Church Fundraising

Church fundraising can be fun – but it can also be a chore, particularly if the same few people offer their help year after year after year.  In most churches, it’s usually the same individuals who volunteer for nearly everything, from cooking for a special Easter dinner at church to cleaning the sanctuary on a weekly basis.  If you’re one of the ones who usually get “volunteered” for church fundraising activities – or even to oversee the whole thing – it’s time you learned about discount cards, and how they can make your work easier.

How many different ways has your church or youth group tried to raise money?  Car washes involving the teens, putting together church cook books, bake sales and multiple-family yard sales are some of the most common activities used to raise funds, and they all involve substantial work.  How much do you really raise – honestly?  Is it enough to fund your cause, or is it just a drop in the bucket in comparison to the total amount you need to build that new gym for the youth group or send all of the little ones to camp?  Maybe your church fundraising efforts are going toward building a whole new church from the ground up, in which case you’ll need tens or even hundreds of thousands, depending upon what’s already in the coffers.

With discount cards, it isn’t surprising to be able to raise tens of thousands of dollars, because of the huge profit margins and ease in selling.  Today, money is tight – especially considering the economy and now, rising gas prices with no end in sight.  With discount cards, the customer enjoys savings on things they buy every day such as food at the local fast food restaurants, hair cuts, an oil change for the car, movie rentals, and more.  These savings are good for an entire year from the date of purchase, and the cost of the card just $10 to the purchaser, so you can see how customers save a substantial amount of money.  Sure, 10% off on a burger and fries or a free shake with the purchase of one shake may not seem like a lot, but it can be if you have a large family, and particularly if you enjoy eating at those merchants’ shops often.  It all adds up!

How much you can make with discount cards for your church fundraising efforts depends largely on how many people will participate.  On average, most individuals can easily sell 10 cards, some people sell many more depending on how many people they know, where they work, whether they’re involved in local sports and other activities, etc.  The more people you tend to be around, the more cards you can usually sell.  Let’s say for example that your church is very large, with normal attendance of about 1,200.  If just 10% of the church congregation participates (120 people), you can easily rake in $12,000 – and wouldn’t that make a huge dent in the total you’re needing to raise?  It also helps that for every 1,000 cards you order, you get 200 free.

When church fundraising time rolls around again, keep discount cards in mind. Merchants enjoy participating because it helps their business grow, customers love them because they save money on things they normally buy, and your church will find that they’re one of the easiest ways to raise money ever – without all of the hard work, planning and “grumbling” from some, who complain every time they have to do a little work.  With discount cards, there is really no work involved; just offer a card up to anyone you come in contact with, and watch your funds grow right before your eyes.

How Church Fundraising Can Be More Fun, Less Work and More Profitable!

Are you one of the pillar members of the church who has been involved in church fundraising for years, perhaps even decades?  If you are, you know there is a ton of work involved with most methods used to raise money, whether it’s selling products or participating in activities.  Does it seem like for the effort involved profits aren’t all that great?  Church fundraising can be far more fun, less laborious and highly profitable with fundraising cards.

Think about some of the regular activities you do every time you need to raise money for the youth group or church.  Even bake sales are a tremendous amount of work, considering the time it takes for various members of the church to bake the goods, price them, then load tables, chairs and all of the other things up for transport to where you will hold the bake sale.  With fundraising cards, there’s virtually no preparation involved and the profit margins will really amaze you.

Church fundraising should be fun, but all too often it gets to be a dreaded, monotonous chore.  With spirit or fundraising cards, all of the church members will be happy to get involved, whether teenagers, young adults or even the elderly members of the congregation.  No boxes to carry (like with candy and cookie dough), no storage worries, no labor, other than presenting the cards to those you think will be interested.  The cards are the size of a credit card, so they’re easy to carry in a pocket, wallet or purse.  The great thing about them is that you can sell them literally anywhere you go, whether it’s out to eat, shopping, to a baseball game, even at work.

How profitable are these discount cards for church fundraising purposes?  Order 250 and your group enjoys a 50% profit margin; in other words, you pay $5 per card and sell them for $10.  If your group sells all 250 cards, you’ve added $1,250 to your funds!  The more cards you order, the higher the profit margin.  Order up to 500 cards and once you’ve sold them all you’ve earned a cool $3,500!  That’s really fairly easy to accomplish, considering most individuals can easily sell 5 or more cards.  Just get 90 or 100 people involved in the selling, and you’ll see that the money rolls in much quicker and easier than with other church fundraising methods you’ve tried in the past.

