100 Fundraising Ideas for Ladies’ Ministry!
Women World Changers
100 Watermelon Feast
Buy a bunch of watermelons and sell it by the slice. Have a donation box, too. This is a good one to do after your church softball games or school event.
Items needed: _ Watermelons _ Napkins _ A knife to cut the watermelons _ A box or jar to collect donations
Time required: _ 30 min. to one hour
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25 to $100
How to make it happen: Announce the watermelon feast a week or so before you plan to have it. Keep the watermelon on ice to keep it cold. Be generous with your slices to make them worth the money. Have games and music to make it more fun.
99 Grapefruit Seed Donations
Buy or get a donation of a box of grapefruit, apples, and oranges or use the watermelon from the previous fundraising idea. Go door-to-door or do this at a get together. Give each person a piece of fruit and ask them to donate 25 cents per seed. Don’t use bananas, peaches or kiwis for obvious reasons.
Items needed: _ Fruit
Time required: _ 1 to 2 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25 to $100 (at 25 cents per seed)
How to make it happen: Buy a box of fruit or see if a grocery store would be willing to donate it to you. Go door-to-door or distribute the fruit at the event. Have each person count their seeds and collect the money in a jar.
98 Shopping List
Make a list of things you will need for the trip that is not included in the base price. The things can consist of soap, shampoo, bug spray, medical shots, sleeping mat, etc. Send this list out to potential supporters or post in at your church and then they can purchase the items for you.
Items needed: _ Shopping list
Time required: _ 30 min. (this will actually save you time because you will have less shopping to do)
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25-$100
How to make it happen: Make a list of the different things you will need. Plan on making an announcement in church or send a letter with the list included. Ask people to contact you before they go shopping so you don’t end up with 30 bars of soap and 5 bottles of shampoo!
97 Donut Delight
Have the youth group get donuts and coffee either donated or bought and bring them to church each Sunday. Before and after the service, set the food out and let people buy them for a set price. You could also set a jar on the table to accept donations.
Items needed: _ Donuts _ Coffee _ Coffee creamer and sugar _ Coffee mugs or cups _ Napkins _ Plastic spoons
Time required: _ 1 hour each Sunday
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25 – $100 each Sunday
How to make it happen: Get permission from your pastor before setting up. Buy donuts each Sunday (make sure they are fresh) and set them out neatly on the counter or on a small table. Have a small sign on the table to show how much the items cost and what the money is going to. Serve your customers and be as friendly as possible.
96 Skip A Movie For Missions
Get people to figure up the amount of money that it would cost them to take their family to the movie. Then ask them if they would be willing to skip the movie and donate that amount of money to your mission fund.
Items needed: _ None
Time required: _ 2 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150 – $300
How to make it happen: Figure up the amount the movie, a bag or popcorn, and a drink would cost in your community. Explain the trip and the fundraiser to the customer. Ask if they would be willing to skip the movie and be a part of your mission trip.
95 Mall Masquerade
Have adults get dressed up in disguises and hide in the mall. Teens from the youth group go looking for them in pairs. If the adults are found, they have to pay the teens the money that they pledged before the masquerade.
Items needed: _ The adults must find their own disguises.
Time required: _ 2 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100 – $200
How to make it happen: Explain to the participants how it works a couple days before the masquerade. This will give them time to find a good disguise. Set a time limit. Limit the hunt and seek area to public, main mall areas and rule individual stores off limits. This will avoid looking suspicious to any store employees.
94 Ironman Contest
Get some of the men from your church to get involved in your fund raising. Hold an Ironman contest in which several men have a race to see who can iron the most shirts the fastest. Have the wives be their coaches and make a trophy for the winner. Have people in the audience pledge a certain amount of money per each shirt that a certain participant irons.
Items needed: _ Ironing boards _ Irons _ Timer _ Shirts_ Trophy
Time required: _ 3 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100 – $200
How to make it happen: Ask men from your church if they would be willing to participate in your contest. Set up the contest like a TV game show. Ask someone to keep a running commentary on the contestants during the action. Get judges and have them judge on things like completed shirt, creases on sleeves and overall crispness of shirt. For the trophy, go to a garage sale or thrift store and buy an old iron. Mount it on a block of wood. Spray paint it gold. Collect the money when it is all over.
93 Memorize-A-Thon
Here is a fund-raiser that has spiritual benefits as well as financial ones. Get all the people in your youth group to commit to memorize as many scripture verses as they can in one week. Have people find sponsors who are willing to pay them a certain amount for each scripture they memorize. Have a get-together at the end of the week and have each youth group member recite the verses they learned.
Items needed: _ Bibles _ Note cards
Time required: _ The amount of time you are willing to spend memorizing verses.
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100- $200
How to make it happen: Hand out sponsor sheets to the youth members who are participating and have them find sponsors. Start memorizing scripture and enjoying growing closer to God. Collect money when it is over.
92 Mary Kay and Avon
Sometimes you can work deals with Mary Kay or Avon representatives to help them sell their products. Call local representatives to see what you can sell and how much you can make off of each product.
Items needed: _ Representatives
Time required: _ As long as you can sell the products for the representative.
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $300- $500
How to make it happen: Call a local representative selling Avon, Tupperware or Mary Kay.
Ask them if they would be willing to help you raise funds and what you could sell and how much your profit would be. Set up a time to meet with them so that they can explain their product to you so you will be knowledgeable when selling it. Set a time to end selling and collect money from your customers and your rep. Be friendly and remember whom you are representing.
91 Drive-In Movie Night
Project a movie on the side of your church and have a drive-in movie. People can watch from their cars in the parking lot. Accept donations only. Charging admission is a violation of the copyright law.
Items needed: _ Movie _ Pop and popcorn (optional) _ 4 large bed sheets _ Movie projector _Large speakers to project sound
Time required: _ 4 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150- $300
How to make it happen: Check with the neighbors around the church to see if the noise will be a problem. Hang the sheets on the side of the building to make a screen to show the movie on. Set up a stand of some kind to collect money as people enter. To make a little more money, sell popcorn or other snacks.
90 Eggs-traordinary Support
Go door-to-door with a carton of eggs. Explain your trip and offer to sell them an egg for $1 to go toward your trip. Some people like to put a twist on this and charge an extra 50 cents to let the buyer crack the egg on your head.
Items needed: _ Permanent markers _ Something to collect money in _ A carton of eggs
Time required: _ 2 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100- $200
How to make it happen: Explain your trip and how this fund-raiser works at each house. Write on the egg with permanent marker as a reminder if they don’t choose to crack it
89 The Infamous Support Letter
Compile a list of everyone you know. Type a letter telling them what you are doing this summer. Remember to include the 5 most important questions who, what, when, where and why. Tell them who to make the donations out to and where to send it.
Items needed: _ Envelopes _ Paper _ Access to a type writer or computer _ Addresses of friends and family _ Stamps
Time required: _ 2 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100- $500
How to make it happen: Get the addresses of all your friends and family. Address the envelopes and stamp them. Write the letter and then type it and print them off. Fold the letters and send them in the mail. Follow up on your letters and send out another letter if needed.
88 Bigger and Better Hunt
Put your youth group in teams and give them each a penny. The teams then have a certain amount of time to trade what they have for something bigger and better.
