An Alternative to Church Fundraisers: 23 Fundraising Options for Your Church

Illustrative scenario. The people and organizations in this article are fictional. They were written to show how the program works. They are not customer stories, and nothing described here is a typical or promised result.

The Clear Picture

Every church eventually needs funds for something beyond the regular budget: a youth trip, a roof, a new outreach program. The familiar answer is an event, such as a dinner, an auction or a bake sale. Events build fellowship, and many churches love them. They also ask a great deal of the same faithful volunteers.

An alternative to church fundraisers does not need to be complicated. The question a church board is really asking is plain: how can we support this need in a way that respects people’s time, keeps money handling clear and fits who we are?

The options below answer that question in different ways. Some ask people to give directly. Some use online tools. Some draw on the wider community, and some create an ongoing source of support. If you are looking for event-style ideas instead, our pillar guide to church fundraiser ideas covers more than sixty of them.

Three Ways Churches Fund Specific Needs

Almost every option falls into one of three broad models:

• Designated giving. Members give directly toward a named need. It is the most direct model, and it depends on communicating the need clearly.
• One-time events. A dinner, auction, car wash or sale on a set date. Events build fellowship but require volunteers, setup and planning each time.
• Ongoing models. Recurring gifts, rewards programs or a product partner program that credits the church over time. These ask little volunteer time once they are set up.

None of these is right for every church, and many churches use more than one. The point is to pick the model that matches the need, the season and the people.

Giving-Based Alternatives to Fundraising Events

These options ask your church community to give directly. They take the least setup and keep money handling clear.

Designated Giving for a Named Need

Name the need, the amount and the date, then invite your congregation to give toward it. A youth mission trip, a new roof or a benevolence fund each makes a clear, concrete request. Designated giving is the most direct alternative to a fundraiser, because nothing stands between the gift and the purpose. It works best when the need is specific and the progress is shared openly. Post a simple update in the bulletin each week, and thank givers by name only with their permission.

Best for a clear, one-time need with a known amount and deadline.

Recurring Online Giving

Many congregants would gladly give a set amount each month if it were easy to arrange. Recurring online giving through your church’s existing giving platform gives the budget a steady base and reduces the pressure to run fundraising events. Mention it once a quarter, show how to set it up in under two minutes, and make sure the link works on a phone. Most church giving tools include recurring options and integrations with church management software.

Best for building a dependable monthly base under the whole budget.

Text-to-Give

Text-to-give lets a person send a donation by texting a short code or keyword. It is quick for visitors and younger families who rarely carry checks. Display the keyword on a slide during a special offering and include it in the bulletin. Choose a provider that sends an immediate receipt and connects with the giving records your treasurer already keeps.

Best for special offerings and for reaching guests and younger families.

A Sunday Envelope Campaign

In an envelope campaign, a board holds numbered envelopes, for example from 1 to 100. Each family chooses an envelope and gives the amount written on it. Small numbers let children and new attendees take part, while larger numbers invite those who can give more. It is visual and fun, and it needs no products or volunteers beyond someone to set up the board.

Best for a short, visible campaign that involves every age group.

A Matching Gift Challenge

Ask one donor or a small group to match gifts up to a set amount for a limited time. A matching challenge gives the congregation a clear reason to give now and doubles the effect of each gift. Agree on the match in writing, publish the deadline and share the total when the challenge closes.

Best for the final push toward a goal, when a donor is ready to help lead.

Employer Matching Gifts

Some employers match their employees’ donations to eligible nonprofits. Policies vary, and some exclude houses of worship, but many cover church-run schools, food pantries and community programs. Invite members to check with their employer’s human resources office, and give them the church’s legal name and tax identification number so the request is simple.

Best for church-run schools, pantries and community programs.

A Giving Tuesday Appeal

Giving Tuesday, held each year after Thanksgiving, is a global day of generosity. Churches and faith-based organizations can join with a single, focused appeal for one ministry. Prepare one email, one social media post and one announcement, each pointing to the same giving page.

Best for a single ministry with a story that is easy to tell in one paragraph.

Planned Giving and Legacy Gifts

Some members want to remember the church in a will or estate plan. A short, respectful note about planned giving, offered once or twice a year, lets them know how. Provide the church’s legal name, suggest they speak with their own attorney or financial adviser, and never pressure anyone. These gifts are rare but can support the church for years.

Best for long-term stewardship rather than an immediate need.

Online and Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Options

These options use online tools to reach family and friends beyond the walls of the church.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Pages

In peer-to-peer fundraising, each participant creates a personal page and shares it with family and friends. For a youth mission trip, every student can tell their own story and invite support. Peer pages extend your reach far beyond the congregation, and supporters give to a person they know. Choose a platform that lets the church see all pages in one place and receive the funds directly.