Why do we keep claiming it’s so easy to raise money with the cards?  Because they offer so much value to the customer, which is important, especially in economic times like we’re currently in.  The customer spends $10 and enjoys discounts on all kinds of products and services they normally spend money on for an entire year.  Who doesn’t want to save a substantial amount of money, especially on things they’re going to buy anyway?

Of course, if your church members truly enjoy the bake sales, car washes, auctions and other activities you normally use to raise money, that’s great.  But why not add fundraising cards to those activities and raise the funds you need quicker?  When it comes to church fundraising, always remember that everyone loves a bargain and that people love saving money.  If you’re all up for less work and more fun, give it a try.  On their own or in combination with other products/activities, fundraising cards are a smart addition to your list of ways to raise money quickly.

If your church needs money, you’re probably looking for some easy church fundraising ideas that don’t cost a lot of money up front but will produce some much needed funding for your church nonetheless. Some good ideas include:

Holding a bake sale

Have church members donate their culinary talents for a bake sale, offering what they can afford to in terms of goods for sale — a loaf of banana bread, a dozen cookies, etc. What’s great about a bake sale is that everyone can donate what they can without feeling overly stretched if their own budgets are tight. Proceeds from the bake sale go to your church’s coffer.

Selling discount cards

Discount cards are great for church fundraising events because you can make them good for any product or service in your community, assuming the retailer in question is willing to participate. They’re easy to store, and they don’t take a lot of effort. For a small fee up front, your church can contract with a discount card company to both contact the retailer(s) to ask for their participation in donate goods or services, and to print up the cards themselves. These cards sell easily, because they’re for goods and services the car buyers will already require anyway. Some possible examples of discount card ideas include a “buy one get one free” haircut at a local barber or styling salon, or a “buy one get one free” meal at a local restaurant.

Hosting a carwash

This is especially a good project for a youth group to do; sell tickets to a carwash, and then have ticket holders show up with their cars on a Saturday morning when the weather is nice. If you’ve got the space and the supplies, this church fundraising effort can really “clean up” both in terms of funds raised and in terms of the clean cars ticketholders now have in exchange for their monetary donations.

Offering a quilt raffle

Although this is becoming a lost art, some church women especially still enjoy the art of quilting. Sell raffle tickets for a specific dollar amount, such as $10 apiece, and ask those who can make quilts to donate their services (and materials, if possible) to make one quilt for a quilt drive. The quilts are then raffled off by pulling winning tickets from a pool of all of those who bought raffle tickets. This is a great way to undertake church fundraising when you have relatively few people who can make quilts such that it wouldn’t do a lot of good to sell them directly as a means to make money.

Hosting a pancake breakfast and/or spaghetti dinner

Deciding to hold a church fundraising pancake breakfast and/or spaghetti dinner a few times a year is a great way to raise funds for your church on a regular basis. Both types of meals are inexpensive to make, can draw a significant crowds, and best of all can turn a handy profit that can then go into your church’s coffers. Charge a modest fee for the meal itself, with enough profit to benefit your church.

Hosting a yard sale

Perhaps your church members regularly donate clothes and gently used household items to families in need anyway. Now, they can donate clothes and other gently used household items to your church for sale, whereupon the sale’s proceeds will benefit your church. This is a great church fundraising idea to hold when the weather is nice; it’s also a great boost to church and community members who want to get rid of no longer used items easily. Invite church members to donate items; if you’re amenable, you can also have those church members invite friends and neighbors to donate items as well, and then have the entire community come together for the yard sale.

While there are numerous church fundraising activities that can be enjoyed while you raise the money you need, it’s always more profitable to add fundraising cards to the mix! Enjoy the fellowship while your group collects more money in a shorter amount of time than ever before.

Mark South
Easy Church Fundraising

Fundraiser cards are the perfect solution for church fundraising; if you have yet to give them a try, don’t you think it’s time? Church groups have been using various methods to raise money for decades, and many of these are the same today. Bake sales, multiple-family yard sales, car washes and Valentine’s Day dinner served in the church fellowship hall have been going on for years. Fundraiser cards don’t necessarily have to replace these old-time traditions, but they can certainly make your efforts more profitable!

