Embark on a transformative journey with our comprehensive guide to free fundraising ideas for church youth groups.
Crafting a brighter future for your church begins with innovative church youth fundraiser ideas that not only raise essential funds but also nurture leadership and community engagement. Whether you're seeking creative church fundraiser ideas for kids and teens or effective youth group fundraising ideas, our curated collection offers a wealth of options.
We can help propel your youth group's mission forward! Keep reading to explore these dynamic youth fundraiser ideas that not only generate resources but also empower young minds to create lasting change.
Table of Contents
- 44 Fundraising Ideas for Church Youth Groups
- How to Motivate Your Youth Group to Fundraise
- Free Guide: Unlock the Secret Reservoir of Church Prosperity
44 Fundraising Ideas for Church Youth Groups
This list provides a variety of great church fundraiser ideas for youth plus more traditional fundraisers. But don’t abandon traditional ways of giving. Many congregation members prefer them because they promote personal connections to the church.
While you should continue to honor them, don’t assume traditional methods alone will help you meet your fundraising goals. Think outside the box to target those who are not tied to traditional giving avenues.
Also, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Even if you think a big event will produce all necessary fiscal results for your ministry, this approach can be risky. For example, if it rains on the day of your big “fun run” event, you need a plan B.
Like investing in the financial markets, it’s best to diversify. Try out different combinations of some general fundraising ideas for churches and more specific fundraising ideas for church youth groups described here.
- Online Donations
- Crowdfunding
- Mobile Fundraising
- Buy One, Give One
- Campaigns Related to Sacrifices
- Festivals
- Movie Night
- Concerts
- Bingo Night
- Auctions and Raffles
- Garage or Yard Sale
- Bake Sale
- Service Projects
- Competition Events
- Cook-offs
- Sponsored Events
- Parents Night Out
- Youth Group Merchandise
- Car Wash
- Lemonade Stand
- Group Outing or Outdoor Adventure
- Craft Fair
- Trivia Night
- Sports Tournament
- Pet Wash
- Karaoke Night
- DIY or Crafts Workshop
- Photo Booth
- Mother-daughter Tea Night
- Fashion Show
- Spring Gardening Show
- Mini Carnival or Fair
- Art Exhibition
- Car Show
- Holiday Gift-wrapping Services
- Scavenger Hunt
- Theme Party or Costume Event
- Book Fair or Sale
- Dog-walking or Pet-sitting Services
- Fun Run or Walk
- Recycling Drive
- Polar Plunge
- Dunk Tank
- Promote Youth Fundraisers
1. Online Donations
- Cost: $$
- Difficulty: Easy
If your church doesn’t use online giving, it’s something you’ll want to look into. Plate or other in-person giving has fallen out of favor for many churchgoers. Even nonprofits that weren’t already shifting to digital giving have embraced the trend.
A study involving 13,000 donors across 133 countries between March and May 2022 showed that 55 percent preferred to use credit cards for charitable giving. And only 8 percent said they preferred giving using cash.
That trend is not going to slow in the future. You might investigate a cash option for a particular campaign, but go ahead and set up online giving options for future fundraising efforts as well.
2. Crowdfunding
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Easy or Moderate depending on your social media presence
Crowdfunding has become a popular method for reaching larger audiences, mainly through social media. It’s a way to cast a wider net and capture potential donors outside of your congregation or your immediate social network.
They’re also very inexpensive to run. So, it's a good option even if you don’t have a lot of up-front capital to invest in the campaign.
For fundraising ideas for church youth groups, you may get lots of small donations from people you don’t know — those who throw in a few dollars based on a post they saw someone share. Because this method can be less personal, it’s important to follow up with each donor. Express your appreciation, regardless of whether they are a member of your congregation or the size of their donation.
One challenge is keeping your church youth fundraiser idea campaign “alive.” It may be easy to get started, but you will need to be self-motivated. Provide regular updates and encourage sharing to optimize the campaign’s potential.
But don’t overdo it. Make sure your church members know about the campaign without beating them over the head with it.
Initial outreach and a reminder that it is coming to a close should be sufficient when contacting likely donors. Let your social media posts do the rest.
