Should churches have fundraisers? In an age of crowdfunding, online giving, and text-to-give, it seems that church leaders can benefit from getting creative with receiving donations. 

But the idea of hosting a fundraising event can make some church leaders a little uncomfortable. For centuries, churches have passed the offering plate to receive tithes and offerings from congregants. Why change now?

First, the church can always benefit from collecting more funds. More funds means more resources devoted to the Kingdom of God. 

Second, hosting a fundraiser can actually build a culture of generosity at your church. 

Finally, a fundraiser can help you test out new giving strategies for your church…and help your members make the shift from writing a check to say, sending a text.

In the following article, we’ll look more closely at the benefits of hosting a fundraiser, the Biblical roots of fundraising, and ideas for your church to host a successful fundraising event. 

Should Churches Have Fundraisers?

The short answer is, YES!

A fundraising event can help your church:

Build a culture of generosity 

Fundraising events can be a fun opportunity for your community to gather together for the sake of giving back. In other words, fundraisers make generosity exciting. Combine that with showing your church members how giving can help your church impact the community, support missionaries, and advance Biblical justice, and you create lasting momentum towards giving.

Collect more donations

It may be obvious, but a fundraiser can also help your church collect a significant amount of funds for a special campaign such as a building project, a new ministry, or a mission trip. You can run an online pledge campaign alongside your fundraiser to make this even more effective!

Shift to Digital Online Giving

Churches that offer online giving are far more likely to see an increase in generosity. In fact, churches that collect tithes online see an average increase of 32% in their giving. For a church that brings in $100,000 annually, this amounts to $32,000 more in gifts!

A fundraiser can be a great kickstart for a church to shift their culture of giving to online or text giving. A church member who typically writes a check or gives cash may be willing to give online giving a try for a special fundraiser. Once they see how simple it is, the habit will stick!

The Biblical Roots of Fundraising

Hosting a fundraiser doesn’t have to be any different from collecting an offering, teaching on the tithe, or raising support for a mission trip. 

A fundraiser is simply one more channel for your church members to be generous. Instead of asking for an ongoing commitment to giving, you give them a one-time opportunity to give in exchange for participating in a fun event (or buying a product–see ideas below!)

A generous offering sees its first precedent in the Old Testament. 

Everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work. (Exodus 35:21)

In the Gospels, we see that women helped to support Jesus’ ministry. 

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. (Luke 8:1-3)

And in his second letter to Corinthians, the Apostle Paul instructs the church of Corinth on the blessings of generosity. 

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (2 Corinthians 9:6)

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:11)

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This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. (2 Corinthians 9:12)

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While most Christians would agree that it’s a Biblical practice to give, it’s important to see that generosity took many shapes and forms…even in the Scriptures. A fundraiser is just one more opportunity for people to be blessed by giving. 

6 Ideas for a Church Fundraiser

Before deciding on what you’re doing for a fundraiser, we suggest you think through the purpose of your fundraiser. 

Are you looking to raise a large amount of money for a building fund?

Are you raising money for a smaller-scale initiative, such as a high school mission trip? 

Or maybe you’re simply looking to pay the bills and help your church make ends meet in a tough season. 

You’ll want to plan and execute a fundraiser that aligns with your final goal. Here are 6 ideas for a church fundraiser that makes sense for your mission. 

Small-Scale Fundraisers

1. The bake sale. 

Yep, we’re suggesting you run a good old-fashioned bake sale. If you’re looking to raise $2,000 or less, this can be a great way to empower your community to gather together, bake their favorite goodies, and sell them to fellow church members and visitors. Bake sales are easy to plan and execute, and everyone appreciates a home-baked good–especially a hungry churchgoer who happened to skip breakfast. 

2. The flag football tournament. 

If your church community loves good healthy competition, a flag football competition can be a fun, easy way to raise a small amount of funding. Sell $5 tickets, pull up a coffee cart with hot drinks, and award a small prize to winners. 

Medium-Scale Fundraisers

3. The movie night. 

This one takes a bit more planning than a bake sale, but the payoff can be worth it–a fun night of fellowship, a chance to invite non-churchgoing friends to church, and up to $5,000 in funding for an initiative such as starting a new ministry. Arrange to have a viewing of a family-friendly film at your church, then sell tickets for $10 a piece, plus candy and drinks. An old-fashioned popcorn machine makes the event feel more festive, and is easy to rent!

4. The fair. 

A churchwide fair or family fun night can be a great opportunity to fundraise. Sell raffle tickets, food, and even church merchandise, and encourage church members to invite family and friends. This fundraiser will require more of an upfront investment, but with greater return for your effort. 

Large-Scale Fundraisers

5. The auction. 

If you’ve got a larger church congregation, and you’re looking to raise $10,000 or more, an auction can be a super effective fundraiser. For this event, you’ll need to connect with church members who may have resources they can offer for the auction. That might be a business owner who can offer free services or a church member with a vacation home. Or, you may be able to collect items of value to auction–such as a set of gym equipment, high-end purses or jewelry, or even a car!

6. The gala. 

For a large, well-resourced church, a gala can be a great opportunity to raise funding for a specific initiative. You may be raising funds for a new building, or wanting to build a school in a developing country. In any case, you can sell tickets to a high-end event to raise support for your goal…and give your church members and community a chance to dress up and fundraise in style. 

No matter what kind of a fundraiser you run, don’t forget to remind your community of the reason to give–the mission and purpose of Jesus!

Increase Giving with Tithely

If you’re running a church fundraiser, don’t forget to incorporate online giving tools to make it as simple and convenient as possible to give. 

Tithely offers a whole suite or products to help you collect donations, increase generosity, and make fundraising fun and easy.

‍Tithely Pay can help you sell items, such as church merchandise, food, or beverages

Tithely Giving can help you receive donations online, via text, and on a church app

Tithely Events can help you sell tickets to a special event

To learn more about how to run a successful fundraiser, check out these blog posts:

• 15 Fundraising Ideas for Church Youth Groups
• Best Ways to Raise Money Fast 
• Church Fundraising Ideas: 15 Fundraisers To Help You Raise Money
• The Importance Of Fundraising Software 

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