Best for mission trips, camps and service projects with individual participants.

Crowdfunding: A GoFundMe Alternative for Churches

GoFundMe is widely known, but churches often prefer a giving platform built for nonprofits and churches, with features like tax receipts, recurring options and deposits straight to the church account. Whichever tool you use, set a clear goal, tell the story with a photo and update supporters when the goal is met. Compare platform fees and features before you choose, because they differ from one tool to the next.

Best for urgent or highly visual needs that people outside the church may want to support.

Sponsor a Project or a Student

Break a large need into named pieces that a family can sponsor: a week of camp, a set of hymnals, a chair in the fellowship hall or a student’s trip. Sponsorship gives each donor a concrete picture of what their gift accomplishes, and it works well online with a short form.

Best for large needs that break naturally into smaller named pieces.

An Online Class With a Suggested Donation

A pastor, teacher or skilled member can offer an online class on a topic the community values, such as a parenting series, a budgeting course or a Bible study. Make it free to attend with a suggested donation. You serve people first, and those who benefit can choose to give.

Best for churches with a gifted teacher and a topic the wider community values.

Community Partnerships and Local Support

These alternatives draw on the businesses and organizations around your church.

Community Grant Applications

Local community foundations, denominations and charities sometimes fund church-run programs that serve the wider community, such as food pantries, tutoring or senior care. Faith-based organizations are eligible for many of these grants when the program is open to everyone. Assign one organized volunteer to track deadlines, and keep a short description of each program ready.

Best for programs that serve the whole neighborhood, not only the congregation.

Local Business Sponsorships

Ask local businesses to sponsor a community event, a youth sports team or a printed program in return for a thank-you listing. Many owners attend your church or live nearby and welcome a easy way to support the neighborhood. Offer clear sponsor levels and a written thank-you afterward.

Best for community-facing events and youth activities.

Restaurant Give-Back Nights

Many local restaurants donate a share of sales on a given evening when diners mention your church. It requires no products and no setup, just an announcement and a family dinner out. It also strengthens ties with local events and businesses in your area.

Best for building fellowship with almost no planning.

A Booth at a Community Fair

A booth at a community fair or farmers market lets your church meet neighbors while raising modest funds through donated baked goods, crafts or a simple raffle where local rules allow. Treat it first as outreach. Bring a sign-up sheet for upcoming events and a friendly volunteer to welcome visitors.

Best for outreach first, with fundraising as a welcome extra.

A Used Book Drive

Collect gently used books from your congregation and offer them for a suggested donation after services for a few weeks. Families clear their shelves, readers find something new and the leftover books can go to a school or library. It is one of the easiest low-cost options a church can run.

Best for a low-effort project that also serves local schools and libraries.

Shop-and-Give Rewards Programs

Some grocery stores and retailers run community rewards programs that send a small percentage of purchases to a registered nonprofit. Members link their store card once, then shop as usual. Check whether churches are eligible in each program, and share the sign-up steps in a short email.

Best as a quiet, ongoing background source of support.

Ongoing Partner and Product Models

These options create a steady, ongoing source of support instead of a single event.

A No-Inventory Partner Program

In a no-inventory partner program, the church shares a tracked link to a product. Members who choose to order buy directly and the church is credited for qualifying orders. Our own Ministry Partner Program works this way: your church receives $10 for each qualifying bottle of The Bible Supplement ordered through its link. Nothing is stocked or delivered by volunteers. It only fits if the product stands on its own merits for your congregation.

Best for churches whose congregation would welcome the product on its own merits.

Trusted Affiliate and Referral Programs

Some Christian bookstores, curriculum publishers and service providers offer referral programs that credit an organization for purchases its community makes. Choose only businesses your leaders already trust, disclose the arrangement plainly and mention it rarely. The aim is to support the church through purchases people would make anyway, not to sell to them.

Best when leaders already use and trust the business involved.

A Church Cookbook

Gather favorite recipes from your church community and publish a cookbook. Families contribute, everyone enjoys the result and copies make thoughtful gifts. Print-on-demand services let you avoid a large upfront order, which keeps it a low-risk choice.

Best for a church that loves to cook together and wants a lasting keepsake.

Ideas for Youth Groups and Christian Schools

Youth and school ministries often need their own approach, with clear roles for students and families.

A Youth Service Day With Sponsors

Students spend a day serving the community, such as raking leaves, cleaning a park or visiting seniors, and family and friends sponsor them by the hour or with a set gift. Students learn to serve, sponsors see something meaningful happen and no product changes hands.

Best for youth groups that want to serve while they raise support.

A Christian School Partnership

A church and a Christian school can share one effort, such as a joint giving campaign, a shared partner link or a combined service day. Sharing the work lightens the load on both volunteer teams. Agree in writing on how funds are divided before you begin. For more, see our guide to Christian school fundraising.