Items needed: _ Pennies
Time required: _ One hour plus the time you would spend having a garage sale or auction.
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25- $100
How to make it happen: The youth group meets at a central location for instructions. Divide them into teams of 3 or 4 and give each team a penny. Then give the teams an hour to go from house to house trying to trade what they have for something bigger and better. After the teams have met up again, the team with the biggest and best item wins and all of the items collected are used for a garage sale or auction.
87 Penny Drive
Go door-to-door in your neighborhood collecting pennies and other coins.
Items needed:
_ Jars for the coins _ Name tags for everyone in your group
Time required: _ 2 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25-$100
How to make it happen: Give each person in the group a nametag. Have people in your group travel in groups of two or more. Give each team a jar in which to collect the money and send them out. Going door-to-door, explain what you are doing and ask for loose change.
86 Hair-A-Thon
Do you know a hairdresser? Ask him or her to donate a day or two volunteering to cut hair for donations.
Items needed: _ A jar or bucket for donations
Time required: _ Just the time it takes to call the hairdresser.
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25-$100
How to make it happen: Talk to the hairdresser and make sure he or she understands your trip and your fund raising idea. Make a poster and decorate your jar for donations. Advertise the event.
85 Personalized Cookies
Take orders for holiday cookies. Offer to personalize them and deliver them. Almost like a singing telegram, only it’s a cookie gram!
Items needed:_ Any ingredients you need to make the cookies _ Cookie sheets and bowls _ Frosting _ A car for delivery and a driver if you don’t have your license _ Plastic wrap or Zip-lock _ Order forms
Time required: _ 2 hours to take orders – 4 hours making cookies – 2 hours delivering cookies. Cookies may be ordered for different holidays, so this time may be divided.
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25-$100
How to make it happen: Start taking orders a couple weeks before you plan to start making and delivering cookies. Sell the cookies for 75 cents each and 25 cents extra to have it delivered. Make the cookies BIG so that they are worth the money. Be sure to have a calendar specifically for this event so that you can keep close track of when every order is to go out. (Birthday’s can easily be forgotten.) Wrap the cookies in plastic wrap or Zip-Lock bags to keep them fresh. Make sure to guarantee that the cookies will be delivered on time or their money back.
84 Recycle
Have a can and bottle drive.
Items needed: _ Bags to put the cans and bottles in
Time required: _ 2-3hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25-$100
How to make it happen: Make signs to advertise. Set-up in a location that is easily accessible. Separate the recyclable items as they are brought in. Take them to a redemption center and collect your refund.
83 Christmas Post Office
Set a box in the entry way of your church starting a month or two before Christmas. Church members drop their Christmas cards, which are intended for other church members, in the box. They pay the amount they would normally pay to send the mail, or they give a donation. The youth group then delivers the mail after the service.
Items needed: _ Box to drop mail in
Time required: _ 15 minutes each Sunday
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $ 25 – $ 100 depending on the congregation size
How to make it happen: Ask your pastor if it is all right to set up your “post office” in the church. Put an announcement in the church bulletin every week starting the week before you begin your post office service. After each service, sort through and quickly deliver the mail so that no one will leave without their mail.
82 Sell Seasonal Items
Sell Christmas cards, for example. Get a variety of kinds (funny, serious, cards with scripture verses) so that they appeal to a wider audience.
Items needed: _ Product being sold
Time required: _ 2 days (one for door-to-door sales, one for delivery)
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25-$100
How to make it happen: Get a product or a catalog of the product you are selling. Go door-to-door to show your product and take orders. Be sure to tell each person you talk to exactly what you are raising money for. Be sure to tell the buyers how long it will be before their order comes in, if you have to order it. Be prompt. Deliver it as soon as you get it.
81 Valentine Balloons
Selling helium balloons can be a great fundraiser around Valentine’s Day.
Items needed: _ Balloons _ Ribbon _ Helium tank
Time required: _ 2 hours for blowing up balloons – 1 hour for delivery
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25-$100
How to make it happen: Take orders 3 weeks prior to the holiday. Make arrangements with a local balloon shop to supply you with balloons at wholesale prices (or maybe even at cost). Each person ordering a balloon should fill out an order card with the name, address, and phone number of the balloon recipient, and the seller’s name. Leave a space on the other side of the card for a message from the sender to the recipient. The customer then pays for the balloon and returns the card to the seller. Collect all the cards several days before Valentine’s Day and group them by geographic areas.
80 Thirty Pieces Of Silver
At Easter time, an effective way to receive a special offering from your youth is to have everyone bring a plastic sandwich bag with thirty pieces of silver in it (the amount for which Jesus was betrayed).
Items needed: _ None
Time required: _ 20 minutes to explain the fundraiser and the significance of the thirty pieces.
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25-$100
How to make it happen: Ask the kids if they would be willing to help you pay for your trip. Don’t explain to them what the thirty pieces signifies until the week they bring the money. It will serve as a good visual, then ask the kids if they would be willing to help you pay for your trip.
79 Granola Party
Have the youth group get together and have a party where they get to make their own granola. Find a recipe that includes lots of good stuff like nuts, banana chips, carbo chips, coconut, grains, honey, etc. Make it in mass quantities and then bag it and sell it. You could also make jam, dried fruit, etc.
Items needed: _ Ingredients for granola _ Mixing bowls, spoons, etc. _ Plastic bags to put it in _ Labels for the bags of granola
Time required: _ 3 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25-$100
How to make it happen: Decide on the recipe that you are going to use. Get all the ingredients for the granola (see if you can get it donated). Make the granola and put a small amount in each bag. Label the bags with a short description of the contents. Sell the bags at church events, in your neighborhood, at school, or anywhere.
78 Coffee Hour
Host a coffee hour and invite friends, family, and church members. Charge a small fee (maybe 25 cent – 75 cents) for the items you serve. Consider hosting one weekly before church.
Items needed: _ Coffee, hot chocolate, etc. _ Cookies, donuts, etc. _ A place to have coffee hour (maybe your living room) _ Tables and chairs
Time required: _ 3 hours preparation – 1 or 2 hours for the event – 1 hour clean-up
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25-$100
How to make it happen: Make and hang signs and/or send invitations to advertise. Bake cookies the night before. Set up tables and chairs and a few decorations. Serve your guests and play soft music to make it as comfortable as possible. This is also a good opportunity to share more about your trip.
77 Make & Sell
Make and sell things like Bible or book covers, woodwork, printed note pads, dolls, stuffed animals, etc.
Items needed: _ Fabric _ Sewing machine _ Wood _ Paper _ Any other supplies you would need to make your product
Time required: _ 1 week
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25-$100
How to make it happen: Decide on the product(s) you are going to make. Make a sample to show people and then take orders. Make them as soon as you get the orders, if at all possible, in case the customer is using it as a gift. This is a good fundraiser around Christmas.
76 Lunch Break Sales
Set up a stand at school and sell things during lunch: candy, doughnuts, etc.
Items needed: _ Whatever you are going to sell _ Small bills and coins for making change _ A small table and a chair
Time required: _ 30 minutes each day you sell
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25-$100
How to make it happen: Get permission from your principal to sell. Advertise with small signs in the halls and on lockers. Set up 5 to 10 minutes ahead of time. It might be helpful to get a friend to help you.
