Fundraisers can be the bane of any youth leader’s existence. Figuring out what works, what doesn’t and how to organize the event are basic questions to answer before beginning any fundraiser. Fortunately, many others have gone through the same circumstances. Here is a list of fundraising tips and ideas to help you on your journey through the hectic world of fundraising.
First, here are some factors to consider before delving into a project.
• What are surrounding schools or organizations doing? The kids in your youth group might already be doing a certain fundraiser for their school or another organization; doing something similar to that most likely will be detrimental to your intake. Consider unique and original ideas that offer something different from what everyone else is doing. Chris Bjork, youth pastor at Hawley Alliance Church in Hawley, Minn., says, “You don’t want to over-sell and make it a burden to the congregation.”
• What works for your audience? “It’s just deciding what works best for your congregation,” Bjork says. Each congregation is different. Take a poll and see what most interests your target group. Is there a special event that would be a good hit? Are there things that are unique to your church that they would be more apt to buy?
• What’s your budget? Many fundraisers require start-up funds. Make sure you think about your budget before deciding on a fundraiser. If you have a small budget, think small for your first several fundraisers. Then you can use the money you take in from those to help set up larger fundraisers.
• What does your volunteers’ schedule look like? Get an idea of how much time and effort the volunteers will be willing to put forth. Keep in mind the schedule of the parents of those in the youth group as you often will need adult volunteers to help with events. Bjork says delegating is the key.
Now that you’ve thought about what type of fundraiser would work best, here are some fundraisers that have turned successful profits by others.
• Laura Rosenberg, a former youth leader at Shuvah Yisrael Messianic Synagogue in Long Island, N.Y., suggests a Valentine’s Day Dinner. After selling tickets and planning a theme and menu, the youth are responsible for bringing ingredients and cooking. “The youth take an entire afternoon to make and prepare the meal, decorate and set up for the dinner. At the dinner is a self-serve beverage bar where servers and guests can get their own drinks. The youth are the servers, bringing out two courses of food.” Rosenberg suggests two different choices for the main dish. During the meal, they play music coinciding with the theme and playing a couple of games. Later, they give the attendees the option to “buy” a certain portion of the expenses, which usually are divided into categories and smaller portions. Various desserts are prepared ahead of time. After making one for each table, they are then auctioned off. “These usually go for $20-$100,” says Rosenberg. Bjork includes a game show of some sort after the dinner. “Those are fun things the congregation can enjoy,” he says.
• Selling fireworks at a stand in conjunction with a fireworks company worked well for Pastor Todd Lanman, currently the senior pastor at Calvary Assembly of God in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. “We successfully have run a fireworks booth,” he said. “This is a huge fundraiser.” Earning an average of $4,000-$5,000, Lanman considers it very well worth it. Be aware that each state and different counties have various labor laws about employee age requirements; you may need to enlist the help of adult volunteers rather than the youth.
• Selling pizzas through Pizza Corner has been a reliable fundraiser for the youth group of Hawley Alliance. “Pizza sales have done all right,” Bjork says. “It’s something people can use; and they get it delivered to them, instead of having to go out to buy them.” Bjork says this is not a big moneymaker but is a steady and reliable fundraiser.
• The youth of Shuvah Yisrael Messianic Synagogue also took on a Rock-a-thon, at which students would rotate hour-long shifts to continuously rock in a rocking chair, collecting pledges for each hour they rock. “The kids rock for 55 minutes for the hour and have a five minute break at the end of each hour to use the bathroom, get food, change position, etc. Each time they are caught sitting still in their rocking chair they get docked one minute from their break. If they exceed five instances or fall asleep, that hour is not counted in their final tally,” Rosenberg says. After they have completed their hours, they collect their pledges. This would be a good start-up fundraiser.
• For Bjork, another success story was a time when the youth group flamingoed yards. Using plastic flamingos, the youth group placed them in the yards after a third party paid to have them put in that person’s yard. “Then, there was a fee they would pay to have them removed,” Bjork said. After they paid to have the flamingos removed, that person would direct the youth group to place them in somebody else’s yard, continuing a cycle. People also could purchase insurance to keep the flamingos from reappearing in their yard. However, somebody else could pay twice the amount of insurance and send the flamingos back to that person’s yard. “That was a lot of legwork, but the congregation had a lot of fun with it, and we did really well.”
5 Tips for Fundraising:
• Make sure you have the support of your youth group. Lanman says, “Make sure the kids are on board, that they realize they are representing the church and Jesus.” Bjork says, “Make sure the kids have ownership in the project, and it’ll always do better.”
• Do your homework. Lanman says, “Find out what has worked for others in your community and what is being overdone.”
• Plan out the details. Bjork says, “That’s something I’m not good at, and it causes me a ton of headaches. Think of 20 things you never would consider being important and write them down; work out the details, and you’ll be happier with the results.”
• Choose fundraisers wisely. “Make sure as the one choosing the fundraiser that it is not a fundraiser that will put the church in the position of any liabilities,” Lanman advises. “In today’s sue-happy culture, the church often becomes a target.” Lanman warned against slave auctions, especially when not knowing who “buys” the children.
• Find a support team. “Make sure you’re not the one who’s always the cheerleader,” Bjork said. “Get other people on board, because if you’re always the one trying to run the fundraisers, you’ll burn out.”
• Teach youth about finances through the fundraisers. “Teach the youth to tithe, to be givers,” Lanman says. “They have plenty of money for the stuff they love; teach them to love the Kingdom of God.”
