1. Fundraising Tips and Ideas
Show Me the Money!
Fundraising Tips and Ideas

2. Let’s agree… It takes $ to support a Church Mortgage or Rent Payments
Utilities (phone, water, power, internet)
Insurance (both General Liability & Property, Auto)
Supporting Ministries (SS, Youth, Children, Pathfinders, etc.)
Outreach Activities (Evangelism, Visitation, Elderly/Widows, Needy Families, etc.)
Office Supplies, Postage, etc.
Extras (Signs, Repairs, etc.)

3. Why Fundraise? Budgets are cut or non-existent
Church members are taxed with requests for special offerings.
Family financial situations don’t allow for contributing to every cause in the Church’s program.
Expenses/costs on the rise but incomes not following suit.
Great variety of needs all around us.

4. How Much?
How active is your Church during the year and what is the size of your Church?
What Outreach and Evangelism activities does your church engage in?
What services does your church provide?
Does your church have a food pantry?

5. Unexpected benefits
Allows the participants or other recipients of the funds (or what they purchase) to feel some pride of ownership.
Creates awareness in individuals that they are part of a community, and that this position entails a certain amount of responsibility and also self empowerment.

6. Doing It Right Set clear goals & Establish a plan Definite $ Amount
What specifically are you raising funds for?
Funds needed for fundraising products or services
The cost of the fundraiser and needed supplies
The size of your volunteer group (to determine how large a fundraiser your group can reasonably handle)

7. Doing It Right Set clear goals & Establish a plan
How much time is available to raise the funds
Increases in program costs over previous years
No need to reinvent the wheel

8. Who’s your Target Audience?

9. Who’s your Target Audience? Profile Potential Donors
The size of your project will help define audience
Know your community
Know your potential volunteer mix

10. Choose the Right Fundraiser
Based on your potential donors and potential volunteer group, you’ll be able to define which type of fundraiser to use for your approach.

11. What are your sources? Pledges and Donations Product Fundraisers
Businesses
Friends and family
Colleagues and Co-Workers
Door-to-door solicitation
& Social Media contacts
Product Fundraisers
Purchased products from a reputable supplier
Local Businesses
Donations of resalable items
Craft or Bake Sales

12. What are your sources? Events Bake Sales Spaghetti Dinners
Café & Movie Night
Car Wash
Flea Markets
Walk-a-Thon/Bike-a-thon
Carnival
Rent a Pathfinder/Youth

13. Recruit Volunteers
YOUR YOUNG PEOPLE
Parents
Friends
Church Members

14. Execute the Plan Begin on time Avoid mistakes
Don’t spread yourself / team too thin.
Be liberal with encouragement and recognition.
Craft your appeals properly
Use appealing material, proofread carefully, be polite, don’t be vague, be brief and to the point, be grateful!

15. Execute the Plan Remember the 80/20 rule
80% of income comes from 20% of clients
Remember the quantity-vs-quality argument.
Rather than doing too much, plan for high impact events/fundraisers and do them well.

16. Feedback & Thank you!
Don’t forget to extend notes of gratitude to key people:
Donors
Volunteers
Your young people
Don’t skip the recap session

17. Word of Caution About $$
Where to keep it?
How do we account for it?
Who accounts for it?
Have a dedicated person to account for fundraising income and expenses. Be sure to follow best practices for handling funds.

18. “One who thinks that money can do everything is likely to do anything for money.” — Anonymous
As hard and frustrating as raising funds can be at times, let’s not forget the huge impact it can make for generations to come!

20. “The money that we refuse to invest in the work of the Lord will perish. On it no interest will accumulate in the bank of heaven.” — Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p 131.