75 Door-To-Door Car Wash
This works just like a regular car wash only instead of the car finding you, you find the car. Also, you can use the owners’ water.
Items needed: _ Buckets _ Soap _ Towels _ Glass cleaner
Time required: _ 30 minutes per car
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25-$100 per every 10 cars washed
How to make it happen: Give each participant in your youth group a bucket and send them out in groups of three or four. Knock on the doors and tell them about the trip you are raising money for, then offer to wash their car(s) for a set fee. Make sure that they know that you are using their water. Be sure to do a good job and not to leave a mess in the driveway.
74 Coupons For Missions
Get people to donate the money that they saved in a week by using coupons.
Items needed: _ None
Time required: _ 20 minutes
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25-$100
How to make it happen: Declare a certain week “Coupons for Mission Week.” Get all participants to pledge to contribute to your project all the money the save that week with grocery coupons.
73 Business Eco-Bucks
Talk to several businesses about saving their aluminum cans, plastic bottles, etc. and donating them to your cause. Set a recycling box somewhere in the business and plan to empty the box and deliver the contents to the appropriate recycling center on a regular basis.
Items needed: _ Recycling boxes
Time required: _ 30 minutes for each time you empty the boxes
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25-$100
How to make it happen: Meet with store managers and business owners to sell your project. Come up with a good strategy for collecting the materials and delivering them to the appropriate recycling centers.
72 Buck-A-Roo Club
Get members of your congregation to join the Buck-a-roo Club. They can join by donating one dollar per kid that is going on your mission trip.
Items needed: _ None
Time required: _ 20 minutes
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $25-$100
How to make it happen: Tell your congregation about how they can become a part of the Buck-a-roo Club. Let them know how many kids are planning to go so that they know how much money they are committing to.
71 Rock-A-Thon
Have a twenty-four hour rock-a-thon involving everyone in your group. Each participant sign up sponsors at a certain amount for every hour he rocks in this rocking chair. Each person provides their own rocking chair and is required to rock for at least four successive hours. Time breaks are allowed only for trips to the bathroom, and the chair must be moving at all times.
Items needed: _ None
Time required: _ 24 hours plus time for gathering pledges
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Get people in your youth group to sign up to participate in the rock-a-thon. Ask someone that is not participating in the rock-a-thon if they would be willing to be there to serve drinks and snacks to the rockers. Have a big clock in the room so each participant will know how long they have been rocking. Have a “secretary” to keep track of how long each rocker rocks. Tell your sponsors how many hours you rocked and collect the money.
70 Halloween Insurance
Advertise that you’re selling “Halloween insurance” for $5.00 and guarantee to clean up any soapy windows and cars, eggs, smashed pumpkins, etc. the day after Halloween.
Items needed: _ “Insurance Policy” _ Cleaning supplies
Time required: _ 2 to 4 hours (depending on the amount of insurance you sell)
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Go door-to-door in your neighborhood and/or announce it at church or another event. Collect the money when the “insurance policy” is issued. Be sure to use discretion when advertising. It is possible that kids might hear about it and think it would be funny to leave you a bigger mess than you bargained for. Keep a copy of the “insurance policy” to make sure not to forget anyone. On November 1, go to each customer and clean up.
69 Parent’s Night Out
Offer one night (or several nights) in December for parents to let you watch their kids. This is a great chance for parents to do some Christmas shopping.
Items needed: _ A place to hold the event _ Toys, games, and activities for the kids
Time required: _ 1 hour preparation – 4 hours baby sitting
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Advertise your event with signs and posters. Check with your pastor to see if you can put it in the church bulletin and use the church’s facilities. Collect games and toys for the kids and get a friend or two to help you in case there are more kids than you can handle. Find a few friends to help with babysitting. Be at the advertised location well ahead of time. Some parents may be early. Let the parents know ahead of time how much you will be charging per hour for each child. Or take a free-will donation. Be sure to specify the latest time that the parents can pick up their kids.
68 Pageant Purse
Most churches hold Christmas and Easter pageants at no charge. Why not charge a small fee with the income going to your mission trip?
Items needed: _ Tickets
Time required: _ 30 minutes selling tickets at the door
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $ 100 – $ 200. This price varies depending on the size of your church
How to make it happen: Ask your pastor if it would be all right to charge admission to the pageant.
Be sure that the church knows the cost of tickets and what the money is for before the date of the pageant. Sell the tickets at the door and have a bucket for any additional donations. Before or after the pageant, tell a little about your trip.
67 Ministry-A-Thon
Do civic or ministry related work and get people to sponsor you for an hourly rate. Go minister in retirement homes or children’s hospitals, clean up around the city, etc.
Items needed: _ Any trash bags or cleaning supplies you would need
Time required: _ This could vary depending on the job you do and the time you are willing to commit.
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Talk to some civic leaders and church members about what you are doing and see if they would be willing to sponsor you. Decide on the approximate amount of time you are going to spend ahead of time so that your sponsors can know about how much money they are investing. Find something to do that is a good ministry opportunity and is also fun. Do your best. Collect money afterwards. Be honest about how much time you took.
66 Door-to-Door Window Wash
Go door-to-door in your neighborhood and offer to wash windows for $5, 10$, or $15 depending on the size of the job. Also, offer to do lawns, clean garages, or whatever needs done.
Items needed: _ Bucket and sponge _ Cleaning supplies _ Old clothes
Time required: _ 1 or 2 hours per house
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Get your bucket and go. Ask them what needs to be done and offer the price after you’ve seen how big the job will be. Do your best. Collect money when the job is completed.
65 Doggy Dip
Most pet owners hate to wash their pets, so have a doggy dip. Offer to give peoples pets a bath for a set fee.
Items needed:_ Several metal or plastic tubs _ Extra dog leash _ Towels _ Dog shampoo _ Hose
Time required: _ 2 or 3 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Advertise with signs and posters around your neighborhood. Use your church parking lot and set up the metal tubs where they are easily seen. Have the owners stand nearby in case the dog needs to be calmed. Wash and dry the pets Collect the money when you are finished.
64 Christmas Tree Pick-up Service
After Christmas, advertise a pick-up service for Christmas trees and oversized boxes. Offer to take them to the dump for a flat fee and/or accept donations.
Items needed: _ Trucks
Time required: _ 4 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Find some means of disposing of the Christmas trees.
Advertise your service in the church bulletin, in your neighborhood, and/or in the newspaper
Get some on the people in your church donate the use of their trucks. Have people call you to arrange the pick-up of their tree. Go to each house, collect the money, and haul away their tree
63 Car Wash
Use your church parking lot or get permission to use the parking lot of a store. Set out posters advertising your car wash and the price per car. Get the whole youth group to help.
Items needed:_ Hose _ Sponges and buckets _ Glass cleaner and soap _ Towels _ Posters
Time required: _ 1 day
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Get the necessary permission to use a parking lot. Set up signs that show the price, the date of the car wash, and the location clearly. Be careful to do a quick, thorough, and good job. Don’t leave a mess in the parking lot.
62 Chili Cook-off
Form teams of youth vs. Church staff and have a chili (or some other food) cook-off. Make an all day party of it. Then sell the food and auction some desserts. Have the losers become the wait staff. Announce that all tips (regardless of who wins) go to the missions trip.