3. Mobile Fundraising
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Easy
The method you use to distribute information about your church fundraiser ideas for youth is equally important. People almost always have their phones with them, so it can make donating quick and seamless.
Platforms that support mobile giving usually offer text giving, which allows members and guests to give with a simple text message. They also allow members to give through a mobile church app. In a few cases, the mobile app will perform a variety of other functions that can aid with fundraising, such as hosting private chats for a fundraising team to communicate. It can also house links to online events and other important details for participants to access.
Last of all, you can use both the mobile app and text giving to encourage givers to make their gifts recurring ones. Most platforms have follow-up features that streamline the process of asking.
4. Buy One, Give One
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Moderate
Matching gifts are a great motivational sales tool. They allow buyers to participate in something good, rather than merely purchasing products.
Different companies have popularized the “buy one, give one” concept by donating clothing, glasses, books, toiletries and many other items to needy individuals. And it’s effective, which makes it one of the best fundraising ideas for church youth groups.
For example, buyers can agree to donate a lunch to a hunger campaign or soup kitchen for each one that is sold. And donors may not even have to worry about providing the actual food itself. They can make donations to a homeless shelter to cover the cost of the number of meals promised.
A great way to fund such a campaign is to reach out to church members who may be willing to sponsor the matching gift amount. You can set caps so the donors know the maximum amount they will have to contribute.
5. Campaigns Related to Sacrifices
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Easy
When the season of Lent approaches, it’s the perfect time to ask donors to offset sacrifices in their lives with donations to your cause. It’s a way for those giving to see the direct benefits of their sacrifices. Whether it’s fasting during the day or giving up coffee, people like to tie the money they are saving to a worthwhile ministry.
But these fundraising ideas for church youth groups don’t just work during the Lenten season. You can ask your congregation to make sacrifices any time of year and for different reasons. It could be as simple as requesting that they give up going out to eat for one weekend, then donating what they would have spent to the youth group.
6. Festivals
- Cost: $-$$
- Difficulty: Moderate
Events can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. They can have themes (think of Fall or Halloween Festivals) or revolve around the fundraising effort itself.
To use this youth group fundraising idea, have youth work festival stations. Come up with games and activities based on materials you already have lying around the church. You can get a roll of 2,000 paper tickets for around $10 online, which you can use for raffles or carnival games that are part of the festival.
7. Movie Night
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Easy
If you have access to a projector and screen, hold a movie night. Charge admission and include “free” snacks like popcorn and soft drinks. These are inexpensive if you can’t get them as donations. Have youth group members staff the event, refilling popcorn and drinks.
8. Concerts
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Easy
Another church youth fundraiser idea is to leverage the talent in your church or youth group and put on a concert. It can either be a band or your church choir. Or both!
Movie screenings and concerts are great for the outdoors. Ask people to bring their own camping chairs or blankets to sit on.
9. Bingo Night
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Easy
A bingo night may seem a little “old school” for a youth group, but it’s easy to put on, and almost everyone in your congregation –– young or old — can participate. Charge for each bingo card to motivate participants to spend more and increase their chances of getting “bingo.”
10. Auctions and Raffles
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Moderate
Auctions and raffles are great fundraising ideas for church youth groups to raise money from donated items. Ask your congregation –– youth and adults –– to solicit gifts. They can ask their places of employment or other organizations they’re affiliated with.
Local gyms might offer a free month that you could include in a raffle. Call around to local playhouses and sports teams to see if they will supply free tickets. Sports clubs might donate autographed pictures, balls or other memorabilia.
Some organizations might have restrictions on donating to religious organizations, but it never hurts to ask.
You can combine raffles and auctions with other events. If you’re having a festival, include raffle tickets in the cost of admission and allow people to buy extra tickets.
Festivals are also perfect for silent auctions, where attendees have a prescribed amount of time to submit bids. You can announce the winners and recognize their contributions to the youth ministry.
11. Garage or Yard Sale
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Moderate
Another great church fundraiser idea for youth is to ask your congregation to donate used items, like books, clothing and furniture. Have a garage or yard sale and use the profits for your fundraising project. You can even have your youth group members present to help load heavier items.
