It isn’t just for your kid’s baseball team or drama club.
Fundraising is a means to create a culture of generosity in your church, to teach your church about how to steward their money well, and to serve your community or the nations by financially contributing to unmet needs.
And we aren’t talking about “fundraising” your church’s offering plate. That’s a heart issue and can be a great teachable practice. We’re specifically speaking to those unmet needs in your church and community.
It can be intimidating to figure out how you are going to meet a larger financial goal, so we’ve highlighted four simple examples from other churches that are utilizing what they have and are making a difference in their community and in their churches.
1. Cross Point Church’s “Dollar Club”
Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN asks everyone church-wide to give $1 a month to the “Dollar Club” fund. It acts as a “special offering.” church fundraisers ideas
A pretty reasonable ask.
They then keep all of this money in a fund and each month they give it to someone in need either in their community or someone they have a relationship with outside of their community. The fund is given to anyone from single parents who are struggling to make ends meet to partnering churches.
Our favorite part of this fundraiser is the stories.
People give when they care. And stories are a great way to help people do just that. Not to fabricate emotions, but Cross Point shows their church exactly just what their $1 a month is doing. They don’t have to do this—I mean, it’s the amount you’d spend on a pack of gum—but they do. They go out of their way to make high-quality videos to tell the stories of the lives changed because of the Dollar Club.
After watching these stories, I want to join this church just for their Dollar Club! Their $1 probably couldn’t do much at first, but God’s faithfulness allows them to now generously give and serve to those who need it. Don’t rule an idea like this out just because your church is smaller in number.
2. City Church’s “The 99 Project”
In Luke 15, Jesus teaches the parable of the shepherd that leaves behind 99 of his sheep to seek and save the one that is lost.
This is the entire idea behind the 99 Project at City Church in Tallahassee, FL.
Being a newer church, City Church didn’t yet have a college ministry. They would just host events and they had many in attendance who were college students. But being located in the heart of a college city, they realized what a huge need their college ministry is. There are many who are lost across three different major college campuses.
So they began this project to be financially able to host weekly college services and host events on college campuses.
Once again, they tell this parable in Luke and apply it to the needs of their city. They provide testimonies and stories from former college students who have been impacted by their church and ask for a monthly giving commitment. There are asks for specific amounts and an option for a custom amount.
This is a great creative way to fundraise for a specific project.
3. The Village Church in Texas
This multi-site campus church does giving so well. We wanted to point out what we love about their regular giving plan that can be applied to your church fundraiser.
If you peruse through the Village Church’s giving page, you’ll find an unusual-looking giving page that doesn’t look like most other churches.
To start, they have placed a “why we give” section front and center on their giving page to reiterate their core values and beliefs. They then go into ways you are able to give if that is a decision you decide to make.
But the unorthodox (and amazing) thing about this page is both the detailed budget and financial reports along the side of the page. We love that this is included here, not just because it is open and honest, but because it lets current givers know exactly how their money is being used and what the church is giving.
Our favorite part of this page is the resource links pointing church members to helpful resources and sermons on tithing and money. This church is not only asking their people to give but teaching them how to steward their money well, which is a valuable thing that people want to know.
4. Christ Journey’s “Feed Miami” Project
Who says fundraisers need to solely bring in money?
Christ Journey in Miami, FL takes donations every year around Thanksgiving time. There is a huge need in their area. So, they ask for bags filled with non-perishables and money if people don’t have time to fill bags themselves.
They put all the specifics on their website as well as making a direct ask of their church.
This is a simple but effective way to bring their church together in being generous to others and filling a need.
These are just four examples of some great fundraising ideas we’ve seen from other churches. Is your church doing any of these or something completely different? We’d love to hear what your church does to fundraise.
Church Fundraising
The #1 barrier to church growth starts with you.
If the senior pastor, or church leaders, are not intentionally taking the time to get better, no one else will follow suit.
We know it can be difficult to know where to begin or even where to go to grow personally. That’s why we developed a FREE resource for you. The personal growth plan. All of us on staff at Church Fuel use it because it’s that useful.
Take some time this week to fill this out and make your personal growth plan.