Items needed:_ Food _ Drinks _ Table and chairs _ Pots and pans _ Plates, silverware, napkins _ Aprons
Time required: _ One day
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Get the whole church to come by advertising and really playing up the competition. Decide on the food you will be making and see if you can get a grocery store to donate the food you need. Set up ahead of time. Decide if judging will be done by a panel or by popular vote. Have fun.
61 Posters
Make posters to explain a little about your missions trip and hang them in store windows. Then decorate a jar and put it under the poster for people to put donations.
Items needed: _ Poster board or construction paper _ Markers _ Jar with a lid that you can put a slit in
Time required: _ 1-2 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Get permission from store owners to put up your signs. Make your posters colorful and use pictures, if possible, to draw attention. Set the jar and poster where it will be easily seen but will not be in the way. Collect the money on a daily or weekly basis.
60 Holiday Art
Put the artistic people in the youth group to work decorating store windows. Charge a flat rate and/or accept donations.
Items needed: _ Temporary paint _ Paint brushes
Time required: _ 1 or 2 hours per window
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Talk to different store owners about your trip and present them with the idea of decorating the windows. If they agree, on a sheet of paper make a sketch of what you plan to paint on the window so that you can get the store owner to approve it. 3. Paint neatly and clean up any messes that you make. Offer to wash the windows after the holidays. Collect the money when you are finished.
59 Bake Sale
Spend a day baking cookies, cakes, etc., or get several people to help you bake. Set up a table in front of a store or at church and sell the items you baked.
Items needed: _ Ingredients for baked goods _ Table _ Small bills and rolls of coins to make change _ Signs clearly stating prices and the purpose of the sale. _ Plastic wrap
Time required: _ 1 day for baking – 1 day for selling
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Get a few friends or get your whole youth group to help you bake. Wrap the food in plastic wrap. Get permission from the store owner to set up a stand outside the door. Set up signs and posters to get peoples attention. Be cheerful. It works!
58 Metal Money Maker
Your group can collect scrap metal. Call your local scrap metal yard to see what they are buying. Take what you have and sell it.
Items needed: _ Scrap metal (sheet metal, aluminum door frames, radiators, aluminum chairs, batteries, aluminum car bumpers, copper tubing and wire, iron, rain gutters, and hot water heaters)
Time required: _ 2 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Find out the kind of scrap metal they are buying. Collect those specific kinds of metal and deliver them to the scrap metal yard. Make sure that you have permission before taking items.
57 Singing Valentine
Invite members of the congregation to secretly purchase a Valentine for their sweetheart the Sunday before Valentine’s Day. On Valentine’s Day the youth group goes to each house dressed in red and sings romantic or humorous love songs. Then they present a Certificate of Affection to the recipient signed by the secret admirer. You can also offer to deliver flowers or candy for an extra fee.
Items needed: _ Certificates _ Flowers (optional) _ Candy (optional)
Time required: _ 5 to 10 minutes per house
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Get a list of songs to sing and start learning them a couple weeks before delivery. Take orders at church or over the telephone. Make sure that everything stays confidential so that the surprise isn’t ruined. Deliver the message and have fun!
56 Tennis Ball Race
Get people to “buy” a tennis ball from you. Then number each ball and dump all the balls down a hill. The owner of the first ball to the designated finish line wins a small portion of the profit. This is a great event to do during a fair.
Items needed:_ Old tennis balls (Check with your school tennis team to see if they have some that are too flat to use that they would be willing to donate.) _ A front end loader to dump the tennis balls, or a gate to hold the tennis balls from rolling down the hill _ Signs/ posters for advertising
Time required: _ 2 hours for preparation, set-up, and event
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Collect tennis balls from your school, friends, or sporting goods stores. Advertise. Decide on how the tennis balls will be “released” and arrange for a front end loader if one is needed. Sell the tennis balls the day of the event for $2.00 a piece, for example. Have them numbered ahead of time and give each buyer a number on a piece of paper to identify his or her tennis ball. Ask everyone to get their tennis ball after the event so that there aren’t stray tennis Balls all over the neighborhood.
55 Sub Sale
Take orders from friends, family, church members, and neighbors for submarine sandwiches. Have an assembly day where you assemble the sandwiches in the morning and have your customers pick up their sandwiches in the afternoon.
Items needed: _ Meat, cheese, hoagie buns, etc. _ Tables for assembly _ Plastic wrap or Zip-loc bags
Time required: _ One day
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Check with a grocery store owner to see if they would be willing to donate the food or at least give you a discounted price. Take orders well ahead of time so you can be sure to get the right amount of food. Assemble the sandwiches and wrap them. Collect money when the customer receives their sandwich.
54 Task Tradin’ Tickets
Sell coupons entitling the buyer to an hour of work from the student seller. You may want to design two tickets – one with a higher purchase price for more strenuous work or more than one hour of work, and one with a lower price for easier work or just an hour of work. You can list on the tickets the types of work that can be done.
Items needed: _ Tickets _ Supplies for doing the job you are assigned
Time required: _ unlimited
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Advertise your coupons around the church or community. Design some tickets. When you have sold a ticket, set up a time when the buyer would like for you to come and do the work. If the buyer bought only one ticket for one hour of work, offer to sell them another one when you finish your hour. They may be interested if you prove to be a good worker.
53 Sunday Sundae Fun
Sell tickets to a Sunday evening of ice cream sundaes and entertainment. Have a variety of flavors and have the youth group entertain.
Items needed: _ Ice cream (chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry) _ Toppings (syrups, sprinkles, nuts, fruits, and whipped cream) _ Ice cream scoopers _ Bowls and spoons _ Tables and chairs
Time required: _ 3 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100-$200
How to make it happen: Ask your local dairy, ice cream shop, or grocery store if they would be willing to donate the food. Sell tickets in advance so that you know how much food to get. Take orders for the toppings and kind of ice cream they want and have the youth group serve the customers.
52 Contests
Have games or contests putting your youth group or class against the faculty or church staff. You might consider one challenge each month.
Items needed: _ Basketballs, ropes (tug-of-war), etc. _ Chairs for the audience
Time required: _ 3 hours per week or month
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Talk to your church board and/or teachers about participating in your fundraiser. Get some ideas for the different events you could hold. Offer cookies and drinks to the winning team.
51 Outside-Inside Party
This is a great fundraiser to do in the winter. Decorate a hall or large room so that it looks like a park in springtime (plants, artificial turf, garbage cans, picnic tables, “Don’t Litter” signs, etc.). Charge an admission fee or take donations. Provide hot dogs and hamburgers and have those attending sign-up to bring side dishes.
Items needed: _ Large plants (these can be borrowed from local nurseries or businesses) _ Artificial turf _ Hamburgers and hotdogs _ Drinks _ Picnic tables
Time required: _ 1 week of preparation – 5 hours for set-up, meal, and clean-up
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Advertise this event in the church bulletin for a few weeks before it is scheduled. Start looking for plants that can be borrowed and tag each plant when it is received so that it is easily identified and returned to the correct owner. Charge admission at the door and/or sell tickets in advance. Have games such as badminton, croquet, and volleyball after the meal. Have the guests provide their own plates, forks, etc.
50 Face Painting
Open a face painting booth at a fair. Charge $1.00 per picture that they want painted. Kids love this, so it can be a good fundraiser.