If your church has access to a gym or other large space, you can hold the event rain or shine. (Although, if you plan to sell furniture, consider that many people will want to transport it on days when there is no precipitation.) You may want to consider a way to provide receipts for buyers who buy larger, more expensive items.
You also can hold events that are more targeted, such as a used teen clothing sale. Have your youth group (and their friends) go through their closets and find lightly worn items they’d be willing to part with, or items they’ve outgrown.
Advertise the sale in your community.
12. Bake Sale
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Easy
To host a bake sale, ask members of your congregation to make cookies, cakes, pies or other desserts.
To make the most of this church youth fundraiser idea, you can combine it with festivals or other events. Or simply hold it immediately following Sunday morning services.
Once you coordinate the contributed baked goods, you need very little space or personnel. Have a youth group member staff a table in the foyer of your church. If possible, allow the use of credit cards or other electronic methods of payment to increase sales on the spot.
One easy way to facilitate the sale of online baked goods is to use a portable credit card reader. They attach to most phones or tablets and are easy to set up.
13. Service Projects
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Moderate
Putting your youth group members to work is a fundraising idea for church youth groups that also benefits your community. Think about the needs of your congregation. Could older members use help maintaining gardens or completing chores around the house?
Advertise the church services, along with available youth group services and suggested donations, in your church newsletter or email. Use online sign-up tools for requests and assignments. Of course, your youth group can do these chores anytime, but making it part of a larger fundraising campaign can motivate people to get involved.
14. Competition Events
- Cost: $-$$
- Difficulty: Moderate
Tournaments and other sporting events are a great way to raise money. And they may not be as hard to coordinate as you think.
Charge each team an entry fee for basketball, baseball, soccer or flag football tournaments. If you have access to an appropriate course, hold a 5K or 5-mile fun run.
You don’t need elaborate technology for smaller, more casual events. A registration table and a stopwatch will get you started.
You could even have a video game tournament, which is a good alternative to in-person events. Think about offering various types of games, like puzzles, retro board games, or team games, to attract a broader audience.
Coordinate a time for the event, charge an admission fee and award prizes to the winners. See if you can get a “grand prize,” like a gift certificate to a restaurant or department store, donated.
Alternatively, you can provide trophies to the top three teams or individuals. The goal is to incentivize participation.
15. Cook-offs
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Easy
Like sporting competitions, many church members might enjoy a barbeque or chili cook-off competition as a church youth fundraiser idea. Your church may already have potlucks. Turn one of them into a challenge and charge participants a nominal entry fee.
Line up judges and have a prize for the winner. You could also charge admission and allow everyone in attendance to judge.
For instance, at a chili or chowder cook-off, you can hand out small plastic tasting bowls for each contestant. Distribute different colored toothpicks associated with each competitor. And have all participant-judges drop their votes in a box.
16. Sponsored Events
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Easy
Great fundraising ideas for youth ministry groups should be tied to a goal beyond dollars and cents. Events like walkathons, where participants solicit donations for every quarter mile they walk, can be motivating for participants and donors.
You can tie almost any activity to a youth group fundraising idea, including reading a certain number of books or performing hours of community service. The more work each participant does, the more money they make for their ministry. It’s a win-win.
17. Parents Night Out
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Moderate
If your church has nursery facilities, host a “parents night out” for your congregation.
Babysitters can get expensive, so charging anything below the hourly childcare rate for your area will be a good deal for parents. And they know they’re contributing to a good cause.
Give them a discount for second and third children. Have them sign up online or through email. And be sure that you have both the space and the appropriate number of youth workers to accommodate the number of families that sign up.
18. Youth Group Merchandise
- Cost: $$
- Difficulty: Moderate
Things like personalized calendars or T-shirts with pictures of your youth group are great to sell at almost any event.
One advantage is that you can take orders ahead of time, then only buy what you need for any event. (Although you might also order a few extras to sell at future events.)
Calculate the cost of each item and then increase it by the approximate amount needed to meet your fundraising goal. Whatever pictures you go with, be sure every person in them gives consent to use them for this purpose.
19. Car Wash
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Moderate
A car wash is a simple, yet effective fundraising idea for church youth groups. Try hosting your car wash in a large, easy-to-navigate area, like your church’s parking lot! This will also help ensure your car wash can be seen from the street and will draw lots of people in. Have some members of your youth group stand with signs and wave on a few street corners to help boost your fundraising efforts.
