10 Fundraising Ideas for Churches and Faith-Based Organizations

Do you know that nearly one-third of all donations go to faith-based organizations? Why not? They do a great service by supporting causes that serve humanity. But faith fundraising is not easy. You need to give a bit of a nudge to people to donate to good causes.

For the most part, churches and faith-based organizations rely on monthly and annual tithes for donations. Even the annual congregation gets in a lot of support for causes. But in today’s modern world, these religious organizations have to step out and make themselves heard through fundraising platforms and social media. That’s the best way to reach out to the younger generation and make an impact.

There are plenty of top fundraising tips to leverage community building and get support for causes in the form of donations. But it’s up to you to see which works best for you. Let’s see 10 fundraising ideas for churches and faith-based organizations here.   

1. Online donations

Donations are no longer limited to Sunday mass prayers. In fact, most of the donations for religious institutions come on weekdays. People are always online now and they don’t hesitate to donate when you reach them online. How do you connect with them? Through fundraising platforms and social media. One way is to set up a fundraiser on a trusted online fundraising platform like GivingX. You have to register, customize your page, and share it with your audience. Your audience will share it among their friends on social media and the chain continues.

If you have a website, create a link to redirect visitors to the page you have set up on GivingX. You can even display the online fundraising platform badge on your site. Make your website optimized for donations. Thus, in no time, you’ll be able to gather funds if the cause resonates with the audience.    

2. Flexible payment options

With people carrying mobile devices wherever they go, it’s your opportunity to give them the option to donate from the method they prefer. So make sure your organization has arranged different modes of payments such as through mobile wallets, UPI, net banking, credit cards, PayPal, ACH transfer, cash, cheque, cryptocurrency, QR codes, and more.

This doesn’t mean you give up on traditional payment methods. Place donation boxes at events or congregations. Request your volunteers to visit houses and talk to people to encourage them to donate. The focus here is to widen the payment options so that more donations can pour in.

3. Recurring Giving

Do you know that it is easier to convince one-time donors to opt-in for recurring donations when compared to acquiring new donors? Instead of solely focusing on new donations, encourage your existing donors to donate more or donate periodically. These donors already know about your institution and the causes you are associated with. Setting up a fundraiser on the custom fundraising software GivingX gives you the ability to put in an option for donors to automate their recurring donations.

You can also place a CTA to opt-in for recurring donations along with the ‘Donate Now’ button in your monthly newsletter or emails. Reminding them constantly of the recurring donation option encourages them to opt in.

4. Tiered donations

Donation tiers offer donors the choice to select an option from pre-determined donation amounts. So, rather than leaving a blank space for the donor to fill in the amount, you provide them with tiers such as $25, $50, $100, $250, and so on.

To make it more compelling, write a description of what the amount will accomplish. For example, $25 will feed 1 hungry mouth, $50 will help educate 1 kid, and so on. Tie the donation level to specific outcomes to show the impact of giving to donors. This will push them to donate more. Have at least four to six donation tiers in total. Give them the option to select any recurring donation amount.

And lastly, don’t forget to include an “Other Amount” box below the tiers to let the donors decide if they have to opt for the tiered donation or donate as much as they are willing to. Keep testing different donation levels to push the average donation size.

5. Writing emails

Sending emails is a cost-effective way to keep the donations coming. Since you have already set up a donation page on an online fundraising software, include its link in the email through a CTA button. Fundraising emails have high click-through rates provided you follow the best practices. With more people online today, the chances of them opening emails are higher and you have every chance to gather funds.  

6. Traditional fundraisers

In the digital era, the traditional methods of fundraising still hold their unique charm. There are several ways you can collect funds the conventional way. One is to call potential donors and speak to them about your organization and the causes it supports. Another way is to personally meet them in their homes and offices. If they are far away, you can send volunteers who stay near them.

One more way is to send them cards for their birthdays and anniversaries. This little gesture of love reaps rich rewards. You can also send them holiday cards and request them to donate to the needy during Christmas. People tend to donate during the holiday season and so you can pre-plan at least 2-3 months in advance and make a donors list. Take the help of volunteers to come up with ideas and help you in writing letters and meeting volunteers. Set up a fundraiser on the online fundraising platform to complement your traditional fundraising efforts.   

7. Donation matching  

Donation matching is where an employer matches the employee’s donation to a cause that reflects the value of the business entity. While most of the companies agree to match at a 1:1 ratio, others agree to match it to 3:1 depending on the cause and the organization.  As a faith-based organization or a church, you have to ask your volunteers or donors if their companies match donations. This way, you can collect double the money in faith fundraising easily.

8. Annual giving pledge

Some people tithe a percentage of their income to the Church. Encourage such people to take a pledge for annual donations. This encourages people to set goals for giving. Arrange an annual congregation for potential donors, the local community, and well-wishers. Other people get encouraged to donate when they see donors pledging for donations. A fixed annual donation helps your organization to plan better for the causes you support.

9. Donor walls

Find a wall in your church where you can proudly display the donor names. This will not only make the donors happy but also encourage others to donate. There are unique ways of showing respect to your donors. When they feel that their donations are honored, they won’t hesitate to give even more or spread the word to their friends and family. And instead of just writing the donor name and the amount donated, you can come up with innovative ideas to make the donor wall attractive. Similarly, if you have a website, dedicate a separate page for your donors. Thanking them will increase their respect towards your organization as well as get you more funds.  

10. Events

Hosting events is a great way to get your community closer. It is an opportunity to know your donors better and let them know about your organization and the causes you support. There are many faith fundraising activities to get in more donations. Get your volunteers together and ask them to host events in their community. Some of the top fundraising tips for events are-

• Bake sale
• Babysitting
• Breakfast fundraiser
• Candle-making workshop
• Craft activity for kids
• Read-a-thon
• Family photo booth
• Family fun activities
• Auctions
• Church choir event
• Dinner hosting

Make the event meaningful and fun for all to enjoy. A fun-filled event will get you more participants the next time too.        

Start faith fundraising on Givingx, the best online fundraising platform now

Churches and faith-based organizations work on similar lines to nonprofits supporting real causes. They need money to help run the causes and it is our responsibility to encourage donations.

GivingX, an online fundraising software, helps nonprofits, faith-based organizations, community institutions, and individuals to raise money for causes by setting up a fundraiser page on the platform.

It is simple to use and easy to set up an online fundraiser on GivingX.

Support a cause and start raising funds for it now!