100+ Church Fundraising Ideas to Delight Your Congregation
Whether expanding church programs, planning an upcoming mission trip, or hosting a special worship service, your ministry relies on donations from your congregation and community to make a difference in people’s lives. However, there’s more to church fundraising than passing the collection plate each Sunday.
To help you garner the funds you need, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of fundraising ideas that will help you raise money while building an incredible church family:
- Our Favorite Church Fundraising Idea
- The Best Fundraising Ideas for All Churches
- Small Church Fundraiser Ideas
- Catholic Church Fundraiser Ideas
- Easy Fundraising Church Ideas
- Family-Friendly Church Fundraisers
- Church Youth Group Fundraising Ideas
- Top Mission Trip Church Fundraising Ideas
- Holiday Church Fundraising Ideas
With the right church fundraising ideas, you can positively impact your ministry while spreading the word of God to your congregation and the larger community. Let’s dive into our favorite church fundraising ideas!
Our Favorite Church Fundraising Idea: Shoe Drive Fundraisers
Church Fundraiser Overview
This innovative idea is a great way to raise money without ever asking your congregation directly for funds. Instead of soliciting financial donations, ask them to collect gently worn, used and new shoes for your church. You can partner with a dedicated shoe fundraising provider to turn these shoes into dollars!
Why It’s Our Favorite
There are more benefits to this church fundraiser than you may initially consider. For instance:
- You can host this church fundraiser with no out-of-pocket costs.
- Anyone and everyone can contribute, from your tight-knit church members to individuals in your larger community.
- You can easily combine shoe drive fundraisers with other church fundraising ideas to boost donations and revenue!
- Shoe drive fundraisers are environmentally-friendly, as they incentivize supporters to dispose of shoes sustainably.
- Inspire deeper engagement in your faith by pairing your shoe drive with a Barefoot Sunday, where your faith leaders share the need and impact shoes have on lives and how that ties into the Word.
Shoe drive fundraisers support your church’s financial well-being and help others, as the shoes are repurposed to create work opportunities for micro-entrepreneurs in developing nations. Finding a church fundraising idea that’s profitable and instills these excellent values in your participants is priceless.
How to Get Started
Here’s what it looks like if you choose to work with Funds2Orgs to host your shoe drive fundraiser:
- We’ll send you a welcome kit with collection and marketing materials to simplify your shoe drive tasks.
- Set out your collection materials, such as boxes and bins, and distribute marketing materials to boost awareness of your shoe drive fundraiser.
- Collect gently worn, used and new shoes from your congregation and the larger community.
- Coordinate shoe pick-up with the Funds2Orgs logistics team after your campaign ends.
- Receive your money from Funds2Orgs within two business days of receipt and shoe processing.
Watch this video to learn more about how this church fundraising idea works:
Case Study: Highland Presbyterian Church
One of our partners, Highland Presbyterian Church, needed to raise $370,000 to refurbish its roof, including replacement, painting, and repointing of the stone façade. Ultimately, they decided to host a shoe drive fundraiser, as they didn’t incur any out-of-pocket costs.
They partnered with New Castle Christian School to gather gently worn, used and new shoes. Moreover, they were virtual for most of the fundraiser, but had collection boxes at the church and conducted personal phone calls to request donations.
In total, they collected 119 bags of shoes, putting a large dent in their fundraising goal with help from Funds2Orgs!
The Best Fundraising Ideas for All Churches
Online Giving Page
With 60% of churchgoers willing to make donations online, offering an online giving page is one of the smartest church fundraising ideas out there. Plus, it’s incredibly affordable and easy to set up with the right platform!
Your online giving page will serve as the core of your ministry’s digital fundraising strategy, and your team should consistently link back to it across church-wide communications. With all that rides on this form, it’s essential to take time to craft an appealing one that drives donors through the process.
For one, you’ll want to minimize the number of required fields to the essentials (i.e., name, contact information, and payment data). Every additional field provides another opportunity for visitors to abandon the process.
Learn more actionable tips like this and gain inspiration for your giving form design with this donation page guide from Donately. This resource goes into detail about several ways to create a conversion-optimized form.
eCard Fundraiser
Instead of sending traditional fundraising letters, your church can save time and raise more funds with digital letters in the form of charity eCards. This eco-friendly alternative can help you meet supporters where they already are–online!
eCards enable your church to send personalized emails to expand your outreach and quickly raise funds. Not to mention, recent statistics have placed digital fundraising channels as a leader in consistent year-over-year growth.
So, how can your church get started? Here are a couple of donation eCards your supporters will love:
- Tribute donation cards. Leverage eCard technology to offer tribute donation cards to honor passed loved ones.
- Holiday fundraising cards. Celebrate your church’s holidays by sending eCards to raise funds for related church initiatives. For example, you could send a Christmas donation eCard to raise support for the homeless in your area.
- Mission trip fundraising cards. Raise funds for your mission trips using eCards! You can customize your note by adding your trip’s purpose and how you plan to spread your mission.
Take your eCards to the next level by adding your church logo and colors.
This way, others will instantly recognize and trust your donation appeals and other activities from this church fundraising ideas guide.
Matching Gift Drive
Instead of seeking new donations, why not capitalize on the contributions you’re already receiving? Matching gifts are a special type of corporate philanthropy where companies promise to match their employees’ donations to eligible organizations. In other words, you can double or even triple the contributions your congregants are already making. That’s right! And it’s why it’s on our list of church fundraising ideas.
With an estimated $4 to $7 billion unclaimed in matching gifts each year, these programs represent an incredible fundraising opportunity for churches.
There are two primary ways you can go above and beyond with your matching gift drive:
- Have staff members scour your online donor database and craft letters urging eligible contributors to submit their match requests.
- Encourage congregants to research their employers’ programs to see if any past donations are eligible.
Be mindful that each company sets its guidelines concerning which types of organizations are eligible, which employees are eligible, deadlines, and minimum/maximum donations. Be aware that some employers won’t match gifts to churches and other religious organizations. Easily locate all this information with a matching gift search tool that collects all this information for you.
Professional Consulting
Even if your team has fundraising experience, a skilled church fundraising consultant can bring new insights into your efforts. With experience working with similar organizations, consultants like Greater Mission excel at guiding faith-based nonprofits to financial success.
Targeted guidance enables faith-based ministries and nonprofits to cultivate faith-filled generosity among their communities.
Greater Mission’s guide to encouraging church members to give explains that professional consultants who have plenty of firsthand experience know which fundraising approaches tend to succeed and which fall short of expectations.
For the best results, be on the lookout for a firm that has demonstrated experience, understanding, and passion for the religious fundraising space. The ideal consultant will also act as an extension of your team and help determine your unique needs, achieve financial growth, and improve discipleship.
From capital campaigns to feasibility studies, consulting will help you understand your current fundraising efforts and grow a more generous base of support to raise money.
Text-to-Tithe Campaigns
Have you noticed fewer and fewer members of your congregation are bringing cash or checks to place in the offering plate on Sundays? With the increasing popularity of credit/debit cards and mobile purchases, you may find that churchgoers don’t carry money with them quite as often.
Providing a text-to-tithe option is a great way to keep up with the evolving technological times. Text-to-tithe isn’t just for the younger generations. In fact, 81% of all Americans own smartphones, up an astonishing 46% since Pew Research Center’s smartphone ownership survey conducted in 2011.
