How to Generate Funds for a New Church Building

A new church building campaign might be one of the trickiest and most challenging fundraising activities to plan. The stakes are quite palpable since the outcome could literally change your scheme of ideas for your church infrastructure. 

Perhaps you already have engineers, planners, and church builders in mind. The plans are there, and now it’s time to ensure ample finances are required to realize the vision.

If you have these church-building project propositions but aren't really sure how to make these ideas materialize, gather the best fundraising strategies to fulfill your plans.

But which fundraising recommendations will come up with the most fiscal contribution? And how do you assure that your fundraising efforts are in for success? 

Each fundraising blueprint crafted for your church should maximize profits. However, you don’t want to put all your time and effort into planning a fundraiser that may not reap remarkable outcomes. 

We prepared these eight church fundraising ideas that will help you kick start the process:

1. Lead by example and inspire others to give

Leading by example through sharing should be within the church's fabric because it’s a prime aspect of Christianity. However, this value may be more straightforward in theory than practice for some church members and attendees.

This is why the first step of manifesting Christ-like principles is serving in the likes of sermons, bible studies, and distribution of church giving materials. These things are important to set up a foundation for members to start giving. The ability to lead by example is a crucial quality needed to realize your plans for the church.

As a church leader, you have to keep your message genuine to amplify your results and materialize your congregation’s new church building.

As we can read in 1 Chronicles 29:1-9, David gave first, and then the leaders gave. When the people noticed the kind actions of the leaders, they gratefully shared their blessings. Be a role model by being the first to give to your church building project and educate your members on the value of giving.

2. Conduct sponsored events

Unity yields ownership and generosity. Engaging in fund-raising activities generates interest in the church community and allows the congregation to connect and appreciate the building's purpose. 

By doing so, the ministry will not only secure modest amounts of financial support for the church building, but members will also be able to connect deeper with your congregation and its united goals.

There are lots of creative activities that you can choose from depending on the church core team's pool of talents and skills. For example, you may choose to hold a church-wide garage sale, sponsor a fun marathon, host a wholesome entertainment show, and route all proceeds to the church building project. This is indeed a great chance to collaborate together as one church and have fun.

3. Apply for a grant funding

While self-help strategies are all relatively dependable when generating funds for church building projects, funding from grants still makes a huge difference, especially when dealing with a major project with high costs.

Considering that public grants are becoming tougher to obtain, you have to ensure that your church is qualified and exhibit how your congregation will benefit the wider community and fill a purpose.

Grant funders usually have a list of eligibility qualifications and requirements. You have to check these carefully and never waste time applying for funding for which your church is not eligible. Chances are, you will only be turned down. 

So it’s great if you have someone in your community who has suitable skills, nonetheless assess thoroughly about employing a professional fundraiser. These pros may be able to ensure grants, but most funders prefer a homegrown individual coming from your church.

4. Utilize Online Donation Platforms

Online donation platforms that include necessary features for givers to donate online easily are also up. In addition, there are numerous online giving tools out there that can be conveniently availed. Indeed, implementing such means setting your desired church building up for fundraising success.

The reason behind pushing for these fundraising ideas is simple — churchgoers and members tend not to carry cash all the time. So with the right online giving software, you can conveniently take your church giving to the next level. 

You can opt to tailor fit your online giving page to match your church brand and highlight it on your church website’s landing page.

To strategize further, you can market your new giving page in other promotional avenues and in fellowships and services during the offering. You can also embed a recurring donation. Doing so can facilitate a flow of fundraising revenue for your church edifice, even if you don’t have a campaign running.

Using Tithe.ly, you can make your fundraising efforts more effective by collecting and organizing finances and donations more efficiently.

5. Improve the Online Donor Experience

With the mentioned online donation option for your fundraising strategies, one thing worth considering is donor experience both virtually and face-to-face. Make sure that online giving on your website or church app is user-friendly and responsive. For interpersonal strategies, ensure spontaneous and authentic engagements and conversations. 

Also, acknowledge donations and convey gratitude. Expressing gratefulness to donors is crucial in donor retention and sustaining recurring donors for your church building. 

One way is via regular praise and worship activities which provide a great venue to thank your members. For virtual services, you can also do this live on air. This will make granters feel special and valued even just through virtual means.

6. Team up with a marketing and fundraising consultant

Even if your church already has a reliable and experienced team of fundraisers, a fundraising and marketing expert can offer value-adding efforts to your series of interventions. These professionals will provide expert guidance about their proven firsthand experience. 

Look for an all-in-one fund-development and marketing firm dedicated to serving Christian communities and other faith-based organizations. Keep in mind that a commendable team will not only provide you with remarkable fundraising blueprints for your church infrastructure but should also offer a range of services to help you also inculcate discipleship and generosity in your church community.

7. Conduct a Letter Writing Campaign

Writing a letter to potential donors is a time-tested method of raising money. Establishing communication with members of your congregation builds a long-standing relationship. The most effective way to reach a donor’s heart is through well-written content matched with concise and clear key points. A strong message entails purposeful points to take your campaign to the next level.

Don’t forget to express your gratitude letter. Whether or not they donate, the receiver of this communication campaign has taken time out of their schedules to read your words.

8. Provide regular updates on the project

Going forward, in-person meetings with church members are becoming adamantly tough. Thus, it's important to establish sustained contact with them. Let them know how far the project has reached from time to time. 

Show the developments in front of the congregation regularly by sharing pictures or video updates of the structure. Also, you may also opt to include a visual thermometer that fills up incrementally each week as the money comes. 

This can be embedded in your church website and will help track progress and fuel people’s enthusiasm. By keeping your congregants and granters updated about how their gifts are making a difference, chances are — they stay encouraged to be involved, and momentum levels up.

Raising funds for church establishment while helping your congregation feel a sense of community can be pretty challenging, regardless of whether you should generate a few thousand dollars or hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

However, nothing is more rewarding than witnessing your ministry and granters unite around a common intent and seeing as these grants and contributions come together to make a difference. 

What’s Next?

True enough, reliable approaches are ultimately needed to successfully raise financial support and establish a unified culture throughout the church building journey. After all, granters and donors have to feel more personally connected to the church body. 

So make giving easy, keep your church engaged in the construction process, and ascertain that each activity brings value to your congregation!