To host a car wash, you’ll need supplies for cleaning, including:
20. Lemonade Stand
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Easy
A pop-up lemonade stand is another tried-and-true church youth fundraiser idea. Your youth group students can help run the stand and prepare the lemonade. Aim to host your lemonade stand during a busy time, such as during the summer or on the weekends. Try selling lemonade at another church event, like a church picnic or sports event, to help ensure there are plenty of customers. You can even do some add-ons, like baked desserts, for some extra cash.
Try partnering with or seeking sponsorship from a local business to secure supplies for your stand at a free or discounted rate. You’ll need:
21. Group Outing or Outdoor Adventure
- Cost: $$-$$$
- Difficulty: Moderate
If you want to host a fundraising event, but don’t want to deal with a ton of logistics or purchase lots of extra supplies, a group outing or outdoor adventure can be a great fundraising idea for a church youth group. Plan a group hiking event or a mini-golf tournament where everyone can get together and have fun while making generous donations to your fundraiser. Your youth group can also sell fundraiser-related swag like T-shirts or bags to help pull in extra cash! Some popular ideas for group outings include:
- Local sport team games
- Canoes
- Picnics or dinners
- Boating or canoeing trips
- Lake or beach trips
- Bowling tournaments at your local lanes
22. Craft Fair
- Cost: $-$$
- Difficulty: Moderate
One of the best things about hosting a craft fair as a church fundraiser idea for youth is that it can have a fairly flexible price point for your products, depending on what goods you choose to sell. To get started, host a crafting night during one of your regular youth group events where everyone can get together and assemble crafts to sell at your event.
Another option is to ask for craft donations or supplies from members of your congregation for the fair. You can even pair with local artists and businesses and sell booth spaces at your craft fair if you don’t want to assemble or deal with products to sell on your own.
23. Trivia Night
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Moderate
Because your church congregation already loves getting together for events and fellowship, why not try hosting a trivia night event? You can sell admission tickets to the event and people can team up with each other or join a preselected team depending on what you decide.
Try selling food, drinks and snacks at your event to boost sales and consider chipping in some of the ticket money to provide a prize for the winning team. You can even host a virtual game or trivia night if you don’t want the stress and logistics of planning an in-person event! Some popular trivia night topics are:
24. Sports Tournament
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Moderate
During the summer or a school break, a sports tournament is a great fundraising idea for church youth groups. It’s an easy way to get people exercising and moving and raise some crucial funds for your youth group.
Charge a registration fee for each player and have your youth group help host the games. Events like a sports tournament are also a great opportunity to sell food and drinks items or even team T-shirts!
25. Pet Wash
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Moderate
Don’t want to host a car wash? A pet wash makes a great church fundraiser idea for youth. Encourage your congregants to bring their pooches and other furry friends to get cleaned up by your youth group students. Sell redeemable tickets or include some special grooming add-ons.
A pet wash is also an easy event to combine with another church youth fundraiser idea, like a bake sale or sporting event. To host a pet-washing event, you need some basic supplies, including:
- A water source
- Hoses
- Hose nozzles and sprayers
- A power source
- Shelter (in case of rain)
- Pet treats
- Towels
- Brushes or combs
- Youth group volunteers to wash the pets
26. Karaoke Night
- Cost: $$
- Difficulty: Moderate
Who doesn’t love to sing their heart out? A karaoke night can be a particularly fun event for the whole family, both young and old! Many church spaces also tend to work well, because they have stages and large projection screens that lend themselves perfectly to a karaoke setup.
Sell admission tickets and have your students help host the event while people belt out their favorite songs and donate. You can also sell extras like popcorn or soda, helping you increase your overall fundraising for the event.
27. DIY or Crafts Workshop
- Cost: $$
- Difficulty: Moderate
Hosting a class or skills workshop is an excellent fundraising idea for church youth groups. Your youth group can sell tickets to the event and advertise it to your congregation and on social media. Workshops like these are a great way to draw in people from your community who are interested in learning new life-enhancing skills. Some good ideas for classes include:
28. Photo Booth
- Cost: $-$$$
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
A photo booth is another classic and effective youth group fundraising idea. A photo booth can also be as simple or as elaborate as you choose. For an easy setup, add a photo booth to an existing fundraising event and have a variety of fun props available for people to choose from.