Items needed: _ Paint brushes Paints or water color pencils _ Poster of the pictures available and the prices _ Booth (this could just be a table and two chairs)
Time required: _ 4 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Get permission from the necessary people to set up your booth at the fair. This is a popular booth, so ask early or someone may take your idea. Set up your booth with a chair for yourself and one for you customer. Use pencils or paint to draw a small picture carefully and neatly on the face of your customer. Collect the money after you have painted the picture.
49 Dinners
Have a church or community wide spaghetti supper, Mexican Fiesta, ice cream social, salad bar, omelet or pancake breakfast, etc. Sell tickets ahead of time.
Items needed: _ Meals _ Chairs and tables _ Paper plates, cups, plastic spoons, forks, and knives, and napkins
Time required: _ 1 day
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Get mothers to donate prepared meals or prepare them on the premises. Sell tickets. Advertise in your church bulletin for a few weeks before the event. Serve the food diligently.
48 Delightful Desserts
Take orders for desserts. Have people in the youth group volunteer to make certain desserts. Then make a list of the choices and give them out in church. People can place there orders and you can deliver them.
Items needed: _ Donated baked goods _ List of the goods for sale _ Vehicle to deliver with
Time required: _ 4 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Decide on which desserts you are going to offer and who is going to commit to make each one. Take orders from the members of your church and tell them exactly when they can expect to get their cookies (for example). When the food is delivered, collect the money.
47 A ______ A-Thon
Have a bike-a-thon, a pump iron-a-thon, a skate-a-thon, a walk-a-thon, a trash-a-thon, a prayer-a-thon, bowl-a-thon, etc. Get sponsors to pledge money for every mile you walk or ride, lift weights, skate, etc. Set a goal before you talk to your sponsors so that they can have an idea of how much they might have to pay in all.
Items needed: _ Bike, skates, weights, etc. _ Sponsor sheets
Time required: _ Take pledges for a week and have the event on the weekend.
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen:
Go door-to-door and explain the ____-a-thon and the trip you are raising money for. Ask them to sponsor you and sign their name and the amount they wish to pledge. Have the event. Be honest about how many miles you walked, etc. Collect the money after the event.
46 Carhop Grill Out
Have the youth group grill hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. in the church parking lot and invite the community to come and eat at the new “restaurant.” The kids go to the cars and take orders and then deliver them to the cars.
Items needed: _ Food (hamburgers, hot dogs, drinks, and desserts) _ Grill _ Paper plates _ Plastic forks, spoons, and knives
Time required: _ 1 hour preparation – 3 hours service
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Set up a grill in the parking lot. Make posters to advertise and get people’s attention. Get the whole youth group to help. Make menus. Serve the food cheerfully. Do a good job.
45 Student Auction
Invite all the people in your church and neighborhoods to your church. Have all of the youth group members stand up on stage one at a time and have the audience bid on them. The one who bids the highest gets to have that person come and clean their house (for example) for the price that they bid.
Items needed: _ Chairs _ Auctioneer (if you have one in your church) _ Cleaning supplies
Time required: _ 1 hour auction – 3 hours to do each job
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Have people in your youth group volunteer to be auctioned. Tell the church and neighborhood about this ahead of time. Check with the pastor to decide on the location that is best. Set up chairs. Do a good job of cleaning so that they will be willing to do it again.
44 Christmas Tree Of Love
Put a Christmas tree in the foyer of your church. Decorate it with only a few pathetic ornaments. Leave a package of ornament hangers under the tree, along with a donation box, decorated to look like a gift. Ask people to consider hanging one of their Christmas cards on the tree with greetings to the entire congregation as an alternative to sending out individual cards to everyone. The card can be hung on the tree by using one of the ornament hangers provided. People then donate the amount of money they are saving in postage.
Items needed: _ Christmas tree _ Donation box _ Ornament hangers _ A few decorations
Time required: _ 30 minutes
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Ask your pastor about putting up the Christmas tree. Make a sign briefly describing the purpose of the Christmas tree. Collect the donations after church each Sunday.
43 Computer Labels
If you have a good computer available to you, make return address labels and sell them for $5.00 for 100 labels. This can be very effective around Christmas card time; especially if you have a color printer.
Items needed: _ Computer and printer _ Labels _ Order form of some kind
Time required: _ 2 or 3 hours depending on the amount of labels you have to make
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Make colorful signs to advertise. Put an example label on the signs. Take orders for the labels. Make and print the labels as soon as you get the order, if possible. This will make the work and delivery less stressful. Collect the money when you deliver the labels.
42 Pink Flamingo
Get several of those tacky plastic pink flamingos that people put in their yards. Stick the flamingos in several different yards with a list of church member names in each. When you find a flamingo in your yard, take out the list, cross your name off, pledge a free-will donation, and plant the flamingo in someone else’s yard (someone who’s name is on the list).
Items needed: _ Pink flamingos _ Paper _ Jar or can for collecting the money
Time required: _ 1 hour
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Send everyone an announcement (on pink paper) explaining how the pink flamingos work. Maybe some of the people in your church don’t want a pink flamingo in their yard. Tell them that the can purchase anti-pink flamingo insurance for a set price. This will guarantee that they will not wake up one morning with a pink flamingo in their yard. Tell everyone not to put their money inside the flamingo. Set up a jar or can in the church for people to put their pledges in.
41 Project Door Knob
This is another way to make money and help out the people in your church. In your church bulletin, announce that your youth group will be passing by in the church bus or van on a certain day looking for work to do. If anyone has work that the youth group can do, they are to tie a handkerchief to the doorknob of their front door. Charge a flat fee or take donations.
Items needed: _ Cleaning supplies
Time required: _ 1 hour per house
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Advertise in the church bulletin. Have a driver for the church vehicle who will drop a few kids off at each job and then come back around to pick them up. If you are charging a flat fee, remember to offer to take donations, too.
40 Spud Night
Get the biggest potatoes you can find. Sell tickets for your spud night and have a potato bar. Everybody loves a good potato.
Items needed: _ Potatoes _ Toppings (sour cream, chili, bacon bits, butter, etc.) _ Plates _ Extra food, such as chips, ice cream, and drinks _ Tables and chairs
Time required: _ 30 minutes preparation – 2 hours dinner
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Sell tickets in advance for $4. This includes potatoes bar, chips, a drink, and maybe a dessert. Set the toppings out in bowls like in a salad bar so that people can serve themselves. Always make sure the toppings are full. Refill drinks as necessary.
39 Work-A-Thon
Arrange jobs for all of the people in your youth group. Talk to the elderly people in your church or other people who can’t do the work themselves. Get sponsors to pay the kids a certain amount for every hour they work.
Items needed: _ Cleaning supplies
Time required: _ unlimited
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Divide the jobs that need to be done among your youth group. Give each person the supplies they need to complete their jobs. Do the jobs quickly and efficiently. Take time to visit with the people you are serving.
38 Winterize Your Elderly
Help the elderly in your church out by putting up storm windows, changing furnace filters, hauling in patio furniture, etc. If they can afford to pay you, they will. Get sponsors from you church to support you.
Items needed: _ Tools _ Cleaning supplies
Time required: _ This will vary with each job you do.
