3. Evaluate.

After the fundraiser is over, evaluate how well your fundraiser worked and put your ideas on paper. Was the amount of work put into the fundraiser worth the amount raised. What went well? What didn’t? What went well but could’ve been better? Do you have any ideas for improving your efforts if you do a similar fundraiser in the future? Keep the evaluation in a folder along with others. You will have an awesome resource for the future—one that can be handed down from one group to the next.

4. Express Appreciation.

Thank the people who supported you. Write thank-you notes, put a thank-you letter in the newsletter, make a thank-you poster signed by the whole group, or make a thank-you announcement. You might choose to give donors a thank-you note with a receipt attached. (Receipts may help for tax purposes.) Make people feel good about their contribution to the cause. Your thoughtfulness will pay will pay off next time—and it’s a nice thing to do.

5. Dedicate.

When you have all the necessary money in hand for a special project, have a dedication service. Dedicate the money and yourselves to the project you are undertaking. Claim God’s continuing blessings on those who will be directly involved, those who are unable to participate directly, those who worked to raise money, those who donated money, and your ministry.

What’s Love Got to Do With It?

How we do things is, in some ways, as important as what we do. Since we are followers of Jesus, we walk in the way of Love. Look at the following list of fundraising guidelines. Use them to get your thinking started. Your youth group should develop its own standards. The process gives the whole group ownership, and it is important for each person’s faith development.

Suggested Guidelines for Christian Fundraising

1. Be sensitive to people’s safety and feelings. (Ask yourself whether there is any risk of anyone being hurt, either physically or emotionally.)
2. Be sensitive to the language you use. (For example, say, “Service Day” rather than “Slave Day.” Slavery is not an issue to make light of.)
3. Respect God’s Creation. (Fundraisers should not be destructive or waste resources such as food.)
4. Be sensitive to the feelings and fears of animals in God’s Creation. (Do not use your power over them for laughs—at their expense.)
5. Avoid fundraisers with a gambling component, such as raffles. (Many churches and denominations have policies against gambling. And in some states, raffles and similar fundraising that might be considered gambling are illegal.)
6. Be inclusive. (Be sure that no individual or group of people is left out or made fun of.)
7. In all things, act as followers of Jesus.

Using the Ideas in This Series

This series is intended for your use. Feel free to modify any of the suggestions to fit your needs. Some of the fundraising ideas are clearly more suited to a local church setting, some to a large group event, and some can be used either way. Be sensitive to what would work best in your own setting and create ways you might adapt. Give fundraisers zappy names, offer home deliveries, and mix and match fundraisers—for example, mix a food fundraiser with a special event. Whenever possible, extend your fundraising to neighbors, friends, and local businesses.

As a general rule of thumb, try to provide a high-quality product or service in everything you do—and deliver it with friendliness and appreciation. At youth group gatherings, “crazy” fundraisers that provide more fun than value evoke huge amounts of enthusiasm. Among your adult constituency, however, it is best to keep those fundraisers to a minimum—such as once a year or so.

Another good principle to follow is variety. Try to make every fundraiser you put on during a year entirely different from the others. For instance, you could plan one special event, provide one service, hold one sale, and offer one fundraiser that requires donations. And keep on selling the cause as well as the product.

If you work together as a team and follow these principles, your fundraising should be very effective. And you will become a model for the rest of the church in the process.