All your members need is to text a phone number given to your church by a software provider. After, they go to a mobile donation page to quickly fill out some information to make their contribution.
During the first few weeks of implementation, be sure to explain the benefits and the process during your call to offering. Once your congregation becomes more comfortable with this, tech-savvy churches may choose to display their text-to-tithe number on-screen, while others may feature it in their bulletins.
Volunteer Grants
Does your congregation apply for volunteer grants on behalf of your organization yet?
Volunteer grants are a type of corporate philanthropy program where businesses donate a certain amount of money to an organization if an employee meets a specific volunteer hour threshold. For example, a company’s policy might state that for every 20 hours an employee volunteers with an eligible organization, the company will donate $500 to the organization.
Ask your volunteers if they are eligible for volunteer grants through their employers—this is basically free money for your church!
Honor and Memorial Gifts
At times, congregation members may want to make a contribution in honor or memory of a loved one. You can increase these gifts by adding incentives, such as allowing the congregation member to request prayer on behalf of the loved one. Larger donations may also pay for flowers or other displays to memorialize your congregation’s loved ones.
Plus, these gifts are not limited to times of sorrow—they can also be made to celebrate accomplishments and milestones. For example, church members may make gifts to celebrate graduating high school or college seniors, newlyweds, birthdays, and more.
This approach in our church fundraising ideas list is a great way for congregants to recognize the special people in their lives while connecting with their faith.
Church Facility Rental
Your church may have facilities that church members, greater community members, and even other individuals and groups are interested in renting or using. Allow individuals to reserve and rent your facilities for their own special events, such as meetings, weddings, funerals, and more.
Advertise your rental opportunities through your church website. Take lots of pictures of your facilities so interested parties have a clear idea of what your facilities look like and can clearly envision their event happening at your church.
Silent Auction
Create some friendly competition among your churchgoers with a silent auction. Auctions offer significant fundraising potential for churches! What makes these church fundraisers so great for bidders is the possibility of winning unique items at affordable costs.
Of course, there are a few best practices that go along with this fundraising idea for churches, such as:
- Procure a range of budget-friendly items tailored to your audience. Get inspiration from OneCause’s guide.
- Encourage members and local businesses to donate items, promising to accredit them at the auction.
- Open up bidding to donors everywhere with mobile bidding technology.
- Feature your high-value items across promotional materials to boost registrations.
For the best results, implement silent auction software to streamline the planning process from marketing to item distribution. This way, you can focus on spreading the word and procuring the right items for your church members!
Heaven in a Handbasket
Heaven in a Handbasket is a great fundraising idea for churches. The idea behind this fundraiser is that members will compete to win a basket with a “little bit of heaven” inside.
Essentially, this church fundraising idea works similarly to a raffle. Appeal to local businesses to sell gift baskets at a discounted rate for a good cause. Or, you can ask attendees to create and donate specialty baskets that others can enter to win!
You never know what kinds of goodies and treats your congregation will pull together. Include a shoe drive fundraising collection box by the ticket selling station and provide an extra ticket to those who donate a pair of shoes from our favorite one of our church fundraising ideas!
Parable of Talents
You may be familiar with the Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25:14-30. A man gave one of his servants 5 talents, another servant 2 talents, and another one, a single talent, and then he went away. The goal for each servant was to make more from these gifts for his master.
This easy church fundraiser idea works very similarly. Your church gives interested members a small amount of money. Then, each member ventures out and works to turn that into something more.
For example, if a member knits, they may use the money to buy yarn and then sell the completed scarf for a profit. This fundraiser from our church fundraising ideas is a great way to put a Bible lesson into practice while earning money for your ministry.
Custom Calendars
Consider designing a custom calendar to sell to churchgoers before the beginning of a new year, and this to your list of church fundraiser ideas.
Brand your calendar with your church’s name and logo, and include pictures from the past year’s programs, events, and services. This way, your church can stay at the top of your congregants’ minds year-round!
To leave plenty of time to order your calendars and get them back by the new year, you’ll want to start planning your calendar in late summer or fall. Assign the task to a committee or trusted church leaders and see what they come up with for the calendar!
Wine Wall
One way to get your church together for an evening of stewardship and fundraising is to organize a wine wall.
A wine wall, or wine pull, is an event where church members pay a set price for a bottle of wine. The catch is: they don’t know what type of wine they purchase!
Your church can gather various types of wine to decorate and cover the labels. Church members will then randomly buy one (usually for around $25) to enjoy. Ensure you have at least one bottle well over the set price as the jackpot prize for one lucky winner.
Church Cookbook
Encourage your members to share their favorite recipes with fellow churchgoers! They’ll enjoy sharing mouthwatering family recipes that they’ve grown up enjoying. Ask participants to share images to accompany their listings to show off their deliciousness. It will take a bit of time to compile the various recipes, so be sure to make the announcement well in advance.
Once you’ve collected enough recipes, format them consistently (e.g., the same font, colors, etc.), and make sure to attribute each recipe to whoever submitted it. Be sure to craft an engaging title page, too! Then, get the recipes bound at a local store, and put them on sale. Chances are, each family will be excited to purchase the cookbook to see their recipes featured among dozens of others.
This activity is a fantastic event from our list of church fundraising ideas to hold right before the holiday season! It allows people to whip up plenty of the recipes to spice up their traditional spread of dishes.
Christian Speed Dating
Likely several eligible bachelors and bachelorettes sit in your church’s pews each Sunday. Use this as inspiration for your next event from your list of church fundraising ideas by hosting a Christian speed dating night.
Sell event tickets to your church’s singles. Then, either set up a potluck meal or have an elegantly catered dinner for your church’s hopeful lovebirds. Who knows? They may wind up with a new Bible study buddy!
Small Church Fundraising Ideas
Church Tours
If your church has any historic or particular aesthetic appeal, you can choose to host tours for outside community members. This also allows you to connect with potential churchgoers and grow your congregation.
You can also spin this in another direction and offer tours to long-time congregants. Tell stories about your facilities and discuss your church’s history to help congregants connect with your church further. Give them the opportunity to see the behind-the-scenes work that your church’s staff put in to raise awareness of all they do.
Church-Wide Rummage Sale
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure! Host a church-wide rummage sale to give church members’ unwanted items new life.
Perfect for limited budgets, these church fundraisers cost next-to-nothing. Challenge members to fill two or three boxes worth of unwanted items from around their house to donate to your rummage sale, such as:
- Books
- CDs and records
- Clothes and shoes
- Furniture
Like a shoe drive fundraiser, a rummage sale helps spread awareness about the importance of repurposing unwanted items. Best of all, they’re 100% profitable since the things are donated, and you can use your church parking lot or sanctuary as the venue!
Pancake Breakfast
A pancake breakfast is a simple yet effective fundraising opportunity for your church. Just gather your community together on a weekend morning (before or after a Sunday service works great) for a delicious breakfast.
To raise money for your church, charge a fee for admission into the pancake breakfast, and be sure to leave a tip jar out in case any attendees want to chip in some extra funds while they’re eating.
Dog Wash
You’ve likely heard about a car wash fundraiser, but what about a dog wash?
Let parents take a load off by bringing their four-legged friends to be spruced up. Either designate fixed prices based on each dog’s size or encourage donations so that attendees can give whatever amounts they desire. You can even sell dog treats while owners and their pooches wait in line. Be sure to have water bowls placed around the venue for thirsty pups as well, especially if it’s a hot day.