For a more elaborate photoshoot event, plan a whole day of photo-taking and fundraising. Rent out a space or have a green screen available. You can even add an event logo in the background or have merchandise promoting your fundraiser.
Participants can pay to have their pictures taken and receive them either digitally or printed, depending on which you choose. If you opt for the latter, don’t forget to consider a custom frame to help people remember your event!
29. Mother-daughter Tea Night
- Cost: $$-$$$
- Difficulty: Hard
A ladies' tea night can be a classic and fun event that gives the women in your church an excuse to get together and spend some quality time together. Sell event tickets ahead of time and decorate your church gym or hosting area with whimsical or flowery decor to set the theme.
Have your youth group students and/or dads in your church dress up in fancy suits to serve at the event. Mother and daughters can have a blast together, enjoying delicious tea and snacks and making memories that are sure to last a lifetime.
30. Fashion Show
- Cost: $-$$
- Difficulty: Moderate to Hard
What about creative fundraising ideas for church youth groups? One especially fun idea is to host a fashion show! You can opt for a themed event or simply choose to just let people showcase their fashion creativity.
One particularly great way to host a fashion event is to let your youth group students be the ones dressing up. Let students create or select costumes from home and then model them on a runway for all to see. You can charge admission fees to your congregants and community and enlist volunteers to help with participants' hair and makeup.
Another option is to partner with local shops or fashion designers to host your event. In this situation, you can have them showcase their designs and styles modeled by your youth students. You can also inquire if any of them might be willing to donate pieces of clothing to your event, which you can then auction off for extra cash.
31. Spring Gardening Sale
- Cost: $$
- Difficulty: Easy
Seasonal sales can be very profitable when executed correctly. Sell seeds and plant starts or put together some deluxe gardening baskets with tool sets, gloves and other essentials. You can either provide set prices for each item or host the event auction-style and let people place individual bids.
Don’t forget to advertise your event in the community and on social media to promote it! It’s also a smart idea to have some signs out on the day of your event, such as on street corners, to draw in extra people.
32. Mini Carnival or Fair
- Cost: $$$
- Difficulty: Hard
A more complicated, but potentially effective fundraising idea for church youth groups can be to host a mini carnival or fair. These events can vary in size and logistics depending on your church’s unique setup, but places like gymnasiums or large parking lots tend to work well. The best thing about church youth fundraiser ideas like these is that they present multiple opportunities to raise funds by:
- Charging an admission fee
- Selling drinks like soda or bottled water
- Selling food, like popcorn, hot dogs or burgers
- Selling tickets to game booths
- Having booths with items for sale
- Having a space where people can make direct donations to your cause
A mini carnival is also a great way to get festive and creative, so let your youth group students take an active role in decorating and designing different aspects of the event. Times of the year like summer or school breaks can be great opportunities for hosting these events because many families will be looking for fun activities they can all do together.
33. Art Exhibition
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Moderate
A local art exhibition draws in both your church members and outside community members. It’s also an excellent fundraiser method and one of the church fundraiser ideas for youth that showcases the talent that your church students possess.
Have your youth group students paint or draw art for the event. Better yet, host an art night during one of your youth group meetings where everyone can get together and create art for the event. You can then set up an event space where all the artwork can be displayed. Charge tickets for admission and have tables available where people can place bids on the art that is for sale.
34. Car Show
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Moderate
A car show can be a unique fundraising idea for church youth groups, especially during the summer when the weather is warm and people want to be outside. Invite members of your church and surrounding community to bring their classic or unique cars to show off! To fundraise most effectively, it’s a good idea to also have raffle tickets and prizes.
Another option is to seek sponsorships from local businesses or organizations to help get the word out about your event. Don’t forget to promote it on social media too!
35. Holiday Gift-wrapping Services
- Cost: $$
- Difficulty: Moderate
Is Christmas or another major holiday just around the corner? It can be a wonderful time of the year to offer gift-wrapping services! Many people have a lot of things they’re trying to get done during the holiday season and wrapping gifts can be just one more headache.