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Ask the elderly in your church how the youth group can help them winterize their house. Split the group up into work teams and delegate the responsibility among the teams. Don’t necessarily ask the people you are working for to pay you. If they offer, you can accept it, but the majority of the funds should come from sponsors.
37 Bullish On The Youth Group
Print up stock certificates and sell them to members of the church or community as an “investment.” Each share can sell for a set amount – say five dollars – with no limit on how many shares a person can buy.
Items needed: _ Fake stock certificates _ “Stockholders report”
Time required: _ 20 minutes to explain – 1 hour per stockholders meeting
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Ask the church members or community if they would be willing buy “stock” in your mission trip. Explain. Invite the purchasers to a “stockholders meeting” where they can be informed as to how their investment is doing (include testimonies, music, and other worship activities). A “stockholders report” should also be printed. Explain to them that the “dividends” they receive are the results of the missions trip.
36 Ecology Walk
Have a walk-a-thon that has an extra twist to it. Get sponsors just as you would for the walk-a-thon. As you are walking, pick up trash along the highway. Walk in groups of three or four. As you pick up trash, put all the cans and bottles in a bag that is separate from the other trash. Recycling is an extra money-making source.
Items needed: _ Trash bags
Time required: _ 1 day
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Advertise. Get your sponsors and have them pledge money for every bag of trash collected per hour. Split up in groups and start walking. As you fill up the bags, leave them on the side of the road and have someone drive along in a truck picking up the bags.
35 Tournament Snack Bar
Ask your school about getting the concession stand for a tournament. Buy the food in bulk so that you are sure to make a profit. This can bring in a lot or a little depending on the size of your school or town sports participation.
Items needed: _ Food _ Grill or microwave if you plan on serving hot dogs, nachos, etc. _ Refrigerator/ freezer for candy bars, ice, and ice cream _ A few rolls of coins and one dollar bills to make change
Time required: _ 1 hour shopping – 1 hour setting up – 5 hours running the stand
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Get permission from the necessary people to use the concession stand. Do this in advance so that you are sure to get one of the larger tournaments. Buy the food the day before so that it is still fresh. Get a few people to work so that you can work in shifts. Set up the food and make a large menu so that everyone can see what is available.
34 Gift-Wrapping Fund Raiser
Plan a gift-wrapping service in a store or at church. If it is at your church, people can stop by on the way home from shopping to have you wrap their gifts.
Items needed: _ Wrapping paper _ Tape _ Ribbons and Bows _ Gift tags
Time required: _ Do this during Christmas vacation and have someone on duty from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Check on setting up at a church or store. Advertise your service and what the money will go for. Have 2 or 3 choices of paper and let the customer decide which they want. Remember to ask if they want you to take off the price tag. Be creative and do a good job. Collect the money when the job is done.
33 Benefit Performances
Do you know a good Christian band or singer? Ask them to do a benefit concert for you. You and your group provide all the extra setup help they need. Take up donations, sell tickets, or do both.
Items needed: _ Chairs _ Stage _ Food and drinks _ Tickets
Time required: _ 6-7 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Talk to the group about your mission trip. Find out the things they would need from you in order to do the concert. Start preparation and advertising a couple weeks ahead of time. Get some friends to help you make cookies to sell during the show. Sell tickets in advance and at the door. Set up a jar for donations. Clean up after the concert and help the band tear down.
32 Why I Would Give…
Give a slip of paper to everyone at church or some other event. Each paper would say, “Why I would give (your name) $10 toward his/her mission trip. Then they write a sentence like, “Because I fell sorry for them.” The funnier the better. They can then attach the money, or return that slip as a pledge.
Items needed: _ Paper
Time required: _ 30 minutes (give a short presentation about your trip before passing out the slips of paper.)
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Explain to everyone what kind of trip this is and how God will be able to use you. Pass out the slips of paper and explain how it works. When they pass in their papers, you can read the sentences out loud, for fun, if you want to. Be sure to send a reminder note to the people who chose to pledge rather than give immediately. This can be used along with another fundraiser.
31 Colossal Clean-up
Contract with the management of your local fairgrounds or stadium, to do cleanup after a major event.
Items needed: _ Trash bags
Time required: _ 1 day
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Talk to the manager and find out if it is possible to contract the job. Give each person in your youth group a trash bag and send them out to pick up. The job doesn’t seem so big when you have a lot of people doing it. Do a good job so that it can become an annual fund raiser for your youth group.
30 Meal-A-Thon
Contact your local Salvation Army, soup kitchen, or any other organization that feeds the homeless in your area. Offer to have your youth group help make sack lunches, serve meals, or help with whatever they need. Take pledges from sponsors for every meal you serve, sack lunch made, etc.
Items needed: _ None (the food should be provided by the organization)
Time required: _ 4 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Find out from the organization how you can help and when would be a good time. Have the members of your group get sponsors. Keep track of the number of meals you make and be friendly with the people you are serving.
29 Dime-A-Dip Dinner
Have a dinner for your church and/or community. It’s just like a regular dinner, but everything costs a dime. A dime per scoop of food. A dime per potato chip. A dime for a pat of butter. Etc. You can also add music or some other entertainment to draw more excitement.
Items needed: _Dimes _ Food _ Tables and chairs _ Plastic forks, spoons, and knives
Time required: _ 2 hours preparation – 3 hours dinner – 1 hour clean up
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Get people in your church to donate food. Hang signs around in your church and announce it in your church bulletin. Be sure to have plenty of food so that you won’t run out. The more food, the more dimes!
28 Garage Sale
This is a great way to get your church involved. Ask people in your church to donate old stuff to your garage sale. Then get a friend or two to help with preparation and the sale.
Items needed: _ stuff to sell _ tables _ stickers or price tags _ calculator _ signs or posters
Time required: _ 3 hours preparation + 6 hours sale time
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Collect the items to sell from church members several days before the sale. Advertise with signs and in the newspaper. Decide on good prices and label all the items with a price tag or sticker. The day or the sale, set up tables and neatly set up the sale items and a table at which to collect money.
27 Inventory Crew
Call large retail stores in your city and volunteer for “group inventory.” Every store has to take a periodic inventory and usually needs temporary help to do it. They’ll pay at least minimum wage, which can be a good fund raiser for the youth group.
Items needed: _ None
Time required: _ This will vary depending on the size of the store you are working with.
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Talk to a store owner (or several store owners) and find out if they are needing any help with their inventory. Tell them briefly about your trip and ask if they would be willing to let your youth group do the inventory to help finance your trip. Get good instructions from the store owner as to how he/she wants the inventory done. Make sure that everyone in your group follows ALL of the instructions.
26 Lawn-A-Thon
Line up as many people from your youth group with lawn mowers and transportation for each of them. Advertise with flyers and posters that on a certain Saturday, your group will mow lawns for free! Get as many people as you can to sign up to have their lawn mowed. Get sponsors to pay you a certain amount for every lawn that you mow.
Items needed: _ Lawn mowers _ Transportation _ Sponsor sheets
Time required: _ varies
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Find a law mower for all the members of your youth group. If each person doesn’t already have one, ask people in the church if you could borrow theirs. Get parents or other people with cars to provide transportation from lawn to lawn. Hand out sponsor sheets and have everyone in the group get sponsors. Mow as many lawns as you can and collect the money.