Families who don’t have a furry companion of their own can still contribute! Encourage them to donate dog shampoo, towels, and other materials to set up your church fundraiser for success. Best of all, you can use your parking lot as your venue to cut back on costs.
Discount Cards
For this one on the list of church fundraising ideas, partner with local businesses who are willing to provide a discount on their goods and services to your church members.
Once you have several interested businesses, compile the discount information onto cards that your church members can carry with them. Sell the discount cards for a fee. This way, your congregants can save money at their favorite local stores and restaurants, and your church can advance its mission.
Cook-Off
Put your church members’ home cooking skills to the test with a cook-off.
You can either select a theme (like baked goods) or a specific category (like chili), and ask congregants to contribute a dish. Leading up to your event, sell tickets to amp up the excitement. Then, church members and other community members can bond over some tasty food and cast their votes for their favorite dishes.
Make sure to have a small prize or trophy lined up for the winner to motivate your volunteer chefs to whip up something amazing!
Appreciation Grams
Your church is full of dedicated staff members and volunteers who work hard to bring your church’s mission to the community.
Encourage your congregants to show some appreciation for their efforts with this fundraising idea. Launch a church staff appreciation week in which you provide an “appreciation gram” template to your church members. Ask them to fill out appreciation grams for staff members they’d like to recognize and return the appreciation grams at a designated location.
Charge a few dollars for every appreciation gram, and you’re well on your way toward raising money for your church!
Bowl-a-Thon
Bowling is a fun, family-friendly activity that everyone enjoys.
Have a bowling event associated with an online fundraising campaign, and you can harness the power of peer-to-peer fundraising to raise money for your cause.
Promote the fundraiser ahead of time and have your participants set fundraising goals and raise money online for your church beforehand. Your community members can even combine their fundraising efforts by forming teams.
Then, plan for a day or night at a bowling alley for everyone to come together and compete for prizes. Offer prizes for your best fundraisers, too.
Donut Dash
Test your church members’ primal abilities to eat, run, and do good with a donut dash.
A donut dash isn’t for the weak-stomached. Participants will run a full mile for this church fundraising idea, devour half a dozen donuts, and run a final carb-infused mile. Your most determined participants will enjoy being put to the test while supporting your church. Throw some friendly competition into the mix by offering medals for the top participants. Don’t forget to set up water stations along the route.
Have participants pay and register online or take a peer-to-peer approach by having participants collect pledges based on how many donuts they consume or miles they complete. Remember to sell event t-shirts to commemorate the day to generate even more revenue!
Wheelbarrow Challenge
Looking for an easy church fundraising idea that requires minimal time and resources? Try a wheelbarrow challenge!
Place your wheelbarrow in a conspicuous place with tons of foot traffic, like outside your sanctuary. Church members will toss in their spare change each week until the wheelbarrow’s filled. The only out-of-pocket expense is the wheelbarrow, but a member of your congregation may have a spare one to donate. Keep in mind that it doesn’t necessarily have to be brand new as long as it gets the job done!
Are you feeling ultra adventurous? Set up several wheelbarrows around the church. Then, divide church members into groups (such as by gender), assign them to a wheelbarrow, and pit them against one another to see who fills theirs first.
Letter Writing Campaign
Put your writing skills to the test with a church fundraising letter campaign.
Your staff can send out letters asking for general donations, sponsorships, in-kind donations, volunteer time, and more. When requesting contributions, be sure to direct congregants to your online church giving page, but be sure to include a self-addressed envelope along with your letter to send in checks.
No matter the type of donation you’re requesting, your letters should be authentic and personal. Always start by including the recipient’s preferred name and then attempt to reference any past contributions or engagement history.
Parents’ Night Out
Raising children is no easy task—parents deserve a break to relax and focus on themselves. With this church fundraising idea, parents in your church will pay a fee to leave their children at your church. Vetted volunteers with childcare experience from your congregation will babysit the children while parents go out to dinner, see a movie, or otherwise relax. Then, parents will pick them up.
You could even pair this event with a lock-in event to boost profitability—children will be delighted to spend time with their friends in a large sleepover!
Book Club Fundraiser
Help congregants connect further with the word of God by creating a book club. Every month, select novels or nonfiction books related to religion and set specific dates for the club to meet and discuss their insights from reading these books. Charge a small annual fee for members to join the club.
You can also convert this into a dedicated Bible study group or even pivot to choose non-religious books that may interest your congregants. Be sure to pick the option that best suits your church members’ preferences.
Painting Classes at Church
Empower congregation members to find a new hobby they love by hosting painting classes. You can enlist the help of a volunteer to teach the class or hire a dedicated painting teacher. Sell tickets to the event that cover the teacher’s prices, supplies, and a little more to help your church fundraise.
If this idea is popular, you can turn this fundraiser into a series of classes covering all sorts of hobbies. You can secure long-term connections with churchgoers beyond Sunday worship through this event.
Fitness Classes at Church
Fitness classes are another type of class that your congregants will greatly appreciate. These are amazing opportunities for them to socialize while staying healthy and exercising. Similarly to the painting class, you can ask a volunteer to teach or hire a dedicated fitness instructor.
Sell tickets to your classes to ensure your church recoups its overhead costs and generates additional revenue. As an extra bonus to profitability, consider hosting a shoe drive fundraiser alongside your classes—you might even ask attendees to bring a pair of gently worn, used or new athletic shoes instead of paying for tickets!
Catholic Church Fundraiser Ideas
Fish Fry-Day
Many Catholic churches participate in a meat-free Friday tradition, especially throughout the season of Lent. Whether you join in this tradition regularly or not, Fish Fry-Day is a great church fundraising idea! Simply gather your congregation on a Friday for an evening of conversation and an excellent fish dish.
Encourage your church members to contribute a small donation to participate in the meal. As an alternative to a cash donation, encourage church members to bring a pair of shoes to donate! It’s a great way to get more donations from your Catholic church fundraising ideas.
“40 Cans for 40 Days” Food & Fund Drive
This multi-purpose Catholic church fundraising idea is perfect fit for the season of Lent. Encourage parishioners to donate one can of food (or a small monetary gift) for each of the 40 days leading up to Easter. Participants can bring items to Mass weekly, fill donation boxes at home, or contribute online if they prefer to give financially instead.
The collected food can support a parish pantry or local charity, while optional cash donations, sponsorships, or “match the cans” challenges help generate funds for church programs. This fundraiser is especially effective because it aligns with the Lenten spirit of sacrifice and service, requires minimal overhead, and invites consistent engagement from the entire congregation over several weeks.
Easy Fundraising Ideas for Churches
#GivingTuesday Fundraiser
The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is known as Giving Tuesday. Many organizations host #GivingTuesday campaigns to encourage people to give back to their communities on this day. Encourage your church members (and their online networks) to give to your church’s mission.
Promote tithing on this day through your social media platforms. When someone gives, they can post about it and include #givingtuesday to show their support.
To get your #GivingTuesday fundraiser up and running, check out our guidebook to getting your community involved.
Envelope Fundraiser
An envelope fundraiser may be easy, but it has a high earning potential.
For an envelope fundraiser, you’ll need a series of blank envelopes. Number the envelopes 1-100, or however many envelopes you’re using. Then, pin the envelopes in order on a bulletin board in a highly visible location at one of your church events.
