Church Fundraising

The words ‘church fund raising‘ may already have you doing somersaults, simply by thinking about your past efforts. But do not worry, there is no need to turn the church over and shake out all the change.  Church fund raising is a project that should be enjoyed by all who are involved, from the group or individual responsible for the planning to the ones who actually raise the money.  You can choose to make things hard on yourself, or you can put an action plan in to place that will have you looking forward to your next project.

All too often, especially if it is the first effort, church fund raising is done in an unorganized fashion.  It may be that you didn’t really know how to proceed, and everyone just jumped in blindly.  If you plan and organize well ahead of time, your efforts will be streamlined and you will experience a profitable and successful fundraiser.  Here are a few tips to help make your next church fund raising project a complete success:

1.  Write out a detailed plan that includes how much money you need to raise and how many people will be involved.  What is your deadline for raising this money?  Consider every aspect of your project and be ready for ‘plan B’, in case ‘plan A’ doesn’t pan out so well.

2.  Consider multiple activities to raise the funds you need.  While it is simpler to sell only one product or participate in one event to raise the money you need, combining several activities may help you reach your monetary goals quicker.

3.  Carefully research the profit margins on the products you are considering for your fundraiser.  Many times, people simply think “Oh, we can sell cookie dough!” and that’s the end of it.  Did you take the time to think about how profitable the product is, and how many containers your group will have to sell to reach your goal?

4.  Take into consideration the age group of those that will be doing the selling, and fit the product to the age level.  Those over the age of 12 or so are better able to handle selling products that require additional tax, shipping, etc.  Small children shouldn’t be required to lug around a lot of “stuff” they have to keep up with.  Make things as simple as possible for the maturity level of those responsible for raising the money.

5.  Remember, the fewer details the easier your church fund raising will be.  Consider all of the activities your church members can engage in to raise a portion of the funds, such as bake sales, raffles and car washes.  Add to these activities a product that is readily available and that people will find value in, such as discount cards.  These cards offer great profit margins, and people love them because of the tremendous value they offer on common, everyday goods and services.

Many people in charge of church fund raising automatically think about products that are commonly used these days to raise money such as candy bars and popcorn.  To be successful without placing a huge burden on yourself, it often helps to think outside the box just a little.  Get your creative juices flowing, and you will no doubt come up with dozens of church fund raising ideas that are original and profitable.

Your next fundraiser doesn’t have to be filled with headaches, stress and endless problems!  The tips above outline a plan of attack that will make church fund raising easier and highly profitable.  The truth is, when done right you can experience double the profits with half the work – and that sounds like music to anyone’s ears.

Mark South
Easy Church Fundraising