Church Fundraising Ideas

How do you evaluate church fundraising ideas?

They are not all the same. Some will work better for you than others. But how do you know the difference?

What Kinds of Church Fundraising Ideas Are Available?

There are several categories of church fundraisers.

• Unique Fundraising Ideas. These fundraising ideas for churches are a little different. They may or may not work for you. But they might just give you some inspiration to come up with your own idea. Read more here.
• Fund Raising Products. There are many products you can sell. Some are standard items. But you can also come up with your own ideas. You can choose to either take orders or sell products right on site. Read more here.
• Online Fundraising. If you are looking for an ongoing source of income for your youth group or other group, this church fundraising idea might be perfect. Read more here.
• Make Your Own Cookbook. This is a well-tested idea. Collect recipes, have them published in a book, sell them to people inside and outside of your church. Read more here.
• Fundraising Services. There are a lot of ways you can raise money without selling a product. You can even do good and serve people in the process. Read more here.
• Youth Group Fundraiser. You know they are a little different. So they need church fundraising ideas that are a little different too. Read more here.
• Other Christian Fundraising. There are a few fundraisers that don't fit into any of the other categories. So call this the miscellaneous category. So read more fundraising ideas here.
• Easy Fundraisers. Here I've collected the easiest church fundraising ideas.

Guidelines for Choosing the Best Church Fundraising Idea

You know that church fundraising ideas are available. But how do you choose the best?

• Selling on the spot increases your income. You may actually increase your profit by up to 40% if you have the product on hand when you are selling. You won't be able to do this with magazines or other similar products. But many products can be purchased ahead of time and sold right to the customer when you first see them.
• Taking orders means that you don't have to give any money up front. If you are short of cash, you can choose one of the church fundraising ideas that don't sell product onsite. You will take orders from customers, submit them to the company, then deliver and receive payment for the product.
• Compare commission results carefully. Some companies offer 40% commissions on your sales. Others don't offer nearly as much. Compare before you commit.
• Get samples before you commit. You won't be able to get samples of everything. But many companies offer sample kits that give you an idea of the quality of their products.
• Check to see if the company has a good reputation. Read testimonials. Ask the company for and contact references. Do an internet search on the company name. Put up a question on Facebook. However you do it, do your homework.
• Are quality prizes offered? Many church fundraisers offer prizes as motivation for kids to sell. But some of these prizes are just pure junk. You can't expect to earn high-priced items. But the prizes should at least be of some value.
• Determine how much you want to earn first. Do some research. How much do you have to sell to reach your goal? Is that realistic? How much do you think each person will sell? How much money do you think each person will raise?
• Find out how motivated your people are to sell or raise funds. If they aren't motivated, you won't be successful. Are people motivated with intrinsic rewards? For instance, are you raising money for a great cause? People will naturally want to help. People can also be motivated by extrinsic things. What prizes, awards, or cash will a person receive if they get involved in raising funds?
• Talk to real people before committing. Ordering online is great and convenient. But before you order, talk or at least email someone at the company with questions you have.
• Value counts. You can do church fundraisers more often if you give people real value for their money. The greater the value, the more frequently you can do church fundraising.

Conclusion

My final advice: choose carefully with an understanding of how much you can expect to earn; choose something that gets people motivated; and provide a quality product or service.

• Unique Fundraising Ideas. Read more here.
• Fund Raising Products. Read more here.
• Online Fundraising. Read more here.
• Make Your Own Cookbook. Read more here.
• Fundraising Services. Read more here.
• Youth Group Fundraiser. Read more here.
• Other Christian Fundraising. Read some miscellaneous fundraising ideas here.
• Easy Fundraisers. On this page I've collected what I consider to be the easiest church fundraising ideas.