Many churches sell products to raise money when they need a new church van or want to build a gym for the youth group. Some children do not have the money to attend church camp, so members of the church kick in and try to raise the money so that all of the children can attend. There always seems to be a need for funds for one activity or another, and fundraiser cards can be an easy solution. Hugely profitable, the customer enjoys great value for their money, your group quickly raises the money necessary for your needs, and the local merchants benefit as well. There is no other church fundraising product or activity that offers advantages all the way around.

Have the kids or teens in your church ever sold candles, jerky, cookie dough, candy bars or items from fundraising catalogs? Sure, these products are profitable and many customers buy not because they actually need or want the product, but because they want to help the church out. Fundraiser cards are different in this aspect because people really DO want the product, and the value is great. These cards offer great deals on goods and services that are targeted to your own local community, which is important considering the economic climate today. With the economy being in the shape it is, it’s very likely that if you were to sell candy bars today, you would experience far fewer sales simply because many people just cannot afford to spend money on things they do not need.

However, consumers will spend money on fundraiser cards for the simple reason that they save far more than they spend for the card which is just $10. The back of the cards offer savings and discounts at a dozen or more merchants in your area on products and services that people spend money on no matter what shape the economy is in. Since the cards do not expire for one year after purchase date, the customer can potentially save 10 times or more what they spend on the card, which is a smart decision when money is tight and people want to stretch their budgets as much as possible.

Still, hosting those bake sales and car washes is fun simply because a group from the church gets together and enjoys the fellowship while making a little money. It’s always important for members of the church, whether small children, teens or adults to get together and support the church, but fundraiser cards can always be added to the mix. When the teens hold a car wash on the main drag in town, why not offer fundraiser cards to those who have their cars washed? It’s hard for many people to pass up a great deal, and these cards are definitely a great deal. Everyone wants a bargain!

There is no question that church fundraising should be fun, but it should also be profitable. Fundraising cards let you enjoy both the fun and the profits, and are super-easy to sell because they are really valuable to the customer, unlike cookie dough or candles. When a family is struggling financially, which would make more sense – to buy a $2 candy bar or $12 box of cookie dough, or to purchase a $10 card that will allow them to save much more on food, auto maintenance services, tires, hair cuts and other necessities? Now you can see why your church group should give fundraiser cards a try. It’s an easy and fun road to incredible profits and you will never have a guilty conscious about selling someone who is financially strapped something they did not need.

Mark South
Easy Church Fundraising

Most churches do many of the same things when it comes to church fundraising. The women get together and hold a bake sale; teens often participate in car washes. While the men don’t really do a lot of the actual work, they may be supporting in other ways in the background. Church fundraising can get to be a chore, not to mention monotonous and boring. How many years have you been having giant yard sales where everyone in the congregation brings those items they no longer want or need? How many bake sales and car washes has your church hosted? It’s likely there have been so many you have lost count. If you want a fun and profitable new idea for church fundraising, try discount cards.

Sure, all of those other church fundraising methods work, but it isn’t fun anymore, and you have to admit the profits aren’t all that great. You can keep those old traditions when your group is in the mood to do the work, and add discount cards to the mix to raise additional money. They’re hugely profitable, easy to sell and provide support to your entire community. There aren’t many fundraising products or activities that can make that claim! There was a time when candy bars and cookie dough were all the rage, but those fads are quickly waning; people don’t have money to indulge their sweet tooth, and they would much rather save money on products and services they would spend money on regardless.

Think about those bake sales that the women have done so often when the church is in need of money. You buy the supplies for the cakes, cookies and pies (flour, eggs, milk, fruit, oil, chocolate chips and whatever else you need.) Your group spends time baking all of these goods, then you sell a pie for $6 or a dozen cookies for a few dollars. How much have you really made, considering the time spent, work involved and the cost of the ingredients? It’s a fun and traditional church fundraising activity that lets you fellowship with the other ladies of the church, but when you need a good amount of money it just isn’t very profitable.

