As we head into the summer months there will be a host of summer fairs and fundraising events taking place throughout the diocese. These opportunities, from concerts to flower shows and everything in between, offer lots to the community, as well as helping you raise vital funds. These opportunities are key to building a community of Kingdom People, sharing your mission with your neighbours, and welcoming them into your church. Here we will explore effective strategies and creative ideas to help you make the most of your summer fundraisers.
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Embrace the Community Spirt.
Summer fundraising events can present an excellent occasion to engage with the community and build long-standing bonds. Work with your congregation to build a team of volunteers to run these events, but also think about whether there are others outside the church but in the community who might want to help.
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Leverage digital tools.
The two biggest reasons people don’t donate are because they are not asked or it is too complicated to do. Make sure you are making it clear and easy for your visitors to donate to your church. Not everyone carries cash anymore, so only being able to take cash donations will limit what you can receive. It is easy to set up one-off giving through QR codes, and it may help to have a contactless payment device. Find out what’s right for you, your church, and your community - the stewardship team will be more than happy to talk you through what’s available.
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The power of social media.
Let your audience see the impact they have through the fundraising - share your stories on social media and let them be part of the church’s story. Use social media to create events and share far and wide so people know what’s happening, use it to build up excitement, but also to share what happens after. Let them see what a difference their generosity has had.
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Engage with local businesses.
This could be a great opportunity for you to reach out to local businesses and let them know how they can support you and support the local community.
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Make a plan and set some goals.
Think about how the event will run, how you will promote it, how you will follow up and what impact generosity from the event will have. Decide what the donation will be for – are they for a specific cause or for the general mission of the church? Letting people know this will give them confidence in donating to you.
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Have fun!
Make sure that your fundraising activity is something you would want to do, if you do not find it fun, others won’t either and so they won’t give.
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Say thank you
It’s so important that people know how grateful we are for their generosity, a simple thank you can go a long way.
And don’t forget to share your good news – let us know the successes you’ve had so we can celebrate with you. We would love to feature you in the diocese news too!
