity but also makes a positive impact on the community. The church youth group decides on a serve-a-thon day where youth group members volunteer their time serving various organizations in the community.
Youth groups raise money by reaching out to family and friends and asking for donations in support of their service. In turn, participants provide the community with a type of service – whether it be a park or road clean up, painting of the church or local community center, or helping the church’s elderly at home. People interested in contributing go online to make donations and read about the type of service participants will provide once their fundraising goals are met. Common projects include helping homeless and crisis shelters, assisting the elderly, caring for less fortunate children, and participating in environmental conservation programs.
One of the biggest benefits of a youth fundraising program like this is that children learn to become servant leaders while helping their church or youth group meet their financial needs. Consider adding awards for top fundraisers. This can provide additional incentive for children to fundraiser through competition, and learn about setting goals and striving to achieve them.
Religious Items and Apparel Sales
Product sales are always a great way to get church youth groups involved in raising funds for your church and can work especially well at Catholic churches. Be sure to choose products that are in line with the vision of your church such as rosaries, bibles, and candles. All of these items can make for a successful fundraising sales campaign. Consider implementing a fundraising sales contest during seasons where certain items are in high demand. Why not sell nativity sets, advent calendars, angel tree-toppers, or religious-themed wrapping paper, to celebrate Christmas? Or what about items to fill Easter baskets and teach kids about the reason for the season? A candle fundraiser can be incorporated into either of these holidays.
Church groups can also sell branded merchandise online or at church services and events. Create beautiful, unique designs on a platform such as Printful, for church t-shirts, sweatshirts, coffee mugs, bumper stickers, hats, or blankets. A table can be set up to sell these items every Sunday, or you can set up an eCommerce store and sell them online. Add a blog to the website to boost sales and report about your mission trip fundraising goals and progress.
If you want to sell branded merchandise for your church without paying for inventory costs, you can use a platform like Bonfire. Their t-shirt fundraising platform is an easy, risk-free way to raise money for your church.
Christmas Fundraising Campaigns
Many churches run fundraising campaigns around Christmas. The holiday giving season is kicked off just after Thanksgiving, with #GivingTuesday, and runs through the end of the year. Churches cannot ignore year-end giving campaigns since many organizations receive 30% or more of their fundraising dollars for the entire year during this period. This is the time of year when people want to give back and share.
Community-Based Fundraising Events
Community-based fundraising events are an excellent option for church fundraisers. Plan for community fundraising events and activities that require cooperation and encourage involvement for families and your congregation. For most events, you’ll raise funds by selling treats or handicrafts, charging admission or a ticket price, or collecting donations at the event. We have collected a list of community-based fundraising ideas for churches.
Breakfast Fundraisers
Organizing a breakfast fundraiser after church can be a relatively simple event that builds community. Let the congregants of your church join in after the mass to enjoy bagels, coffee, and other baked breakfast goods. Sometimes these breakfasts are also offered to the homeless community to add a service component to your campaign. Offering more gourmet and brunch options for the breakfast fundraiser will allow you to charge more for admission and draw a larger audience. Include a bake sale at the door so supporters can take home some treats for later. Of course, you’ll need the chefs and cooks to make this happen.