As members pass by, encourage them to take down an envelope and fill it with the dollar amount listed on the envelope. You may choose to have a credit card processor available as well so those without cash could participate.
To put this church fundraiser’s potential into perspective, a 100-envelope fundraiser can raise up to $5,050!
Buy-a-Brick Campaign
For this fundraiser, your church will need to establish a brick walkway, wall, or other bricked or tiled surface. The surface can be indoors or outdoors, so get creative with placement! If you already have an upcoming construction project, that would be the optimal time to host this church fundraiser.
Before you construct your brick surface, advertise the opportunity to buy a brick to your church members. For every brick purchase, have the buyer’s name engraved into the brick before it gets laid into the surface. This fundraiser provides your community with a wonderful landmark to return to over the years!
Church Fashion Show
Fashion shows are a super easy church fundraiser for members of all ages!
Little kids will love dressing up in silly outfits and strutting their stuff down the church aisle. You can also encourage the more senior church members to show off their best hats and pearls for everyone to see. Either way, participants are bound to have a blast.
Charge a small fee to enter the fashion show and encourage your congregation to attend. You can really make an event of the evening by selling concessions or professional photos with the models.
Kiss-a-Pig
Kiss-a-Pig is a church fundraising idea that’s sure to get your entire congregation involved. The fundraiser starts a few weeks before the day of the event. First, you set up jars for donations with the pictures of potential “kissers” (we recommend your pastor and other well-known church staff) on each.
Congregants put money in the jar for the person they want to give the kiss. On the day of the event, whoever’s jar is the fullest has to kiss a pig! You can encourage people to provide last-minute donations to see others also kiss the pig at the event.
Promote this unique fundraiser by taking adorable pictures of your pig, which a local zoo or farm may be willing to let you borrow for the day. It will ensure people don’t forget to donate.
Candle Sale Fundraiser
Most people enjoy having a nice, fragrant candle to burn.
There are a few ways you can execute a candle sale as your next church fundraiser. First, you could buy candle-making supplies and have volunteers make special candles for this purpose, then sell each candle at a profit.
Alternatively, you could order candles in bulk and then sell those candles to your community. Either way, make sure your candles smell and look great! This type of sale is great around holidays like Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day.
Karaoke Night
Bring congregants together and bond over catchy music with a karaoke night.
To host a karaoke night fundraiser for your church, you have a few different options. You could have the event at a local business that offers karaoke, or you could host it at your venue and provide the necessary equipment.
You’ll need a microphone and accompanying sound system, a screen to display the lyrics and instrumental versions of songs, and some kind of stage.
To raise funds with this event, charge a fee for admission and sell concessions like drinks and snacks.
Super Soul Sunday
Celebrate Super Bowl Sunday with your church family! This Super Soul Sunday is a great stewardship event for your congregation to get together and enjoy football and incredible company. Encourage people to make a small donation to attend and bring a dish to share.
One of our partners even hosted a Super Sole Sunday event in which they encouraged everyone to give shoes during Super Bowl Sunday.
Whether people donate money or shoes to attend, a Super Bowl Sunday party is a church fundraiser idea that can’t go wrong.
50/50 Fundraising Raffle
Looking for an easy yet lucrative fundraiser? Try a 50/50 raffle as your next church fundraiser.
Similar to a traditional raffle, participants will pay a set price per ticket. Once everyone has entered the raffle, you’ll draw a ticket and announce the lucky winner. Half the money will go to the ticket holder while the other half goes to your church.
You don’t have to worry about finding a cool item to award the winner, plus your participants will be motivated to win a chunk of cash! Best of all, a 50/50 raffle pairs perfectly with several other church fundraising events, like a cook-off or a road race.
Church Bingo Night
Bingo is a popular game for all ages for a reason—it’s incredibly fun and easy to play!
Have your church members gather one evening for a night of bingo games. For this fundraiser, either charge an admission fee or charge by the bingo card. That way, those who want to play more, pay more!
Make sure to have some great prizes to reward those who win bingo again and again! You’ll also want to provide snacks and music to create a more enjoyable environment.
Sponsorship Fundraising
While sponsorship isn’t an entire fundraiser in its own right, it’s a good avenue to pursue to support another of your church’s fundraising events.
For example, if you’re hosting a 5K race to support your church, you might reach out to local sporting goods businesses to “sponsor” the race by making a substantial in-kind or monetary donation. In return, you can offer them advertising space on your event’s T-shirts, banners displayed at the event, and even merchandise associated with the event.
Sponsorships are an excellent way to garner funds in exchange for spreading the word about a local business!
Scratch-Off Cards
A scratch-off fundraiser is a fun way to get your church members to “gamble” for your cause!
To get started with this idea, you’ll need to order special fundraising scratch-off cards from a fundraising company. These cards are like the scratch-off tickets we’re all familiar with, except each circle or square scratches off to reveal an amount of money the scratcher is supposed to donate. Usually, amounts range from about $1-$20.
Members of your community will enjoy taking the scratch-off cards to their friends and family and seeing what numbers they get!
Penny Drive Fundraiser
For a penny drive, ask congregants to collect any spare change they can find from their homes, neighbors, extended family members, and more. At the end of the fundraiser, everyone will bring all the change they’ve collected, and you’ll count out exactly how much this church fundraising idea made.
Boost the mood for your penny drive by turning the counting day into a fun event! You can supply food, drink, music, games, and more. Invite all community members to attend and celebrate how much your fundraiser made with the people who matter—your congregation!
Online Shopping Fundraiser
With an online shopping fundraiser, congregants will contribute to your church every time they make a purchase online! You’ll partner with a dedicated online shopping provider and instruct congregants to download an app or browser extension. Then, whenever they purchase from a qualified business, your church will receive a percentage of sales!
When promoting this church fundraising idea, emphasize that there is no extra cost for congregants to participate. This will make them more likely to participate in your campaign!
Family-Friendly Church Fundraisers
Bake Sale
Has your congregation ever hosted a bake sale? If not, this year could be the perfect time.
Bake sales are fun, community-building, and delicious events that allow your church to raise money and provide sweet treats for your congregants.
Set a date and time frame for your bake sale—before or after church one Sunday would be great—and ask members to sign up to bring certain baked goods. Set prices for the items, and watch the funds roll in!
Family Photoshoots
Quality family photos are often treasured for generations.
For this church fundraiser, be the one to provide family photos for your church’s members. See if there is a qualified photographer already in your community, and ask them if they’d be willing to donate their time to this fundraiser.
Then, alert your members of the opportunity to have their family portraits taken at a specific time and date. Have them sign up online, and once their photos are ready, charge for copies so you can raise money in furtherance of your mission.
Church Community Picnic
Invite your churchgoers to enjoy a nice day outside at a church community picnic.
Ask members to bring their baskets of food and beverages and spread them out on blankets in a nice green space. To raise money with this idea, ask participants to donate a small amount of money to participate.
Consider adding additional elements to your picnic to encourage participation, like interesting speakers or fun outdoor games like lawn bowling or a crafting station.
Best in Show
Who doesn’t love a dog show? It’s the reason why it’s on our list of church fundraising ideas.
For this fundraiser, see who has the most well-behaved, the furriest, and the friendliest pups! Invite your congregants to a “best in show” fundraiser where members bring their dogs to compete for exclusive titles.
Have several different classes, awards, and prizes to make the event more fun. To raise money with this event, just charge a fee for entry and ask for donations along the way.
