What are some lower-lift fundraisers for a small church?

Options include a fellowship dinner or potluck banquet, recurring online giving, QR giving, or a service auction. Compare volunteer time, event costs, donated goods or services, payment fees, and your congregation's needs before choosing.

Are church fundraisers like a-thons appropriate for children and youth?

Yes, when adults manage the money and child safety stays front of mind. A-thons (walk-a-thons, read-a-thons, fun runs) work well because students stay active and sponsors pledge per unit completed. Keep adults present at work-for-donations days, have students work in pairs or groups, and never have children collect money door to door alone. Avoid collecting or sharing any student personal data.

How do we fund a large project like a building or roof?

Run a multi-year capital campaign built on pledges, where members commit a total gift fulfilled monthly over two or three years. Add naming or dedication opportunities for rooms or pews, recruit one or two donors to fund a matching challenge, and display a visible progress thermometer. Recurring giving tools make pledge fulfillment automatic so commitments do not quietly lapse.

Church Fundraising Ideas for Every Season (2026)

A practical, season-by-season guide to raising money for your church, from mission trips and capital campaigns to recurring giving, dinners, service auctions, and youth a-thons.

Start with the why, then pick the method

Tie the fundraising ask to a concrete purpose so supporters know what their gifts will fund. Before you choose an idea, name the goal in plain language and include a dollar figure, such as a new HVAC system, a summer mission trip for twelve students, a food pantry restock, or six months of a part-time worship director.

Then match the method to your congregation. A small church with an older membership may lean on a fellowship dinner and recurring giving, while a church with many young families can run a youth a-thon or a mission campaign.

A digital giving path can complement cash and checks. A QR code in the bulletin, a text-to-give number, or a recurring online gift gives supporters another way to participate. With ScanRaise, donors scan a code and pay by card from their phone. Apple Pay or Google Pay may appear when supported. No ScanRaise app or donor account is required, and a church with connected Stripe receives funds through its own Stripe account.

Recurring giving and tithing (the foundation)

Events are exciting, but recurring giving keeps the lights on. Make it easy for members to set up an automatic weekly or monthly gift, which also smooths the summer and holiday-travel dips in plate offerings.

Auto-tithe sign-up. Offer a simple online form where members choose a weekly or monthly amount that draws automatically. Best for committed members who already tithe and want to stop writing checks.
QR giving during the service. Put a QR code on the screen, in the bulletin, and on the pews so anyone can give during the offering without cash, including visitors. With ScanRaise the donor can choose to cover the processing fee.
Text-to-give. Supporters text a keyword and receive a secure donation link to choose an amount and complete the gift. Ideal for anyone who prefers texting.
Tiered giving. Suggest even gift amounts such as $25 or $50, or offer a sponsor tier (for example, sponsor one week of utilities).

Mission-trip and youth-ministry support

Mission trips and youth programs have a defined purpose and timeline that can be stated in the campaign. A group goal can be combined with individual tracking so each student's recorded donations also roll up to the campaign total.

Peer-to-peer mission pages. Give each traveler a personal page or QR code to share with family and friends, all feeding one team total, with a live thermometer.
Sponsor-a-traveler boards. Post a board where the congregation can sponsor a named cost: one day of meals, one night of lodging, one tank of gas.
Commissioning Sunday push. Dedicate one service to blessing the team and make a focused ask that day with a QR code on the screen. Tie the giving moment to the prayer of sending.
Work-for-donations days. Students offer a Saturday of yard work, car washing, or house cleaning in exchange for gifts. Keep adults present and have students work in pairs or groups; students should never collect money door to door alone.

Capital campaigns and big projects

When the need is large (a building, a roof, a parking lot, a new ministry space), a multi-year capital campaign is the right tool. These are pledge-driven: members commit to give a total amount over two or three years, which lets the church plan and even borrow against committed pledges if needed.

Multi-year pledge drive. Ask members to commit a total gift fulfilled monthly over twenty-four or thirty-six months. Recurring giving tools make fulfillment automatic so pledges do not quietly lapse.
Naming and dedication opportunities. Offer to dedicate rooms, pews, bricks, or windows in honor or memory of a loved one at set giving levels. This appeals to families who want a lasting connection to the building.
Matching-gift challenges. Recruit one or two larger donors to match gifts up to a stated cap during a set window. A one-to-one match doubles each matched gift until the cap is reached.
Progress thermometer. Display a visible goal tracker in the lobby and online so the congregation can see the current total and remaining goal.

Dinners, events, and fellowship

Events raise money and build community. Keep volunteer effort reasonable and add a digital giving option at each one.

Fellowship dinner or potluck banquet. A spaghetti dinner, pancake breakfast, chili cook-off, or harvest banquet with a suggested donation or ticket. Best for churches with an active kitchen team and a hall. Place a QR code on each table for extra gifts.
Festivals and seasonal fairs. A fall trunk-or-treat, Christmas market, or spring rummage sale draws the neighborhood in and raises money through booths, baked goods, and a free-will offering.
Concert or talent night. A choir concert, gospel night, or talent show with a suggested donation at the door.
Restaurant and partner nights. Partner with a local restaurant that donates a share of sales on a set night, or with a coffee shop or grocer for a percentage day. Almost no upfront cost and good community goodwill.

Service auctions, sales, and ongoing income

A service auction costs little to run because members donate time and skills instead of goods.

Service auction. Members donate services such as a home-cooked meal, babysitting, lawn care, music lessons, or a weekend cabin stay, and the congregation bids on them. Net proceeds depend on payment-processing, platform, event, and fulfillment costs.
Silent or online auction. Collect donated items and experiences and let people bid over a week or two from their phones. Online bidding widens your reach beyond a single event night.
Bake sales and craft fairs. A reliable seasonal earner that gives crafty and culinary members a way to contribute. Pairs naturally with a holiday market or coffee hour.
Branded merch store. Sell church or youth-group shirts, mugs, or tote bags year round through a simple online store. Useful for camps, retreats, and mission teams who want to wear the cause.

Youth a-thons and active fundraisers

Walk-a-thons, read-a-thons, Scripture-a-thons, and fun runs suit youth and children's ministries: kids stay active, sponsors give per unit completed, and everything rolls up to one goal.

Walk-a-thon or fun run. Participants gather per-lap or per-mile pledges from sponsors, then walk or run on event day. Great for all ages and easy for the whole congregation to join.
Read-a-thon or Scripture-a-thon. Students collect pledges per chapter or per book read over a set period. A quiet, inclusive option that fits children's and youth ministries.
Step or activity challenge. Members log steps or activity toward a church-wide total with ScanRaise's phone-browser GPS distance or browser step counter and per-unit pledges. Organizers review the activity and finalize pledge totals, and adults handle all money.

Keep your own money and keep it simple

Watch the fees and the fine print. Some fundraising companies hold your funds, take a large cut, charge setup or monthly fees, or require a contract.

Look for tools where your church connects its own payment account. ScanRaise charges a flat 2.5% platform fee with no setup, monthly, or contract fees, Stripe processing is separate, and donors can choose to cover the fees. ScanRaise does not hold the funds.

Pair every event with an ongoing way to give, thank donors quickly, and show them the new roof, the returned mission team, or the stocked pantry.