10 Church Fundraising Ideas That Work

How to raise the funds your church requires.

Churches are nonprofit organizations. Like other 501(C)3 organizations, they require fundraising to sustain their operations. As churches grow to offer more services than just mass, they require more capital to cover the costs of such programs, including community meals, food and clothing distribution, daycare, counseling, and more. Funding raised also helps to cover general costs, including electricity, water, and maintenance.

10 Unique Church Fundraising Ideas

Try one of the ten church fundraising ideas below to bring needed capital to your congregation.

1. Host An Event

You can host a bake-off, yard sale, breakfast, or movie night. The options are endless. Ask for an admission fee or donation at the door.

2. Partner With Local Businesses

Asking a local business to sponsor your church is an excellent way for them to gain visibility while helping the local community. Typically, proceeds for a set period will be donated to your cause. Alternatively, they may offer a free product in exchange for donating to the church.

3. Social Media Campaigning

Social media is a fantastic tool for gaining visibility, educating about your needs, and asking for help to achieve your goals. Businesses take advantage of this, and churches should be as well.

4. Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a quick way to maximize your campaign so long as you have a reasonably sized group of supporters. Each participant will create a fundraising page and solicit donations from their network. All fundraising pages feed back to the homepage, which sends donations to the church.

5. Product Fundraisers

Selling a product is a time-tested fundraising method. Products include snacks, jewelry, discount cards, flowers, and mugs.

6. Text-to-Give

Text-to-Give is one of the most accessible fundraising methods today. Nearly everyone has a cell phone and knows how to text. It is as easy as donating to a preselected phone number. Donors can handle the donation process in minutes on their phones.

7. Philanthropic Fundraising

Give back to the local community while striving to reach your goals with a philanthropic fundraiser. Offer volunteer services such as lawn care, babysitting, or house cleaning at a low rate to community members. You may also partner with another local nonprofit. Participants will sign up and pay a small fee to volunteer with food pantries, shelters, and other social businesses.

8. Merchandise and Apparel Sale

Let people wear their faith while contributing to the church and its needs. Shirts, hats, buttons, coasters, and stickers are great options.

9. Sell The Congregation’s Talent

You likely have talented people in your congregation. You can solicit artists, bakers, and makers of all kinds. Host a market where individuals can sell their products and services, with some proceeds returning to your church.

10. Fundraising Gala

Host a fundraising gala. This option brings the community together for a special night they will never forget. Consider offering dinner and dancing. Bonus points if you have a raffle to earn additional dollars.

FAQ

Below are common questions regarding church fundraising.

How Can My Church Increase Donations?

Offer multiple pathways to give, in-person, online, and through text. Offer incentives to participants to help market your raise and increase sales. Be sure to share your fundraising story. People are more likely to give and give more if they know why funds are needed, and they will spend the money.

Should Churches Fundraise?

Churches need to fundraise just like any other nonprofit. They aren’t able to profit from their revenue and therefore require additional funds for general operating costs and other programs.

What Are the Benefits of Raising Money for Your Church?

There are many benefits of church fundraising. By raising money for your church, you expand the number of services you can offer and the number of members you can positively reach. It takes the strain off the church of trying to operate on limited funds and brings the members together to reach a common goal.

Does Our Church Have to Do It Alone?

While you can, you don’t have to launch and execute your campaign alone. Partnering with a fundraising company takes a lot of the workload off of your fundraising committee. Learning from their expertise may even lead to earning more capital.

Author Bio

Clay Boggess has been designing fundraising programs for schools and various nonprofit organizations throughout the US since 1999. He’s helped administrators, teachers, and outside support entities such as PTAs and PTOs raise millions of dollars. Clay is an owner and partner at Big Fundraising Ideas.