by Lynn Strother

Have you ever noticed that builders always lay a foundation before they start building? They never say, “Hey! Let’s build a house today and forget the foundation!” Why not? Without a foundation, the house wouldn’t long stand.

Fundraising is the same. If you want your fundraiser to be successful, you need to lay a foundation. If you want to raise a lot of money, you need to set goals, make a plan, and employ lots of publicity.

I once saw a cartoon that showed a sad-looking little guy gazing at a sign that said, “Mood Clinic. Hours: Anytime we feel like it.” Some youth groups raise money that way—sort of haphazardly and without a plan. If your group falls into that category, you can turn things around. Youth groups always need to raise money. Here’s a blueprint to make your fundraising more effective.

Step 1: Decide “What for” and “How Much”

There is more to fundraising than getting money for the group. It is a way for everyone to work together for a common cause. Fundraising done well can build fellowship, unity, leadership skills, and a strong sense of purpose beyond yourselves.

First, the group members need to decide what programs, retreats, work trips, and mission projects they want to do for the next six to twelve months. After that part of the master plan is in place, you need to estimate how much the entire plan will cost. This could be done by the whole group or by a small committee. Developing a cost estimate lets you see how much money needs to be raised to support the plan. The next step is to decide:

1. how much money you need to raise with fundraisers;

1. how much money should come from your own personal giving.

Step 2: Develop a Plan

Now that you know about how much money you need from pledges and how much from fundraisers, use that information and the ideas in this article and other articles in this series to plan which fundraisers you want to do for the next six to twelve months. As you select fundraisers, limit the number of big, fancy ones to one or tow a year; or else you will spend all your time raising money! Also, plan a variety of types and stick mostly with fundraisers that offer a good value for the money.

When you have planned which fundraisers you are going to do and when you are going to do them, go ahead and put them on your group’s calendar. For things that use church facilities and involve the whole congregation, clear the event with the church office now. If other facilities or groups will be involved, clear the events with them as well.

Making It Happen

Congratulations! You have dug the hole for the foundation! Now it is time to pour the concrete. Here comes the “nitty-gritty” how-to for making each fundraiser a whopping success.

1. Start Getting Ready Three Months in Advance.

When you put the fundraisers on the calendar in the preceding step, put something else there too. Three months in advance of each fundraiser, put “Plan Crepe Dinner” (or whatever the name of the fundraiser) on the calendar for your planning meeting. This planning could be done by the leadership team or by the entire group. In that meeting, you need to decide who will do what and by when they need to be done.

2. Educate and Motivate.

If you want people to support your fundraiser, they need to understand why you are raising the money and why they should give. THIS IS VITAL! Start your publicity several weeks beforehand—and include those two points. You might even include occasional quotations from your members about what the youth group means to them or why the mission project is so important. If you are in a local church, announce your fundraiser and promote what you are raising the money for during the announcements in worship, in Sunday school classes, and at social gatherings. If you are raising funds at a youth event, make frequent announcements in front of the group.

No matter where you are, make the announcements creative—brief skits or role plays about your cause and the fundraiser. Make them funny and/or pointed. Make posters, write articles, and put fun advertisements in newsletters. Advertise in the bulletins for several weeks. If you will be selling things on a certain day, tell people to bring money. Put signs on people’s backs and fronts for human sign boards. As the fundraising progresses, give updates about how far you are toward your goal. Do things with flair and enthusiasm. Pair the fundraiser and its purpose on everything you do.

3. Evaluate.

After the fundraiser is over, evaluate how well your fundraiser worked and put your ideas on paper. Was the amount of work put into the fundraiser worth the amount raised. What went well? What didn’t? What went well but could’ve been better? Do you have any ideas for improving your efforts if you do a similar fundraiser in the future? Keep the evaluation in a folder along with others. You will have an awesome resource for the future—one that can be handed down from one group to the next.

4. Express Appreciation.

Thank the people who supported you. Write thank-you notes, put a thank-you letter in the newsletter, make a thank-you poster signed by the whole group, or make a thank-you announcement. You might choose to give donors a thank-you note with a receipt attached. (Receipts may help for tax purposes.) Make people feel good about their contribution to the cause. Your thoughtfulness will pay will pay off next time—and it’s a nice thing to do.

5. Dedicate.

When you have all the necessary money in hand for a special project, have a dedication service. Dedicate the money and yourselves to the project you are undertaking. Claim God’s continuing blessings on those who will be directly involved, those who are unable to participate directly, those who worked to raise money, those who donated money, and your ministry.

What’s Love Got to Do With It?

How we do things is, in some ways, as important as what we do. Since we are followers of Jesus, we walk in the way of Love. Look at the following list of fundraising guidelines. Use them to get your thinking started. Your youth group should develop its own standards. The process gives the whole group ownership, and it is important for each person’s faith development.

Suggested Guidelines for Christian Fundraising

1. Be sensitive to people’s safety and feelings. (Ask yourself whether there is any risk of anyone being hurt, either physically or emotionally.)

2. Be sensitive to the language you use. (For example, say, “Service Day” rather than “Slave Day.” Slavery is not an issue to make light of.)

3. Respect God’s Creation. (Fundraisers should not be destructive or waste resources such as food.)

4. Be sensitive to the feelings and fears of animals in God’s Creation. (Do not use your power over them for laughs—at their expense.)

5. Avoid fundraisers with a gambling component, such as raffles. (Many churches and denominations have policies against gambling. And in some states, raffles and similar fundraising that might be considered gambling are illegal.)

6. Be inclusive. (Be sure that no individual or group of people is left out or made fun of.)

7. In all things, act as followers of Jesus.

Using the Ideas in This Series

This series is intended for your use. Feel free to modify any of the suggestions to fit your needs. Some of the fundraising ideas are clearly more suited to a local church setting, some to a large group event, and some can be used either way. Be sensitive to what would work best in your own setting and create ways you might adapt. Give fundraisers zappy names, offer home deliveries, and mix and match fundraisers—for example, mix a food fundraiser with a special event. Whenever possible, extend your fundraising to neighbors, friends, and local businesses.

As a general rule of thumb, try to provide a high-quality product or service in everything you do—and deliver it with friendliness and appreciation. At youth group gatherings, “crazy” fundraisers that provide more fun than value evoke huge amounts of enthusiasm. Among your adult constituency, however, it is best to keep those fundraisers to a minimum—such as once a year or so.

Another good principle to follow is variety. Try to make every fundraiser you put on during a year entirely different from the others. For instance, you could plan one special event, provide one service, hold one sale, and offer one fundraiser that requires donations. And keep on selling the cause as well as the product.

If you work together as a team and follow these principles, your fundraising should be very effective. And you will become a model for the rest of the church in the process.

From Youth Fundraisers: Raising Money That Counts, by Lynn Strother Hinkle, © 1995 by Abingdon Press. This material may be reproduced for educational purposes.