Church fundraising is an activity that seems to come around year after year, because there is always a need for money. You may need funds so that the little ones can attend church camp, the kitchen may need to be made bigger, or you need an additional van because church membership has grown. No matter what you need money for, church fundraising doesn’t have to be something that everyone looks toward with dread, knowing that it will takes tons of planning and hard work. Do it right, and you will find that you can double your usual profits with less than half the effort!
Always keep in mind that church fundraising isn’t all about the money, though that is the primary goal. During these types of projects, members often find that being involved with the church helps increase faith, and allows members to socialize with one another. Christian fellowship is vital to keeping the church and its members connected, so that the church continues to flourish.
Back to the topic of church fundraising; you may be making it much more difficult than it has to be! If you are selling candy bars in the hottest months of the year, not only do you have boxes of candy to keep track of with little ones, you have the potential problem of melting. Cookie dough, popcorn, jerky, flower bulbs, Tupperware – all of these things are great, but do you really make good profits? This is the first thing you should consider before you begin your fundraiser. You should know exactly how many people will be participating, exactly what the profit margins of the product are, and have a close estimate to how many of the product you believe each person can sell. Never go in to church fundraising blind! You will work yourself to a frazzle every time.
In many situations, it may be a good idea to combine church fundraising projects in order to raise money quickly. You may want the teenagers to hold a car wash in town in a busy area, while the ladies of the church hold a bake sale. Invite all of the members of the church to bring in their best recipes and have a church cookbook printed. Hold auctions at the church, inviting all members to bring in those items they have stored away that they no longer use. Use a little creative thinking, and you will find that there are literally hundreds of church fundraising ideas that are easy to do.
Along with the low and no-cost activities the members of the church can be involved in, add in a profitable product such as discount cards to really see profits soar. These cards are the perfect way to support not only the needs of your church, but the community as well – and customers realize that. The value offered to the customer is incredible, making them easy to sell at only $10 each. With a dozen or so local and national merchants listed on the back of the card offering discounts on everything from food to family activities and oil changes, the customer can easily recognize the fact that they will save much more money over the life of the card (one year) than what they paid for it.
Remember, church fundraising is as much about fellowship and fun as it is about raising money. Use some of these simple tips and ideas, and you will find that raising the money you need for your project isn’t nearly as laborious as it may have been in the past! Church fundraising can be fun, easy AND profitable.
Mark South
Easy Church Fundraising