Thursday, March 27, 2014

FUNDRAISING: Buying Stock in the Future/Youth

When it comes to fundraising for trips or large events I like to do as many things outside the congregation that I can so that the congregation don't feel like they are constantly being hit-up for money by the youth selling one thing after another, especially if you have a smaller congregation. You don't want people to stop giving to the church at large in order to give to the youth.

Some churches have given up on fundraising in the traditional sense altogether. They don't want to sell things to people that they don't need so have turned to simply selling youth stock "certificates."

Here's how it works:
  • Have several different envelopes representing gift amounts. Each envelope contains a trading card of a kid trying to raise money including photo, name, grade, past trips, and the reason they're raising the money.
  • Donors are asked to pray for the kid(s) they receive in their envelope, and they'll get a thank-you card from while we're on or soon after the trip!
  • Choose your stock values. Don't start too low.  Try: $20, $50, $75, $100, $150, $250, $500, and $1000. People can always choose 2 envelopes if they want. (I would choose $20 before $25 because people may just have a $20 in their wallet and be willing to hand it over.)
  • Let the youth approach the congregation (not an adult leader or DCE) with an initial appeal and to describe how the stock certificates work. They need to take the responsibility and realize that they are literally asking people to support them. It's a good learning experience.
  • Figure out how much each child needs to raise and how much they need to come up with on their own. Another important learning experience is for them to have to pay for some of their own trip.
  • Don't forget to add in the cost of adult chaperones unless the congregation will cover them. Adult leaders should never have to pay for their own trip.
  • Don't forget to have a tax receipt in the envelope too!
This is a real opportunity for the kids to articulate why they are asking the congregation to support their trip or event. Why is it important to go out and share their faith? Why do they need to go to Peru on a mission trip? If they're sharing their faith, what are they going to say to the people in Peru about what they believe as they serve?  It's another opportunity for them to publicly confirm their faith.  

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