Sometimes huge expenses come up, and you need a church fundraising method that can really help you pull in the money fast. You may need several hundred dollars or even thousands when you need a new church bus or van, or a gym for the youth group. Discount cards allow your group to easily raise large sums of money because of their incredible profit margins. Not only that, but customers love them because of the value they offer. For $10, the customer enjoys discounts and savings at a dozen or more merchants in their own local community. The customer can save on everything from fast foods and dinner at restaurants to hair cuts, auto services, family entertainment and more. This is a benefit to the merchants in the neighborhood as well, and a great way for businesses to gain new clients who use those discount cards.

Whether you are tired of those activities your group has been doing year after year to raise money or just want something with a “kick” that can boost your profits quickly, discount cards offer exceptional results for church fundraising. Use them on their own, or sell them on the side when your church is holding those bake sales and car washes. Put a new twist on church fundraising with these profitable little wallet-sized cards – and put a smile on the faces of all who participate.

Mark South
Easy Church Fundraising

Let’s be honest; church fundraising can get to be a real drag, particularly for those churches that have been doing the same old things year after year.  If it’s time for a fresh approach, nothing works as well as fundraising cards for raising the money you need for any project.  Not only will you enjoy more profit, members of your church will be excited about getting involved again.  With church fundraising, it’s hard to keep people involved when everyone gets bored of the same old thing – and certain members who always seem to do all of the work eventually tire of it.
Typical fundraising methods used by many churches today (and for past decades) include car washes, bake sales, spaghetti dinners, multiple family yard sales and the regular products like candy bars, candles, etc.  Anything you do will help you raise money, but when you want to raise a substantial amount of money quickly fundraising cards are the way to go.
The really great thing about the cards for church fundraising is that you can literally sell them anywhere you may be.  Many people choose to go door to door in the neighborhood offering people the cards, while school-age kids or teenagers may sell them at school, football practice or while they’re out running around town.  No matter where you may be, it isn’t a problem to carry the cards with you as it is with boxes of candy bars or cookie dough.
You don’t have to depend solely on fundraising cards to raise the money you need for that new youth building.  Think of the fun you would have offering the cards while your group is holding a bake sale or car wash.  The average consumer considers the savings on these cards substantial, so they’re easy to sell to anyone in any situation.  Times are hard today; people are looking for ways to save money, and there’s no better way to do it than with these money-saving little cards.
There aren’t many church fundraising activities that allow you to support both the residents and merchants in your own community.  Fundraising cards help your neighbors save money throughout the year on products and services they would normally patronize anyway.  Merchants benefit because the cards help drive new business – someone who has a card is likely to visit the merchant in order to try out their product or offer and save money at the same time.  It’s important to support your own local community, especially in light of economic conditions today.
Many church fundraising activities aren’t all that profitable.  Many churches offer a car wash in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant on one of the busiest streets in town, and accept donations as payment.  When you have 20 or 30 people stop by for a wash and they donate even $5, you haven’t made that much money.  With fundraising cards, you can rack up a substantial amount of money in a short time; the more you buy and sell, the higher your profit margins.  One person can usually sell 10 to 12 of the cards easily, so you can imagine how much money you could make if you have 40 or 50 people participating.
Here’s a quick example:  Suppose that 50 people in your congregation help sell the fundraising cards, and each sells 10.  That means that your group has raised a cool $3,500 to go toward your project!  How many cars would have to be washed or pies sold at the bake sale to make that much money?  More than you probably want to even think about.

Let’s face it – it’s easy for everyone in the church to get burned out on church fundraising after a while.  All of the bake sales, car washes, cook books and multi-family yard sales get old, and those same people in the church seem to be the ones responsible for all of the work time and time again.  The good thing about church fundraising is that since you are raising money for your church or youth group, people tend to give or donate more often than they might with a school or other organization.  They know you are doing God’s work, and it makes them feel good to help out.
What can you do besides the same old things your group has been doing for years?  You need to spark the interest of those in your church, get them involved again.  The truth is, people live busy lives today and the easier and less time-consuming you can make your church fundraising the better.  Sure, it’s always fun to get together and organize those spaghetti suppers and bake sales, but there are things you can do in addition to the old stand-by’s to raise even more money and get more people involved.
What about a beauty pageant held at the church where the contestants are actually the men of the congregation?  This is fun and can be hilarious, and is a great way to raise money.  Charge a $2 or $3 admission and offer refreshments for sale during intermission.
Summer months will be coming up soon, and car washes are still great for church fundraising as people tend to want their cars hand washed during a season when they tend to get dusty and dirtier than normal.
Spring is right around the corner, which makes it prime time for yard clean up.  A great church fundraising idea for this time of year is to offer your services around the neighborhood to do any type of yard clean up, whether it’s raking leaves and