Present an easy and helpful solution to this common problem by hosting a gift-wrapping event leading up to the holiday. You can collect gift-wrapping supply donations from congregants or check your local discount or dollar stores to stock up. Some thrift stores even have seasonal sections that sell gift wrap and ribbon as well.
Set up an event area where people can come and have gifts wrapped and enjoy a hot chocolate or let them drop off presents to be wrapped and picked up later. Your youth group students can handle the various aspects of gift wrapping, which is easy to learn (if they don’t already know how) thanks to helpful internet tutorials!
36. Scavenger Hunt
- Cost: $- $$
- Difficulty: Moderate to Hard
For an engaging fundraising idea for church youth goups that people are sure to remember, try a scavenger hunt! Have your youth group design and plan it, guiding them with the details and logistics when necessary. Aim to plan your scavenger hunt based on the space you have available (either indoors or outdoors), which will help save time and money as you go.
Charge an entrance fee for participants and also be sure to decide whether teams will be allowed or if people will work individually to solve the puzzles.
37. Theme Party or Costume Event
- Cost: $$
- Difficulty: Moderate
A theme or costume party can be an especially fun church youth fundraiser idea. Halloween can be a particularly effective time of the year for this fundraiser because many families will be looking for family-friendly events that aren’t too scary. They can be a great alternative to traditional trick-or-treating for many people and offer an indoor option for those who want to escape the cold of the outdoors.
Decorate your church gymnasium or event space with fall-themed decor and set up areas like photoshoots, games or a cake walk. Depending on your logistics and budget, you may charge per ticket, area or item. Events like these are also perfect for selling food and drinks, helping you easily reach your fundraising goals.
38. Book Fair or Sale
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Moderate
Many people are looking to get rid of extra books they have lying around in their homes. This presents the perfect opportunity for your youth group to put on a book sale. Ask for donations from your congregation and advertise around town that your church is currently accepting used book donations. Your youth group can set up tables of books in a large event space (like your church gym) and people can come and purchase the books they want.
Another option for this church fundraiser idea for youth is to invite people to sell their books at tables or booths at your event. In this way, you’ll raise funds by either receiving a percentage of their sales or by renting spaces where they can sell their books. In either situation, you should advertise your sale around town and preferably host it on a weekend, so as many people as possible can attend!
39. Dog-walking or Pet-sitting Services
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Easy
Another simple fundraising idea for church youth groups is to offer dog-walking or pet-sitting services to those who might need an extra hand with their animals. Offering these services during the summer or around the winter holidays is helpful because many people will be busy or out of town.
A practical way to have your youth group students offer these services is to advertise them within your local church community or on social media. Many of them will also likely have friends and family with pets who need a hand from time to time!
40. Fun Run or Walk
- Cost: $$
- Difficulty: Moderate
There are many different options for this energizing church fundraiser idea for youth! Your youth group can host a marathon, color run or 5K and promote the event throughout the existing community to raise awareness. Your youth group should also post about the event on social media.
Raise funds by charging a registration fee for each runner and encourage them to get sponsors. You can also make the event more fun by offering prizes to different runners or walkers. You should also always offer accessible participation options, such as choosing a route that is wheelchair-friendly or allowing participants to walk (instead of run) if they prefer.
41. Recycling Drive
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Easy
How you choose to plan and run this event depends on your local recycling laws and regulations. Only 10 states in the U.S. accept bottle deposits:
- California
- Oregon
- Hawaii
- Connecticut
- Iowa
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New York
- Vermont
For those who don’t live in these states, hosting an event where people come and drop off their recycling can be a much more practical option. It also means you won’t have to worry about the logistics of where your youth group will store recyclable donations as they are gathered.
After your fundraising event, your youth group can simply team up and load the collected recyclable materials onto a truck or vehicle where they can be transported to your local recycling center. It’s also a smart idea to call ahead and find out what rates they pay for each material (like plastic or glass) and how they want each of them sorted.
42. Polar Plunge
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
If you’re located near a large body of water, like a lake, a polar plunge can be an excellent fundraising idea for church youth groups. With a polar plunge, you can either charge a registration fee the day of the event or encourage participants to get sponsors.