25 Kidnap The Pastor
Have the group “kidnap” the pastor and other well-known individuals in the church (prearranged) with the ransom being a set amount of money to be used for a youth project .
Items needed: _ Telephone
Time required: _ This varies depending on the amount of time it takes to get the “ransom money.”
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen:
Talk to your pastor and decide on a good time to plan the “kidnapping.” When he or she is kidnapped, start calling people in the church and telling them what’s going on. Church members can pledge a dollar amount to be given on Sunday morning. If the ransom isn’t paid up, the youth should be prepared to handle the morning service or the responsibilities of the other kidnapped individuals. Be creative with this one. Let the pastor leave after a specific amount of time regardless of the money raised.
24 Le Grande Chateau
This is a fun way to make money. Have a French restaurant for an evening and invite the congregation to make reservations to dine there. Make it as elegant as possible. You might even request the men to wear a jacket and tie.
Items needed: _ Food (something nice but simple: baked chicken, juice, salad, baked potato, etc.) _Tables and chairs _ Table decorations (include candlelight) _ Dinner music
Time required: _ 2 weeks of preparation – 1 day for set-up, dinner, and clean-up
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $150-$300
How to make it happen: Make it “reservations only” so that you can get the right amount of food. Talk to a grocery store owner about getting the food donated or at least at a discounted price. Make a menu that looks elegant and list all French foods at extremely high prices. At the bottom of the menu write in small print, “Management reserves the right to make substitutions without patron consent!” So, regardless of what people order, they all get the same thing. After the dinner, bring them their “cheque” instructing the diners to make their donations in any amount and to either pay their waiter or pay on their way out.
23 Matching Funds
Make you sponsor’s money go further by presenting a “Matching Funds” opportunity. Find people or businesses to sponsor you and match every dollar you raise up to a certain amount ($100, $500, $1000, etc.).
Items needed: _ None
Time required: _ 2-4 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $700-$1000
How to make it happen: Have your sponsors talk to their company or corporation about employee matching funds programs. Tell your prospective sponsors how they can make their donation twice as effective with a “Matching fund.”
22 Dollar For Dollar
Get your churches missionary committee to match what your youth group raises for a mission trip, dollar for dollar.
Items needed: _ None
Time required: _ Number of hours you are given
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $500-$1000
How to make it happen: Collect application from several employers. Fill out the applications and turn them in as soon as possible. Call the business a couple days later to make sure they have your application and to see when you can set up an interview. After your interviews, choose the job that works best with you. (Example: Do you have to work Sundays?) Work diligently as unto the Lord.
21 Fun Fair
Get the whole church involved! Have games, music and booths and invite the whole community. Sell drinks, snacks, and tickets for each game. This is a great way to build community interest.
Items needed: _ Drinks and snacks _ Small inexpensive prizes _ Tables _ Anything else you would want for the booths you choose
Time required: _ 1 day preparation, 1 day set-up and event
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $300-$1000
How to make it happen: Talk to your pastor or youth pastor about getting the church involved.
Start getting together the things you need several weeks before the event so that you have plenty of time to prepare. Make signs and posters to hang in store windows, telephone poles, etc. Put and ad in the newspaper for extra advertising. Buy prizes in bulk so that you will have less expenses and more profit.
20 Corporate Support
Ask businesses to support you. This is a good public relations on their part.
Items needed: _ None
Time required: _ 1 day
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $400-$500
How to make it happen: Tell the business owner about the trip you plan to attend and the financial need you have. Remember to tell them that their donation is tax deductible if they make their check out to Missions.me. Send them a thank you note.
19 Christian Dinner Theater
Hold a dinner theater at your church that is put on by the youth. Sell tickets and except donations. Have music and a skit or play during and/or after the meal.
Items needed: _ Food _ Silverware, plates, and napkins _ Decorations _ Tables and chairs
Time required: _ 2 weeks of planning and preparation – 1 day for set-up, dinner and clean-up
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $500-$700
How to make it happen: Start promoting your dinner theater as soon as possible and give people the opportunity to donate before the event to help cover some of the costs. Try to get as much of the food and decorations donated as possible. Decide on a skit or play to do and start memorizing early so that you do a good job. Have a formal atmosphere with candles and dinner music, and have the youth be waiters and waitresses. Sell tickets in advance and collect donations during the dinner. Perform your skit or drama during and/or after the meal. Clean up when you’re done.
18 Pledge A Day
Divide the number of days in your missions trip by the amount of money you need to raise. Ask people to buy a day or more of your trip. Make a poster of a big calendar and cross off each day as it is bought. This is a good visual to get people interested.
Items needed: _ Poster and markers
Time required: _ 1 hour
Amount you can expect to raise: _ Total cost of trip
How to make it happen: Take some time at church or another event to explain your trip and your need. Explain how the fundraiser works and how they can support you. Set up the poster in the entry way of your church or another noticeable place.
17 Pledge A Mile
Divide the number of days in your missions trip by the amount of money you need to raise. Ask people to buy a day or more of your trip. Make a poster of a big calendar and cross off each day as it is bought. This is a good visual to get people interested.
Items needed: _ Poster and markers
Time required: _ 1hour
Amount you can expect to raise: _ Total cost of trip
How to make it happen: Take some time at church or another event to explain your trip and your need. Explain how the fundraiser works and how they can support you. Set up the poster in the entry way of your church or another noticeable place.
16 Bookmark Reminder
Make bookmarks explaining briefly the trip you plan to go on, the cost, and how they can support you or get in touch with you for more information. Put these bookmarks in hymnals, church bulletins, etc.
Items needed: _ Paper _ Markers
Time required: _ 30 minutes (make a few and use a copy machine to save time)
Amount you can expect to raise: _ This varies. Bookmarks may just serve as a prayer reminder.
Remember: Prayer support is just as important as financial support!
How to make it happen: Come up with a neat design for your bookmark. Make 5 or 6 six of them and make copies. Slip them in wherever you can, or hand them out.
15 Chance Auction
Sell everyone a ticket for a small fee. On the back of each ticket, the bidder writes their name, address, telephone number, and their bid. They then place their ticket in the box next to the item they want to bid on. After all the tickets have been placed in boxes, two tickets from each box are drawn out and the highest of the two bids gets the item.
Items needed: _ Items to bid on _ Tickets
Time required: _ 1 hour
Amount you can expect to raise: _ This will vary depending on the items on which you are bidding.
How to make it happen: Get donated items to auction off. Make sure they are of fairly good quality so that you can get some good bids. Hand a ticket to each participant and explain how it works. Give them a little time to decide which items to bid on and how much they wish to If they would like to put in a bid on more than one item, have them buy another bid, ticket.
14 Church Telethon
Get permission from your pastor to call all the members of your church and tell them about your trip and your financial needs.
Items needed: _ Telephone
Time required: _ 3 or 4 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ This could vary depending on the size of your church.
How to make it happen: Call each person. Be friendly and ask them if it is a good time to tell them about your trip. If they are busy or you get an answering machine, offer to call back later. Present your request. Thank your supporters with written notes. Update them on the results.
13 Crazy Auction
Put an item of value up for bids. Start the bidding at five cents. The first person to bid five cents throws their nickel into the pot immediately. Then go to ten cents and the next person to bid throws in their dime. Keep going until no one else bids. The item then goes to the last bidder. The money that has been thrown in the pot stays there.