Best for a church and school that already share families and facilities.

How to Choose the Right Option for Your Church

With many options in front of you, a short set of questions brings the right one into focus:

• What exactly is the need, how much is required and by when?
• How many volunteers can realistically help this season?
• Will this option feel natural to your congregation and your community?
• How will money be handled, recorded and reported?
• Is participation clearly voluntary, with no pressure on anyone?
• When will the board review the results?

One Way to Combine Options

Many churches pair one direct option with one ongoing option. For example, a church might open a designated giving fund for a youth mission trip, add a matching challenge for the final month and keep a quiet, ongoing partner link in the background. Each piece does a different job, and none of them depends on the same twelve volunteers.

Keep the Communication Clear

Whichever option you choose, say it once, plainly. Explain the need, explain how to take part and explain how the church will report back. Thank people well. Clarity and gratitude do more for a church community than any fundraising tool.

Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Giving Platform

Several of these alternatives depend on online tools. Before your church commits to a platform, a few questions help you compare them fairly:

• What are the processing fees, and can donors choose to cover them?
• Does it send an immediate receipt with the church’s legal name?
• Are recurring gifts, text-to-give and peer pages included, or sold as add-ons?
• Which integrations connect it with your church management software and accounting tools?
• How quickly do funds reach the church bank account?
• Can your treasurer export records easily at the end of the year?

The best fundraising tool is usually the one your congregation already knows how to use. Adding new tools only makes sense when they solve a clear problem.

Keeping Records and Reporting Back

Whatever alternative you choose, good records protect the church and honor every donor. Record each gift or payout in the same accounting system the church already uses. Keep designated gifts separate from general funds, and spend them only on the purpose named. Ask your treasurer or accountant how income from a partner program or rewards program should be recorded, since it is not the same as a charitable donation.

Then report back. Tell the congregation what was raised, what it accomplished and who helped. A brief update in the bulletin, a photo from the mission trip or a thank-you from the youth group closes the loop. People give more freely to a church that tells them, clearly and gratefully, what their generosity made possible.

Nonprofit fundraising guidance from your denomination or a local community foundation can help with the details. The principle stays the same everywhere: be clear about the need, be honest about the method and be thankful for every gift.

How a No-Inventory Partner Program Works

• The church receives a tracked link and ready-made launch materials: a bulletin notice, an email and a short announcement.
• The church introduces it in its own voice, once, through the channels it already uses.
• People decide for themselves. Those who order pay The Bible Supplement directly, and the product ships to their door.
• Qualifying orders are credited to the church and included in a monthly payout.

There is nothing to stock, ship or staff. No one is asked to sell to friends or family.

An Illustrative Board Meeting

Picture a church board of seven people around a folding table on a Tuesday night. The youth mission trip needs support, and someone suggests the usual spring sale. The treasurer asks a different question: is there a way to support the trip that does not depend on the same twelve volunteers?

The board reviews the three models. Designated giving is already part of the plan. An event is possible, but the calendar is full. Then the board reads through the partner program terms together: what the product is, what the church receives per bottle and what people are and are not asked to do.

One member is cautious. She wants to know whether anyone will feel pressured. The board agrees on three ground rules: mention the program once, never follow up individually about purchases and publish the terms so anyone can read them. With those rules, the board votes to try it alongside designated giving, and to review in six months.

That is the whole decision. It is calm, specific and made on the facts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good alternative to church fundraisers?

Designated giving is the simplest and most direct alternative. Recurring online giving, matching gift challenges, community grants and ongoing partner programs also reduce the need for fundraising events. The right choice depends on the need, the season and your congregation.

What are the most profitable church fundraisers?

Profit depends on cost and effort as much as revenue. Options with little upfront cost, such as designated giving, matching challenges and recurring online giving, usually keep the largest share of what is raised. Events with high setup costs can raise large totals but keep less.

What is the 80/20 rule in fundraising?

It is the common observation that roughly 80 percent of funds come from about 20 percent of donors. It is a reminder to thank faithful givers well and to offer many easy, low-pressure ways for everyone else to take part.

What are some easy church fundraiser ideas?

Easy options include an envelope campaign, a restaurant give-back night, a used book drive, text-to-give and a shop-and-give rewards program. Each needs little preparation and only a handful of volunteers.

Does our church have to buy or store inventory for the partner program?

No. Members order directly, pay The Bible Supplement and the product ships to them. The church does not handle product or money from members.

How much will our church raise?

There is no projection. The church receives $10 for each qualifying bottle ordered through its link, and the total depends entirely on how many people choose to order.

Disclosure: The Bible Supplement runs the Ministry Partner Program described in this article and benefits when organizations join it. The Bible Supplement is a dietary supplement. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.