Movie Night
A movie night provides an avenue for churchgoers to meet and socialize with one another in a relaxed setting while watching an entertaining film. All you need to do is rent or purchase a movie, set up a projector, and supply attendees with pillows and blankets. For best results, pick a kid-friendly movie that individuals of all ages can enjoy.
Ask church members to purchase tickets to turn this community event into a fundraiser. You can also sell food, drinks, and other concessions to boost revenue!
Benefit Worship Concert
A benefit worship concert is a wonderful way to bring your church congregants together for a fun evening of music and fellowship. And that’s why it’s on our list of church fundraising ideas.
A benefit worship concert is a concert put on by your church featuring your favorite worship bands. Depending on the scope of your church and the musicians, benefit concerts can be highly profitable.
Promote the benefit well in advance and make sure to have a suitable location to fit not only your congregants, but also any additional worshippers who may wish to attend. Charge for tickets, and you’re well on your way to meeting a fundraising goal from your church fundraising ideas!
Food Truck Fundraiser
A food truck fundraiser is a great way to bring your churchgoers together for a nice evening outdoors.
Food truck fundraisers involve partnering with local food truck businesses and inviting them to park at a certain location for a specific amount of time. During this time, your church members order food, eat, and bond. You might even have some outdoor games like cornhole and bocce ball to make the night complete.
Consider asking the food truck owners if they would provide food as an in-kind donation, allowing you to charge your members and fundraise that way. Alternatively, you could charge for tickets to the event or work with the food trucks to take a certain percentage of the profits.
Chuck-a-Duck Fundraiser
A chuck-a-duck fundraiser is a silly, but one still one of our engaging church fundraising ideas that any church can host.
All you need to do is gather your church members in a large space—a gym is perfect. If it’s nice outside, get some fresh air and sunshine by moving the event to your church parking lot. Set up a target and sell rubber ducks for a small fee. Have everyone “chuck” their duck at the target—whoever gets closest wins a prize!
Board Game Night
People love to play board games and try out new games at little to no cost! If your church already has a recreation center with board games, this fundraiser is an easy way to boost revenue. Sell tickets to attendees, and allow them to play whatever board games they want.
If there’s enough interest, you can turn this night into a competition by designating a single board game for attendees to compete in. The prize can be a personal copy of the game!
Angel Festival
An angel festival requires some creativity on the part of your church members! For this fundraiser, ask individuals, families, or teams to craft a life-sized angel out of materials like cardboard, wood, feathers, and even natural materials like leaves and flowers.
Charge a fee for participants to enter their angel into the competition, and ask everyone to bring their angel to the festival. You might host it at your church or an outdoor location if the weather permits.
Invite all of your church members to walk around and admire the beautiful angels the participants produced. Have everyone vote on first, second, and third place angel to add a competitive edge! In lieu of a participation fee, you could have congregation members vote with their dollars and pocket change.
Pizza Sale
Odds are, your congregation has some pizza lovers.
Consider hosting a pizza night (or a few pizza nights!) to bring your members together and enjoy a cheesy meal.
To raise funds with this option, consider asking for an in-kind pizza donation from a local pizza shop, then charging a small admission fee for the event. Alternatively, you could charge more than you paid for the pizza, giving your church a profit to contribute toward your fund.
Walkathon
Walkathons are an incredibly affordable way to raise money while encouraging a healthy lifestyle for your church members. Spice up this event from our church fundraising ideas by giving your walkathon a theme, such as:
- Dog walk
- Halloween walk
- Superhero walk
You can generate revenue through peer-to-peer fundraising, crowdfunding, pledges, or merchandise sales for your event. Plus, these activities are a fantastic opportunity to incorporate a shoe drive fundraiser! Encourage your participants to bring a change of shoes and donate their gently worn, used and new shoes once the event wraps up.
Church Youth Group Fundraising Ideas
Youth Group Pledge Drive
There are several different pledge drive ideas you could take on as a fundraising idea for your youth group. For instance, you may decide to conduct a Bible-read-a-thon, bike-a-thon, walk-a-thon, or dance-a-thon. Once you decide, ask your group to gather sponsors for each page, mile, or minute they complete the activity.
This fundraising idea for church youth groups is a perfect opportunity to encourage healthy habits among the young.
The trouble with pledge campaigns is always collecting pledges, so be sure your youth collect all the necessary contact information from each of their sponsors!
Dodgeball Fundraiser
Do you have some athletic church members? If so, they might enjoy a friendly dodgeball tournament.
For this church fundraiser, host a dodgeball tournament at a local gym or in your church’s gym if available. Promote the event ahead of time, so your congregants can form teams and register to play together. Be sure to pair any stragglers up to give them a fair chance!
To raise funds with this option, charge a registration fee for teams and sell concessions to the audience. Everyone can get involved and support your church, whether they want to play or just cheer on their fellow churchgoers.
Worm Charming
Did you know that worms tend to surface when they feel vibrations in the ground? That’s the trick to this highly engaging fundraising idea for church youth groups. Everyone will love getting their hands dirty to support your church, even if it’s while collecting worms.
To conduct this fundraising idea, divide an area of land (where worms might make their home) into a grid. Then, sell each of these grid spaces to interested youth. They can cause the ground to vibrate with music, a hammer, a stake, or other methods. The only rule: no digging!
Whoever collects the most worms wins! After the event, encourage youth members to donate their now muddy shoes to your shoe drive fundraiser for some extra cash toward your mission.
Treasure Hunt
A treasure hunt or scavenger hunt with your youth group is a fun way to bring them together as a group while also raising money for your church.
Divide your youth into teams and create a treasure map for each group. Charge a small amount of money from your youth group members to participate in the event, then send them off on their way. The team who finds the prize first wins!
Task your team members to complete little challenges along the way and have them take pictures to prove the completion. For instance, challenge them to donate a pair of shoes at one checkpoint or take a group picture with an image of Jesus at another point.
Balloon Pop Raffle
This fundraising idea for your church youth group is crazy easy and an effective way to make some serious cash. What would members of your youth group enjoy more than making great noise by popping balloons? Winning a prize for doing so!
A balloon pop works very much like a raffle. Invite youth group members to buy balloons to pop. Put winning tickets into some of the balloons for some incredible prizes (try gift baskets or certificates to local restaurants). The person who pops a balloon with a winning ticket gets the prize!
Be sure to include a slip of paper inside every balloon so that they all look the same. And if you’re worried about the expense of prizes, try partnering with local businesses or shops to see if they’d be willing to donate goods or gift certificates for this cause.
Social Media Takeover
Is there a social media influencer or popular blogger within your church’s reach who could “take over” your social media accounts for a day?
This is a popular route for securing donations from a wider audience than your church may have direct access to from followers.
Consider reaching out to a popular online figure who could promote the takeover and post on your accounts, encouraging donations to your church. It’s a great way to extend your fundraising efforts to people outside of your network and welcome them into your church community.
Talent Search
Your youth group is full of hidden talent. Bring that talent to the surface with the talent search church fundraiser idea!
Encourage youth members to pay a small fee to “audition” for this talent search. Bring everyone together to have them sing karaoke for the group, then have the people vote on the winning performer. The winner gets to perform with your worship band on Sunday morning.
You never know, maybe with some new talent, your worship band will become the next Newsboys!
Compassionate Camping
One goal that your church has for its youth is to teach them about the critical lessons of caring, even when it’s difficult. From this value, compassionate camping was born.