Items needed: _ Items to bid on _ Coins to make change before the auction starts _ Chairs
Time required: _ 1 or 2 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ This will vary depending upon the items on which you are bidding.
How to make it happen: Get donated items of fairly good quality for auctioning. Set up a small table for making change. Explain how the auction works. Start the bidding and have fun!
12 Inaudible Auction
Have an auction where people place written bids rather than audible bids. This is used best in along with another event of fund raiser.
Items needed: _ Donated items that people would want to buy _ Paper _ Pens
Time required: _ One day
Amount you can expect to raise: _ This will vary depending on the items that are for sale.
How to make it happen: Advertise Collect a variety of donated items that people would want to purchase. Set each of the items out before some event and place a piece of paper numbering 1 to 10 beside each item. People then choose the item(s) they would like to buy and write the amount they would like to bid on the piece of paper. Others may bid on the same paper. During the event, people may check back on their item to see if someone has bid higher. If they would like, they can make another bid. At the end of the event, the items go to the highest bidders. Collect the money before the item is given out.
11 Youth Ministry Gift Certificates
Offer gift certificates for friends, relatives, and neighbors to buy as birthday gifts for the youth. These certificates could say, “This youth ministry gift certificate for (name) signifies that (dollar amount) dollars have been given in your name for your involvement in an upcoming mission trip.” The youth office or church office keeps the records.
Items needed: _ Certificate
Time required: _ 2 hours to make certificates
Amount you can expect to raise: _ This varies a great deal.
How to make it happen: Make gift certificates Advertise them at church. Keep good records so that each person gets their certificate.
10 Play-It-Again Auction
Collect old sports equipment from people and auction it off. People are always looking for a good deal on sports related things.
Items needed: _ Sports equipment to auction off _ Chairs for the bidders
Time required: _ 1 or 2 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ This will vary depending on the items you are auctioning.
How to make it happen: Collect sports equipment from wherever you can. (Try schools, friends, family, neighbors, etc.)
Invite athletic coaches and others most likely to make purchases. Find an auctioneer to auction off the equipment. Be sure to keep close track of who the highest bidders are and what their bid was. Collect the money and thank everyone for their part in your trip.
9 Vintage T-shirt Auction
Get each of the members of your youth group to bring an OLD t-shirt to be auctioned off. Hold the auction at youth group so that kids can buy a replacement for their old shirt.
Items needed: _ Old t-shirts
Time required: _ 1 hour
Amount you can expect to raise: _ This will vary depending the shirts you have and the size of your youth group.
How to make it happen: Tell the youth group to check their parents closets or any other place that may have a “vintage” t-shirt. Make sure that they wash the shirts before they bring them. Have fun. Don’t be surprised if the tackiest ones sell for the highest.
8 Potluck Auction
Invite everyone in your church to a potluck. Have half of them bring a main dish, and the other half bring salads. Have the youth group provide the drinks, dessert, service, and clean up. Ask each family (or individual) to bring a gift to be auctioned off. Hold the auction during or after the meal. Ask each family to provide their own table service.
Items needed: _ Tables and chairs _ Drinks _ Desserts
Time required: _ 3 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ This will vary depending on the items you are auctioning.
How to make it happen: Have people sign up to bring either a main dish or a salad a week or two before the event. This will help you avoid having all salads and no main dishes. Collect the gifts to be auctioned before the participants go through the food line so that you will have time to get organized while everyone is eating. Let everyone serve themselves and let the youth group go around filling up glasses. After everyone has gotten their food, begin the auction.
7 Toy Box Auction
Ask people to donate toys their grown kids no longer use. These make great auction items since parents and kids alike are always looking for good deals. Those not auctioned off can be donated to charity.
Items needed: _ Toys to auction off _ Chairs for the participants
Time required: _ 1 or 2 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ This will vary depending on the items you are auctioning.
How to make it happen: Collect the items to be used for the auction. Start the bidding and have fun!
6 Mega Merry Christmas Card
Make a couple giant Christmas cards to take to members of your church who have been placed in nursing homes and/or aren’t able to come to church. Then, charge people in the church one dollar to sign it. The recipients of the cards will love this.
Items needed: _ Card board or poster board to make the cards out of _ Markers and/or paint
Time required: _ 30 minutes
Amount you can expect to raise: _ This will vary depending on the size of your congregation.
How to make it happen: Get a list from your pastor of the people from your church who are now in nursing homes. If the list is too long, just make a card for those who don’t have family with whom they will celebrate Christmas. Make the cards colorful and put the recipients’ name on each one so that it isn’t just a generic “dear friend” card. Make an announcement in the church bulletin so that everyone knows what the cards are for and how they work. Set the cards in the front of the church so that everyone can see them. Deliver the cards a week before Christmas. Consider taking a few friends and singing Christmas carols. Be cheerful.
5 Wanna-Be Carhop
Sometimes Sonic or any other drive-in burger place will work deals with groups or individuals so that they can be the carhops for the day. For that day they will let you work and give you part of the profit.
Items needed: _ Drive-in burger place
Time required: _ As long as the employer will let you work.
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $200- $350
How to make it happen: Call a local drive-in such as Sonic Set a time and date to be the carhop. Advertise the event and ask them if they could put it on their marquee. Be friendly!
4 Invitations
If you or someone in your youth group is artistic you can make invitations for different events. Think of something that is coming up in your school or community that you could make invitations for. Events such as bridal or baby showers, prom or graduation are perfect events.
Items needed: _ Art supplies _ Paper
Time required: _ 5 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100- $200
How to make it happen: Find someone that you can make invitations for. Ask them what they would like them to be for and what the theme is. Decorate the invitations and deliver them to the customer.
3 Softball Tournament
Many churches have softball teams that love to compete. Invite some of them to compete in a city wide softball tournament. Charge each team an enrollment fee.
Items needed: _ Trophy (a softball with your name, where you are going and a BIG thank you on it) _ Access to a softball field _ Players (have them bring their own gear) _ Umpires
Time required: _ 6 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $300- $450
How to make it happen: Invite softball teams from around your community. Advertise the date and the enrollment fee. Have a concession stand to make a little more money. Play ball!
2 Pizza Party
This fundraiser can be done just about any where. Buy or see if some one can donate a bunch of pizzas. If you are real adventurous make your own. Advertise that you are having a pizza party and charge for each piece that they eat.
Items needed: _ Pizza _ Napkins _ Jar for donations
Time required: _ 3 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100- $200
How to make it happen: Gather a bunch of pizzas. Advertise the time, date and place. Invite as many people as possible and charge by the slice.
1 Easter and Christmas Baskets
Prepare Easter and Christmas baskets for people in your church or community.
Items needed: _ Various items to put in the baskets. _ Baskets
Time required: _ 4 hours
Amount you can expect to raise: _ $100- $200
How to make it happen: Get some of your friends to help you and decorate the baskets according to the holiday. Put the various items in the baskets. Take orders and deliver the baskets. Charge around $5- $10 for each basket you sell.
*This document used with permission from Global Expeditions
The above article, “100 Fundraising Ideas For Ladies’ Ministry!” was written by Women World Changers. The article was excerpted from www.womenworldchangers.org website October 2017.
The material is copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, this material may be freely used for personal study or research purposes.
This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes, “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”
