Church Fundraising Event Ideas Offers Free Fundraising Ideas That Get Churchgoers Involved

Chili Cook-off

Host a chili cook-off at your church one weekend afternoon.  Parishioners sign up to make some delicious chili for the event.  Other church members can sign up to bring utensils, bowls, napkins, cheese, sour cream, breadsticks, beverages and other items as their donation.  To spice things up even further, perhaps create a wild west or other theme where people can dress up.  You could even set up simple, fun, Wild West type games in which people can purchase tickets to play.

You can sell the bowls of chili for $2 a bowl.  On the other hand, you can charge a small admission fee in which attendees will also get a raffle ticket for a chance to win some fun prizes.  Be creative and have a blast while bringing in tons of donation from your church supporters. 

Appreciation Grams

Set up a time at church in which you know many will be attending, and offer $1 appreciation grams at the church entrance.  Parishioners purchase a small, decorative card in which they can write a note of thanks, recognition, or simply some good wishes to the recipient they wish to offer it to.  Once they’ve filled it out, they turn it back in to you.  Once church service is over, have a volunteer call out names of card recipients so they can collect their sweet, inspirational cards. 

Building Progress

This is a great way to show parishioners your progress in church fundraising event ideas.  Set up an area full of blocks and tools, along with a large poster board that has a foundation drawn on it.  As donations come in, start building a small church in the area, revealing the church’s progress towards its’ fundraising goal.  Once the church is completely built, parishioners know that they have reached the goal.  You can throw a simply celebratory party afterwards to thank church members for their donations and participation. 

Church Raffle

This church fundraising event idea s is my favorite. Do a daily or weekly raffle at church where parishioners can purchase raffle tickets before church service begins.  At the end of service, call out a wining raffle number where the winner receives a small prize.  Before the raffle ever starts, ask parishioners to donate fun prizes.  Again, do drawings daily or weekly.  This encourages church participation as well as donations. 

Tell everyone to hold onto his or her raffle tickets.  Have a specific date set where one parishioner’s number will be announced and they’ll win the grand prize, such as a weekend stay at a bed and breakfast or free tickets to an amusement park. 

Indoor Miniature Golf

Inspire members of your church to design and decorate a special golf hole.  Let them use their imagination, creating golf holes out of waste baskets, trays, gutter pieces, cups, or other interesting items. 

You’ll need to round up some golf balls, clubs, scorecards, and pencils.  Charge an admission fee for people to come enjoy a silly game of indoor miniature golf while donating to a good cause.  You can even keep scores and offer a prize to people with winning scores. 

For more church fundraising event ideas, check out Charitable-auctions.com and browse through our free fundraising articles, offering tips, tricks, advice, and ideas to help your church raise money.