Encourage all of your youth to sign up and contribute a small donation to participate in this life-changing event. Then, give everyone cardboard boxes, from which they are encouraged to make a “house” for the night. Sleeping in these “homes” will show them the difficulties so many families face when homeless.
Encourage youth to wear shoes they want to donate to the event. Going shoeless and homeless for a night brings attention to the importance of both homes and shoes (the primary mode of transportation) worldwide for people in developing nations.
Bible Trivia
Looking to have some family-friendly fun after your Sunday service? Host an afternoon game of trivia in your service hall!
Charge a small entry fee, and sell lunch for an extra few bucks so that your competitors don’t go hungry during the event. Before the event, create a list of questions grouped into categories, such as Bible books, people, and more. Then create a presentation, or if you’re looking for a low-tech option, hand out trivia sheets where participants write down their answers.
Your youth group should take charge of organizing the questions, promoting the event to other church members, and running it. Your congregation will look forward to putting their Bible knowledge to the test, while encouraging stronger faith among their children!
Clear-The-To-Do-List Challenge
Teach some responsibility to today’s youth and make a difference in your church community by hosting a “clear-the-to-do-list” challenge!
For this church fundraising idea, church members and other citizens around your town will enlist your youth group to complete chores. From yard work to household chores, they’ll spend a weekend completing whatever tasks your community needs. Plus, they acquire several useful qualities along the way:
- Teamwork
- Time management
- Organization
Charge an affordable hourly fee or encourage donations. Depending on what tasks your youth will be tackling, ask your church members to loan out their cleaning supplies or other equipment to cut back on costs.
Kickball League
Encourage your church members to get some fresh air and exercise with a kickball league. Depending on your church’s size, you may offer this exclusively to your youth group or turn it into a church-wide affair. Divide participants up into teams, and have members pay an entrance fee to compete in your tournament.
Take competitiveness to the next level by offering trophies for the winners. Aside from those minimal costs, this church fundraising idea is relatively inexpensive, and you can play pretty much anywhere that has enough space.
Bonus! Coordinate a shoe drive fundraiser and encourage participants to donate their gently worn, used and new shoes once the tournament wraps up.
Make-the-Grade Fundraiser
Encourage a strong academic performance in every youth group member with this church fundraising idea.
For this fundraiser, youth group members collect pledges from their friends and family that depend on the grades they get in school. For example, a family member might pledge to donate $10 to the church for every “A” a student makes on their next report card.
This is a wonderful way to encourage good study habits in your church’s youth congregation while also raising a few extra dollars.
All-Night Dance Party
Everyone loves a little late-night dancing every once in a while!
Why not bring your youth group members together for a fun night of dancing in support of your church? All you’ll need is a large enough event space, a jamming playlist, and some loud speakers.
All you need to raise funds with this event is to charge a fee for admission. You could also sell food and beverages at the event to make it even more profitable for your church. After all, dancing takes a lot of energy, and your participants will want to stay hydrated and fueled up.
Church Lock-In
A lock-in is a fun overnight event for your youth group to participate in.
Traditionally, lock-ins involve your youth attendees being “locked in” your church overnight. Screen movies, play music, sell snacks and drinks, and have games to maximize the fun at your church lock-in. Don’t forget to have adequate volunteer supervision!
Raise funds with this event by selling admission tickets or just charging for concessions. Either way, you’re bound to bring youth together in support of your church.
Water Balloon Fight
It’s easy to fundraise with a water balloon fight. Just charge a small entry fee, prepare tons of water balloons, and let your younger congregation members throw balloons to their hearts’ content. You can host a free-for-all, where everyone throws balloons at everyone. Or, make it more of a competition by sorting participants into teams. When someone gets hit by a balloon, they’re out!
Top Mission Trip Church Fundraising Ideas
International Food Day
For this church fundraiser, the church’s youth group or Sunday school members should bring dishes from various cultures. Either have the individuals whip up a recipe based on their heritages or encourage them to draw a cuisine-type from a hat.
Not only is this an excellent way to teach youth and adults about diversity, but it builds anticipation for your next big mission trip. For your theme, celebrate the culture that your attendees are going to visit.
Amp up excitement for your church’s international food day by posting on social media and sharing photos from your volunteer chefs. Then, ask other church members to pay an entrance fee to sample the flavorful dishes, and everyone enjoys sampling cuisines from around the world.
Adopt-a-Mile
Have an upcoming mission trip? Try an adopt-a-mile church fundraiser! This campaign idea is an easy way to raise money for excursions, especially when you’ve got a long journey ahead of you.
Adopt-a-mile fundraisers involve participants mapping out the distance between where they are and their destination. Leading up to the trip, they do their best to convince church members to donate a dollar or two for every mile traveled. Congregants will appreciate the opportunity to encourage mission trip participants on their journeys to better the world around them.
T-Shirt Sales
Selling t-shirts is an incredibly effective event from our list of church fundraising ideas that raises money for your church while bringing your team closer together.
The first step to this fundraiser is designing a good mission trip t-shirt. Make sure you include the mission trip location and year on the t-shirt so that it can serve as a souvenir in addition to a fundraising technique.
When everyone shows up for the mission trip wearing the same t-shirt, they will automatically feel connected to one another. Plus, in the future, when people ask about the merch, your church members can tell them all about the good your congregation does for the community and help them feel more connected when they can buy a shirt too.
Mission Trip Letter Writing
Write letters to potential sponsors for your upcoming mission trip as a compelling mission trip fundraising idea. Then, invite the other team members to do the same.
Try writing letters to members of the church you grew up in, relatives, Christian contacts from school, and other people in your life who may be interested in funding your mission trip.
You’d be surprised how many people will not only appreciate the work you plan to do but also want to contribute and get involved to support it.
Yoga with Animals
Try including some trendy events in your church fundraising strategy. One such event? Yoga with animals.
There are plenty of locations that offer introductory yoga with goats, kittens, bunnies, dogs, or other adorable animals. Talk to the businesses about sponsoring your mission. They may offer free or reduced prices to your group. Then, all you need to do is sell tickets to your missionaries or guests. All the proceeds will go toward your trip.
Try promoting this fundraiser on social media with live streams or fun pictures to get people more involved or to show the world how cool your church is!
Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding encourages your church mission team to collect small donations from a broad audience, adding up to a substantial fund for your mission trip.
This mission trip fundraising idea can quickly get your entire team involved to raise money for their upcoming assignment.
Start by creating an incredibly compelling fundraising page as a church, then invite all of your members to share the fundraising page on social media. As the word spreads, more and more people will donate, and the mission trip funds will rack up.
Pig Roast
Bring your church family together for an event they’ll never forget. A pig roast is a perfect church fundraiser idea to raise money while stewarding members.
A pig roast is essentially a giant potluck that you host outside. If your church wants to have a pig on a spit, go for it, but it’s not necessary. All you need is some pork barbeque and to invite your church members to bring a side dish for the food.
Set up an event outside so everyone can enjoy warm summer weather, pork BBQ, and maybe even a bonfire in the evening! Sell tickets for members to attend a night to remember.
Don’t forget to set up a shoe collection box for your supporters to bring gently worn, used and new shoes to give to your shoe drive fundraiser as well!
Coffee Morning
Many churches have early morning services, and as much as everyone loves attending, sometimes it’s tough to get out of bed in the morning! The best solution to this problem: a nice steamy cup of coffee.