burning them, washing the deck or house with a power washer, even cleaning out flower beds and preparing them for new plantings.This is a great project for the youth or teens in the church, and they can do it in groups of 2 or 3 so it’s a bit more fun for them.
How do you drum up interest in your church fundraising efforts?  If you’re going to host a special dinner, pageant or yard sale at the church, be sure to advertise in the local newspapers.  Those who are on Facebook might spread the word that way as well to their friends, and posting flyers around local businesses will help build further interest.
In order to have more people donate more money to your cause, it’s often beneficial to explain exactly what you are raising money for.  For example, if your church fundraising efforts are going toward needy children who need food and clothing, reveal that information and you will find that people give freely because they like knowing exactly where their money is going.
Try to arrange your largest fundraisers around Christian holidays such as Easter and Christmas.  During these times of the year, many people think about the reason for these holidays and they are often in a spirit of giving to others.
If your group seems to be stuck in a rut when it comes to church fundraising, put your collective thinking caps on and do a little brainstorming.  When you get creative, you will find that there are literally hundreds of things you can do to raise the money your church needs – and whatever you decide on, promote it in every way possible!

Mark South
Easy Church Fundraising

When you’ve done every activity and sold every product under the sun in your efforts to raise money for the church, it’s easy to feel that church fundraising has become a real chore.  It seems like you’ve been doing the same things over and over again for years, and there is often a lot of work and planning involved.  The next time the topic of church fundraising comes up, just consider it a blessing from God – and spread the word to members of your church, so that it may inspire them and spark new interest in participating.

Why should church fundraising be considered a blessing?  Well, think about it this way; if you’re having to build a new sanctuary or expand the building in some way, it means that your church is growing – and that IS a blessing.  If the money you need to raise is to go toward a gym for the youth or summer church camp, that again is a blessing.  For one thing, you are blessed to have young children and teenagers that even come to church, and they are the future of tomorrow’s church.  If you’re sending them to summer camp, they will be learning and growing in their knowledge of the Lord, which is again a blessing.

Sometimes it’s easier to get motivated when you determine what the real underlying cause is of why you are doing something.  It’s no different with church fundraising, if you have a need in the church and have to raise money in order to fulfill that need, there is a blessing somewhere down deep that you may not recognize.  Even when the funds you are raising are not going directly to your church but to those who are needy in the community, you are still doing God’s work.

When you really put some thought in to it, nearly any reason you would need church fundraising is because in some way you are receiving a blessing.  Even when you need money in order for church members to travel around the country doing missions work, you are spreading God’s word to those who may not know that He even exists.  There is a silver lining in every cloud as the old saying goes, and the same is true with church fundraising.  When you or your church group starts to feel down and out about raising money and all of the work involved, direct your mind in a new direction and consider that someone is going to be blessed for your efforts.

Church fundraising has been around for decades because of necessity.  The only money that usually goes in to a church is the regular offering when the collection plate is passed around, and this money normally isn’t used to fund missions work, a new building or summer church camp for the youth.  You have to raise money some way, and if people don’t donate it out of the goodness of their hearts it’s left up to the members of the church to come up with a solution.  But there again is a bright side – there are so many ways to raise money, it should never be boring or mundane!

Car washes, bake sales, multi-family yard sales, the sale of discount cards and other goods.  Sure, these are things that you’ve probably done over and over again, but a little creativity will bring new ideas to the table, and a little fun and excitement for everyone.  When those in your church start complaining about church fundraising, remind them that instead of a chore, it is a blessing in disguise.

Mark South
Easy Church Fundraising

Church fundraising can get stale in a hurry, especially when you’ve already held dozens of bake sales, yard sales and car washes.  The only way you can raise the money you need when projects come up is through donations and fundraising, which leaves you few options.  If you’re at your wits end and looking for fun, fresh new church fundraising ideas to get those in your church excited about it again, here are a few options you may want to consider.

