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.

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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

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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

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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

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Technorati Tags: church fundraising

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

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“Okay”, you’re saying, “so what’s so great about church fundraising cards that makes them any better than other products our church has sold to raise money”?  There are several things that make these cards far and above the best product you have ever offered to customers.  First, they offer real value that you just don’t find with jerky, candy bars, candles and cookie dough.  Second, they are highly profitable for your church, so you will be able to raise the funds you need much faster.  Third, the savings on the card are redeemable at local merchants in your own area, so essentially you are helping support your own neighborhood as well.

Now we’ll cover the points one by one.  Church fundraising cards offer incredible value to the customer, which means they’re more likely to make a purchase than they would be if you were selling $12/box cookie dough.  The price of the card to the customer is $10, and the cards offer savings at 10 to 15 various merchants in your area.  These discounts and savings may be on food, fitness, maintenance for the car, flowers, family entertainment – any goods or services in your area.  The customer can use the card for one year from the date of purchase, which means that they will save far more than they paid for the card.  This is real value, and not a waste of good money as so many other fundraising products are today.

Now to the second point, which you’ll no doubt find interesting. Profits, which is what you are looking for when you hold a fundraiser for the needs of your church or youth group.  Suppose you need $1,200 to put up a concrete slab and basketball goal because you have many teens in the church.  Can you imagine how long it would take to raise that kind of money with cookie dough or jerky?  With church fundraising cards, all your group has to sell to make $1,200 profit is 250 cards!  Considering each person on average can easily sell about 10 cards, hand them out to 25 people and when sold, you’ve got all of the money you need to complete your project.  In a word, amazing.

Now we come to the third and final point, although there are many more benefits that church fundraising cards offer.  Since the discounts and buy-one-get-one-free offers are good at local merchants, this helps stimulate business.  When a customer buys a card, they are likely to use the discounts offered on the card, which means they may visit a restaurant, fast food joint or car care center they have never used before.  If they enjoyed the food or felt they got good service from the merchant, they will likely go back again.  The merchant has the potential to not only attract new customers, but to grow his business – which is good for your local economy.

Have we answered your question about church fundraising cards?  Yes, they really are great, but until you (your church) try them for yourself, you won’t be able to truly understand just how much better fundraising can be.

Mark South
Easy Church Fundraising

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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

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First of all, let’s talk about the profitability of church fundraising cards.  You may need to raise $500 for your project, or $20,000, but either way this is the best route to take.  You may wonder why this product is number one when it comes to fundraisers, and that’s easy to explain.  In today’s economic climate, many people just do not have extra money to spend; therefore, they won’t spend on candy bars, popcorn and cookie dough like they once did.  Church fundraising cards offer savings and buy-one-get-one-free offers on many services and products in the customer’s local area, which is something they can really use when money is tight.

Now you know why these cards are so popular, even in prosperous times – everyone loves to save money, especially when the savings are on those things they would have purchased anyway!  Let’s get to the profits now, which is likely what interests you most since you do need to raise money for your cause.  Church fundraising cards offer huge profit margins; in fact, you can have profits margins that are actually higher than 100%, due to the fact that for every 1000 cards you order you get 200 free.  Here is an example of what you can expect with this amazing fundraiser product:

Order just 300 cards, and you can expect profit margins of 50% – or a whopping $1500!  How much money would your group have earned for selling 300 candy bars, maybe $300 to $450 tops?

Now, suppose your group can sell 1,000 church fundraising cards, which is easy if you have about 90 or 100 participating.  At 1,000 cards, your profit margin is 100% and your group raises $10,000 to go toward your needs!  By now, you should have a clear picture of what these amazing little cards can do for your group.

Back to the other topic of our article; how do the cards help the customers local community?  That’s an easy one to answer as well.  Since the cards contain offers on the back that are available mostly at local merchants, the money the customer spends on these offers stays in their own community.  In addition to that, the merchants grow their business through new customers!  Many people will use the cards at a merchant they have never patronized before, simply because they are getting a great deal.  This means a potential new life-time customer for the merchant, so you can see how it stimulates the economy and helps businesses flourish.

Simply put, church fundraising cards are the answer to your prayers whether your project calls for only a few hundred dollars or tens of thousands.  When you want exceptional results for your efforts, you now know how to get them!

Mark South
Easy Church Fundraising

Technorati Tags: Church Fundraising Cards

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

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