Recruit your mission team to come to church early and make coffee. Then, set up a table in the fellowship hall to sell to groggy congregants in the morning.
With this mission trip fundraising idea, not only do your church members get to enjoy their morning cup of joe, but they also get to support your mission team in their upcoming trip.
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
Chances are, you’ve come across a peer-to-peer campaign at some point. For this church fundraising idea, you call on your church members to raise money on behalf of your ministry. Participants create their campaign pages, which they then share on social media and encourage their friends and families to donate.
Peer-to-peer campaigns have quickly gained momentum in the church fundraising space, and for a good reason! They’re highly profitable, don’t expend substantial time or resources, and cost very little to run. Best of all, they allow you to spread your mission to a wide range of people. Who knows? You may even gain a few new members along the way!
So long as you have passionate participants and a robust peer-to-peer platform on your side, you’ll set your peer-to-peer church fundraiser up for success!
Road Race
Churches, among many other organizations, have hosted road races for quite some time, and that’s because they work! There are two ways you can go about raising money with this fundraising idea:
- Direct users to your online giving page to pay an entry fee.
- Have participants raise pledges for each mile they plan to run.
On the day of your road race, make sure to place markers along your route, so runners know the course, set up water stations, and have volunteers pass out race numbers.
If you’re unable to host your fun run in person, no worries! Easily shift it to the digital space. Set a date for your race, and participants can run at their preferred locations. Make sure they download a free fitness app or record their run using a smartwatch to submit their results. It’s a smart move if you have many out-of-town members, can’t find a large enough venue, or have other concerns that prevent you from hosting your race in person.
Travel Raffle
Imagine hosting a raffle, but instead of a tangible prize, the winner gets an enticing getaway! This idea can potentially generate a lot of buzz (and money!) for your church.
But before moving forward with this church fundraising idea, ask around to see if any of your members have a connection with a travel agency or are willing to donate their frequent flyer miles. Even if you don’t have any direct connections, you can still book a relatively inexpensive getaway, like a camping trip, where you supply all the essential gear.
Set up the raffle through your ticketing platform and encourage church members to share it online. Congregants and other community members will get psyched to be in the running for a mini-vacation!
Gala
While a gala certainly takes a fair bit of planning, it’s one of the most lucrative church fundraising events you can host.
Your church members can bond over good food and a passion for serving God. Enlist a community chef to whip up some hors d’oeuvres, and invest in decor for your venue to create an elegant experience.
Part of the funds will come from registration fees, but don’t stop there! These events are often paired with auctions and raffles to encourage friendly competition (and boost donations). Consider setting a theme for your event to turn it into a unique affair for the entire community to enjoy. Depending on the time of year, make it a classic masquerade, a festive Christmas party, or a Hawaiian luau night.
If you opt for a virtual gala, there’s no need to worry about venue costs! You’ll just need to prepare engaging event material and encourage church members to get gussied up for your event. Of course, they can always tune into your live-streamed event — even in their pajamas!
Hiking Fundraiser
If your church community enjoys getting outdoors to explore the beauty of God’s creation and you’re located near a natural attraction such as a forest, waterfall, or mountain, a hiking fundraiser is a great choice. This event allows church members to stretch their legs, connect with nature, and enjoy the fresh air.
Hire a dedicated hiking guide to point out areas of interest on your hike to ensure all participants have a safe and enjoyable experience. Have participants pay a fee to attend the event and sign a waiver beforehand to minimize any liability issues.
Color Run
Do you have some star runners in your congregation? If so, they’d probably be interested in running a 5K to support your mission.
Instead of a traditional 5K, though, add a fun twist by making it a color run. A color run involves participants wearing white and getting covered in colored powder at every kilometer mark.
Launch a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign associated with your 5K, and you’ll raise a substantial amount of funds for your church’s mission and programs. You can also start a shoe drive fundraiser and ask participants to contribute gently worn, used and new shoes as an entry fee! Runners go through shoes quicker than other individuals, so they’re likely to have sneakers to contribute.
Holiday Church Fundraising Ideas
40 Days of Lent Challenge
Lent is a 40-day period of preparation for Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Holy Thursday. Traditionally, this is a time of reflection, prayer, and penance, characterized by resisting temptations.
If your congregation members want to form better habits or give up on current bad habits, challenge them with this fundraiser. Before Lent begins, they’ll decide on something to give up every day, such as coffee, cookies, or cigarettes. During Lent, whenever they successfully resist their temptations, they’ll take the money they would have spent and put it aside. At the end of Lent, they’ll donate this money to your church. Individuals who successfully resist their temptations will likely have larger sums to donate, so you can make this event a competition to increase fundraising!
Fish Fry-Day
Many churches participate in a meat-free Friday tradition, especially throughout the season of Lent. Whether you join in this tradition regularly or not, Fish Fry-Day is a great church fundraising idea! Simply gather your congregation on a Friday for an evening of conversation and an excellent fish dish.
Encourage your church members to contribute a small donation to participate in the meal. As an alternative to a cash donation, encourage church members to bring a pair of shoes to donate! It’s a great way to get more donations from your church fundraising ideas.
Easter Egg Hunt
If you have a fair amount of children in your congregation, consider hosting an Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday!
Odds are, kids will already be attending an Easter Egg Hunt, so why not host one yourself and have their fun support the church? You could easily host the hunt after your Easter church service.
For this church fundraiser, you’ll need some volunteers to stuff plastic eggs with candy and hide them around an outdoor space like a courtyard or field. Advertise the event ahead of time and ask parents for a small donation for their children to participate.
Pumpkin Patch
When Fall begins, there’s nothing that gets people in the spirit like an old-fashioned pumpkin patch. Sell pumpkins as a church to prepare for the changing leaves and Jack-o-Lantern carving.
Try contacting local farms about possible bulk order discounts for your church to obtain these pumpkins at a low price.
Bonus! Give a pumpkin discount to church members who give a pair of shoes to your shoe drive fundraiser.
Holiday Orchestra
A holiday orchestra is a wonderful way to bring your church members together to listen to a beautiful performance.
If your church already has an orchestra, see if they would be willing to play holiday songs at a performance for your fundraiser. Otherwise, partner with a local orchestra group to put on the show.
For this fundraiser, charge an entry fee and circulate a donation basket throughout the concert. Your congregants will love this fun way to get in the holiday spirit!
Holiday Decoration Service
Everyone loves festive decorations to get into the holiday spirit. However, some congregation members may be too busy to set up their exterior Christmas lights and displays. That’s where the holiday decoration service comes in!
In exchange for a small fee, volunteers from your congregation will decorate the donor’s houses and ensure they feel the holiday cheer. Decorative projects can be as simple as adding ornaments to a Christmas tree or as complicated as setting up outdoor holiday displays.
Wreath and Ornament Sale
Encourage church members to express their creativity by participating in an ornament and wreath sale.
Perfect for the Christmas season, this church fundraising idea holds a lot of potential. Ask one of your Sunday school classes or your artistic church members to craft ornaments and wreaths. While you’ll need to pay for the materials, selling well-made Christmas decorations can be very profitable for your church!
With help from some generous volunteers, host a sale after one of your Sunday services. If all goes well, turn it into an annual event that church members come to look forward to every year.
Gingerbread House Making
Gingerbread houses are fun to make, no matter your age!
Around the holidays, ask your congregants to join you for a day of fellowship and gingerbread house making.