Make sure that the water and time of year that you pick are cold, but not so cold that the conditions are unsafe. Remember, only those who are healthy should participate in this particular event! You should also provide towels and hot beverages so people can dry and warm themselves up after taking their chilly dip in the water.
43. Dunk Tank
- Cost: $
- Difficulty: Moderate
Who doesn’t love dunking their youth group leader or pastor? This fun church youth fundraiser idea only requires a few items to pull off and isn’t particularly complicated to plan either. It’s also easy to add to an existing event, like a mini carnival or picnic. Sell tickets in exchange for a certain number of throws and let church members try their best to dunk good-natured volunteers.
A simpler option is to collect donations and when you reach your goal, dunk a volunteer. You can even live stream or record it for your congregation to ensure everyone can see it!
44. Promote Your Youth Fundraisers
Creating a successful youth fundraiser requires participation from many volunteers and attendees. Grow the size of the crowd for your fundraising events through effective promotion.
To help you boost participation, we built this free event promotion guide. It's also helpful to provide a church event permission slip for any event where parents or guardians need to give their consent for their child to participate.
How to Motivate Your Youth Group to Fundraise
Regardless of the church fundraiser idea for youth you go with, remember to keep your youth group members involved. And whenever possible, let them lead the charge. There are a few motivational strategies you can employ to help get the most out of your group.
1. Create Incentives
Besides fundraising for an important ministry, assume your youth want to do the thing they are raising money for. But don’t take for granted that everyone will equally excited and motivated.
While some members may be thrilled to be a part of the ministry you’re planning, the actual church youth fundraiser idea may not be their cup of tea. Sometimes a nudge in the right direction can go a long way. Even for youth who are working extra hard to raise money, minor incentives can only help.
This doesn’t have to be something elaborate or expensive. It could be as simple as making sure all the youth working at an event also get free popcorn and drinks. Using a small amount of funds to host a catered social event to celebrate a fundraising milestone can go a long way to keeping spirits and energy levels up.
2. Have Fun
Fundraising doesn’t have to be a grueling exercise. Although raising money for your ministry is the priority, make choices that create engaging and exciting events. Focus on fun fundraising ideas for church youth groups.
This may seem like common sense, but it’s particularly important when working with teenagers. You want them to stay engaged and motivated. Putting the “fun” in “fundraising” will help them do so.
3. Use It as an Opportunity to Teach and Learn
Fundraising should be fun, but it can also be spiritually meaningful. There are many lessons that can be drawn from service projects. They might be about hard work, dedication, teamwork, sacrificing for others and many other lessons.
Be prepared to incorporate scriptural references, as you would with any other ministry. For instance, use the parable of the gold talents (Matthew 25:14 - 30) as part of the lesson. Talk about why the master praised the servant who multiplied his gift even over the one who saved his. Have discussions with your youth group about putting their “talents” to the best uses and why it is important to make the most of what we have been given.
4. Let Them Take the Lead
There’s a good chance your youth group members know a lot more about social media than you do. Technology is an area where you can let your youth group members take the lead.
Ask them for ideas and let them decide how best to reach out to their friends and classmates. This can be a great lesson in responsibility and leadership.
Try to match up specific fundraising tasks with each teenager's personal attributes. Even if a role is not considered part of “church leadership,” ensure that everyone has responsibilities. Expect a lot out of them, but also...
5. Be Realistic
Be strategic in organizing your fundraising responsibilities. And be honest about what you can expect from each member.
Understand that your youth group members have a lot on their plates. Juggling school responsibilities with extracurricular and social activities is a lot for teenagers.
Know that not every team member will bring the same commitment to every event. Recognize that they may bring something different each time. Be ready and willing to roll with the punches, and know that whatever amount you end up raising, it will be enough.
6. Establish and Follow Guidelines
With any church fundraiser idea for youth, you'll need to establish guidelines to ensure the safety of your volunteers and participants. You'll also need a set of standard operating procedures to make sure your fundraiser doesn't go over budget.
If you're looking for help building guidelines to create a successful program, check out this free guide. It will help you with fundraising guidelines and give you a few extra fundraising ideas for church youth groups you can use.
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