Be creative, have the members of your church think about their hobbies and passions, and you will be surprised at some of the ideas you can come up with.  One such idea is a dog show; find an area where there is plenty of room, choose a few people who can be impartial as judges, and charge an entry fee for those who will compete.  On the sidelines, offer those baked goods that you usually sell at bake sales, along with other refreshments.  This is a fun church fundraising idea that can attract a lot of attention if you put out flyers and advertise in the local newspaper.

Holding a special bingo night is another great way to raise funds for your project.  Of course, you’ll want to really do it up right so that everyone who participates has a good time.  When holding a bingo night for church fundraising, offer refreshments, soft drinks, hot dogs, candy and other goodies.  You may want to charge one total entry price for the entire evening, or charge on a per-game basis.  Bring in your other church fundraising items such as cookbooks, baked goods or other items you can sell on the side.

Since spring and summer are just around the corner, there are a few church fundraising ideas that are suitable for the seasons.  Offer your services for yard clean up, trimming hedges, mowing, washing the deck, making small home repairs or anything else that members in your church are capable of doing.  While these things may not add up to a fortune, every little bit helps when you’re trying to raise money for the church.

If you’ve never tried them, church fundraising cards are probably the easiest and most profitable way to raise money.  They’re easy to sell because they offer great value and money savings opportunities to the customer, and they’re extremely profitable for your church.  In fact, you can easily raise hundreds and even thousands of dollars, depending on the size of your church and how many participate.

These cards are great to use with whatever other activities you decide to participate in or products that you sell.  Because of their size, they’re easy to carry with you everywhere you go, so you can offer them anytime a good opportunity presents itself.  When you’re fresh out of ideas for church fundraising, consider the ideas above or come up with a few of your own – it really isn’t that hard, especially when you “brainstorm” with other members of the church.

Happy (and profitable) church fundraising!

Mark South
Easy Church Fundraising

Let’s face it – church fundraising can get monotonous, especially when year after year you rely on the good old bake sales, multiple-family garage sales and car washes.  Sure, it’s all great fun and a fantastic way to fellowship, but everyone grows tired of the same old thing eventually.  If the truth were known, these activities are often not that profitable either, which can be a real downer if your church is looking to raise a substantial amount of money.  Here are a few original, fun and even quirky church fundraising ideas you may want to keep in mind for future use.

How about an adult spelling bee?  This can be great not only for raising some additional money, but offering a few side-splitting laughs as well.  Instead of adults competing on an individual level as kids usually do in school, this could be set up tournament style.  Teams of 3 or 4 adults pay a significant fee to participate; alternately, an adult spelling bee could be organized somewhat similar to a marathon, with teams collecting pledges for each word that is correctly spelled by their team members.  This is sure to provide plenty of entertainment and a few laughs, so you see that church fundraising doesn’t always have to be serious.

Hold a rubber duck race.  This is perfect for those churches in areas where a creek or river is nearby, and great when paired with a bake sale.  In this event, funds are collected through entry fees; each participant paints and decorates their own “rubber ducky”, then when everyone is ready the race begins!  Church members and neighbors in the local community cheer on their favorite “duck”, and fun is had by all.  This is great fun for the youngsters, the sale of baked goods and cold beverages helps your church to raise even more money.  This is the perfect church fundraising event for spring and summer months, especially on a beautiful day filled with sunshine.

The sale of discount cards are another fantastic church fundraising idea – and probably the most profitable you will find if you’re looking to raise a substantial amount of money.  These credit-card sized cards offer dozens of discounts and savings on goods and services in the local area, perfect for times such as today when people are looking for every way possible to save.  These cards are good for one year from the date of purchase, so the customer will have the opportunity to experience savings that go far beyond the $10 paid for the card.  Local merchants benefit, the customer experiences huge savings, and your church raises an incredible amount of money – what could be better?  Another great thing about these cards is that they can be used in conjunction with any other product or activity you choose to raise funds.

Church fundraising doesn’t always have to involve a ton of work or preparation.  Get the congregation together, and let everyone give their input; creative and profitable ideas can often come forth when great minds get together!  There are endless ways that your church can generate the amount of money needed to fund any cause, so get those creative juices flowing and try to think “outside the box”.  Church fundraising can be fun again, which will help to increase the interest of the entire congregation – and possibly get more people to participate.

Mark South
Easy Church Fundraising