For this event, gauge interest ahead of time so you can bulk order the right amount of materials. Then, just charge a marginally higher fee for participation. People will love getting creative and bonding over the sugary goodness. You can even turn it into a friendly competition and hand out prizes for different age groups or categories, like Most Creative, Most Delicious-Looking, Largest Structure, and Most Festive.
Holiday Tour of Homes
Have you ever explored nearby neighborhoods in search of outstanding holiday displays? Turn the journey into a church-wide affair by making it an annual fundraising event!
Sell tickets that people can purchase to go on a tour of local homes decorated for the holiday season. They’ll get ideas for their own decorating and enjoy visiting their neighbors in the process. Not to mention, this is a great opportunity to show off your community’s local charm to out-of-town attendees.
You can even have carolers from your church stationed at some of the houses while other congregants sell hot cocoa. The sales can go directly to your church while everyone gets in the holiday spirit!
Wrapping Paper Sale
The Christmas season means presents, and presents need wrapping!
Your church congregants are likely purchasing wrapping paper from a store. Instead, they could be buying it from the church and supporting your mission.
All you’ll need to do is bulk order wrapping paper ahead of the holidays and host a wrapping paper sale for your church members. Don’t forget the bows and tape! Charge more than you paid for each roll, so your church can make some money from this endeavor.
Gift Wrapping Fundraiser
When the holidays roll around, everyone’s in a mad dash to buy presents for their loved ones. Take one thing off their to-do list by hosting a gift wrapping fundraiser for your church.
The great thing about a gift wrapping fundraiser is that it works for any holiday where presents are involved, such as:
- Christmas
- Mother’s Day
- Father’s Day
- Valentine’s Day
Simply set up a gift wrapping station at your church or a high-traffic area in the community, like your local mall. Be sure to arm your volunteers with plenty of wrapping paper, tape, and bows. Save on expenses by encouraging volunteers to bring their wrapping paper or invite other church members to donate the materials. Then, charge a set fee or encourage donations in exchange for a well-wrapped gift.
Christmas Caroling
Does your church have a choir?
If so, send your choir on a caroling spree around the holidays! Going door-to-door singing Christmas songs is a wonderful way to spread the holiday cheer. If your church doesn’t have an official choir, just ask for volunteers to join a caroling group.
Christmas caroling is a great way to raise money for your mission, too. Just have your choir carry a donation basket to every home, and you’re sure to bring in some needed funds.
Christmas Tree Recycling
Everyone loves Christmas. From setting up the nativity scene to dressing your Christmas tree, it’s no wonder it’s a favorite holiday for so many. Once it’s over, though, it’s time to put all the decorations away. And what about the tree?
Encourage your church members to recycle their trees at your church for a small fee. When they give a tree, they won’t have to worry about finding a place for it; they’ll feel good about recycling and know they’re supporting a good cause.
You can instill the value of recycling for your members with this church fundraising idea. Plus, encourage them to repurpose their shoes to your shoe drive fundraiser too! Keep the spirit going even after the holiday season ends.
Christmas Light Removal
Have you ever been admiring your Christmas lights, only to realize it’s almost February? It can be such a pain to take down all those lights after the holiday season!
This church fundraiser solves that problem. Provide a Christmas light removal service to your church congregants for a reasonable fee. Your church members will appreciate the opportunity to outsource the job to your church’s volunteers.
You can start this fundraiser as early as the day after Christmas and continue it through late January for families who like leaving their lights up a little longer.
New Year’s Eve Party
The New Year is always an exciting time. Consider hosting a New Year’s Eve party for your congregants to celebrate together.
There are several ways to make money from a New Year’s Eve party. You could charge for admission, sell food and beverages, have competitions with entry fees, or ask participants to peer-to-peer fundraise ahead of the event (with the promise of prizes, of course!).
Regardless of how you choose to structure the church fundraiser, make sure to have plenty of music and entertainment for your guests to ring in the new year while having a blast!
Best Practices for Church Fundraising
Understand the Deeper Meaning Behind Church Fundraising
Church fundraising is about more than simply passing the basket around to collect donations. These fundraisers can represent a meaningful sacrificial moment of giving (such as with Barefoot Sundays) or be an opportunity for engagement (with both your church and broader communities). Church fundraising can take many forms, which is why it’s important to remember that each fundraising idea brings its own unique kinds of opportunities.
Ultimately, successful fundraising involves knowing how to inspire generosity in others. For churches, that means rooting fundraising campaigns in faith and community. Emphasize that generosity is rooted in the nature of God’s grace and abundance, and that giving is both a form of worship and a way to reaffirm a Christian identity. Foster a sense of belonging through dedication to a cause larger than the individual.
Partner with Other Faith-Based Organizations
One of the best approaches for expanding beyond your church fundraising efforts and bringing more people into your activities is to partner with other faith-based organizations, such as:
- Other churches
- Synagogues
- Mosques
- Temples
- Religious schools
- Faith-based nonprofits
By doing so, you create a broader network and expand your community, enabling you to host innovative fundraising campaigns for multiple organizations.
Your partnership with other faith-based organizations can take many forms. For example, you can share best practices, brainstorm community events, or work on larger community projects (e.g., community clean-ups). With the help of another organization, you can make a greater impact and boost your fundraising efforts.
Work with Local Businesses for Church Fundraising
Many businesses can and want to support church fundraising efforts as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Typically, this support is provided through sponsorships, donated products or services, or event space for fundraising initiatives.
For example, a company may allow you to use its upscale conference room to host a private event for top donors. In return, your church can promote the business on social media and in your newsletters.
Partnering with local businesses also allows you to solidify your church’s place in the community and foster a sense of belonging. When you collaborate with companies, you can host fun, creative, and memorable fundraising activities that people want to participate in. Charity auctions, restaurant nights, and community fairs are all sure to get people excited and engaged.
Use Social Media to Raise Funds for Your Church
In today’s digital age, mastering social media is essential for marketing, including church fundraising. Your church can invite people to participate in events through platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Your congregation members will see your activities, and you can also ask them to share your content with the broader community to connect with more supporters and encourage donations.
To make the most of your church fundraising through social media, focus on creating engaging content. Use videos whenever possible because they have a high engagement rate. Also, share testimonials and even behind-the-scenes content, such as your church members bagging shoes after your Barefoot Sunday. And don’t forget to thank your donors and volunteers often! By integrating social media into your fundraising efforts, your church will connect with new people, inspire generosity, and raise more funds.
Additional Resources
Any of these church fundraiser ideas will help you steward your church members while also raising money to do good work for your community. It’s a win-win!
If you’re having trouble narrowing down your options, ask your congregation what type of church fundraiser they’d prefer. They’ll appreciate having their voices heard and be much more motivated to contribute to your campaign’s success.
Need more fundraising ideas for your ministry? Check out these additional resources to get the most out of your church’s fundraising efforts:
- 20+ Easy and Creative Christian School Fundraising Ideas. Do you run a faith-based education institution? Learn about the top fundraising ideas for Christian schools here.
- 20+ Essential Walkathon Fundraiser Ideas for Every Cause. Walkathons are unique and effective fundraisers that appeal to large groups. Discover the best walkathon fundraising ideas in this guide.
- 20 of the Most Profitable Fundraisers for Your Organization. Want to maximize the revenue your organization generates? Take a look at the most profitable fundraisers you can host.
