10 Fundraising Ideas for Kids Church

A children’s ministry requires a constant supply of prizes, equipment and material – all these things cost money. Some churches don’t have flexible budgets and may not be able to keep up with the growth of their children’s ministry. This doesn’t have to be a ministry killer. If you need funds for a new projector or a puppet stand, consider these 10 fundraising ideas. Over the years, I’ve tried or seen all these fundraisers used.

Trike Races: This idea makes a good after-church fundraiser, especially for a little kids church. You’ll need two weeks to a month to sign up bike riders, create a safe bike race track and get participants excited. To participate, kids must have a sponsor who’s willing to pay a registration fee. Hold the race and award the winner, or winners a prize.

Rock-a-thon: We used the rock-a-thon idea to raise funds for the nursery. Volunteers sat in rocking chairs inside the lobby and rocked for donations. We rocked for 24 hours and were able to gain sponsors for each hour at $20 an hour.

Pie in the Face: I dislike this sticky fundraiser but the kids love it! You’ll need two volunteers that potentially agree to take a whipped cream pie to the face. During the course of a month, kids and parents bring in cash donations, placing them in one of the volunteer’s buckets. Kids get excited about seeing a teacher get a pie in the face! Some work hard to rescue their favorite teachers by placing more donations in the other volunteer’s bucket. The volunteer that raised the most money gets the pie in the face.

Balance Buckets: My husband built a pair of balance buckets for the kids church. Each side of the wooden balance holds a five-gallon bucket. As kids drop their change in, the balance moves. We do boys against the girls to determine who the winner is.

Seasonal Crafts: Sell seasonal crafts like Christmas ornaments, Valentine’s baskets and mini carrot cakes for Easter.

Jail Time: We built a “jail” using PVC pipe. During one of our monthly fellowships, kids and parents could put me in jail or bail me out for $5. This is a small fundraiser but you could increase funds by jailing and bailing a few people at once.

Newsletter Advertisements: I send a monthly newsletter to my kids. When local businesses donate to our ministry, they get a nice write-up and notice.

Social Networking Kudos: This is just another way of granting good advertisement only you can reach more, more frequently. Create a social networking page for your ministry and send “shout-outs” to businesses that support you with goods or donations.

Basket Auctions: This idea is a hoot for creative people. Take advantage of football team rivalries. Make two baskets, one for each team. Ask kids and parents to donate goodies for their favorite teams. Display the baskets for a week and place a silent auction sheet in front of each one. It’s a fun way to raise money for your kids.