Christmas Church Fundraiser Ideas

We know Christmas will be a bit different this year, but some things will never change. There will inevitably be an overabundance of food (if you’re lucky), George Michael on repeat, and plenty of occasions to catch up with your loved ones. Another festive feature that is sure to remain is the Christmas Church fundraising event. As congregations come together to celebrate (either in person or virtually), many churches will be looking to raise funds to help continue serving their local communities. But, how exactly do you raise funds in a yuletide of social distancing and track and trace? If you’re putting together a Christmas fundraising event for your church, here are some ideas to get you started. 

Christmas fundraising ideas for churches 

Virtual Christmas Carols 

It might not be possible to go door-to-door this year, but carol singing is still an entirely viable way to raise money for your church. Take inspiration from Shelter UK – they’re live-streaming a carol service from St Martin-in-the Fields, and asking people for a modest donation to take part online. And aside from raising well-needed funds and Christmas spirit, a virtual carol service allows you to put those enthusiastic but ‘out-of-tune’ singers on mute (an added bonus perhaps?). 

Virtual Quiz 

Virtual quizzes have been the activity of 2020. Back in March, more than 300,000 people tuned in to take part in one unsuspecting pub’s weekly quiz, showing just how much the UK enjoys some trivia. And the popularity of virtual quizzes has barely waned since, with many charities continuing to use them to raise funds. If you’re thinking of putting on a virtual quiz for your church, this guide from Cancer Research UK will come in handy. 

Online cooking classes 

Whilst baking competitions are off limits this Christmas, cooking classes are most definitely not….as long as they’re online. Many companies with remote workers have used online cooking classes during lockdown as a team building activity, but there’s no reason why they can’t also be used for fundraising. There are, in fact, a number of charities that raise funds almost exclusively through online cooking lessons. Migrateful, for example, offers online cooking classes in over 30 different types of cuisine, all taught by refugees in the UK. The donations raised through the classes go towards supporting the same refugees to integrate in their communities. Why not replicate their success, and enlist your congregation’s most skilled chefs to do the same for your church? 

Christmas lights competition 

If you’d prefer to keep your fundraising event offline, a Christmas lights competition might be your best choice; it’s socially-distant, family-friendly, and will help your church to engage with the local community. Ask entrants to pay a fee for entering and enlist the help of local businesses to donate prizes for the winners.  

Christmas fundraising tips for churches 

There are many ways to raise money for your church this Christmas, but if you really want to turbo-boost your efforts, you’ll need the help of technology. First of all, we’d recommend using social media; promote your event on every platform available and try to engage with followers as best you can. By going social, you’ll be extending your potential donor base from your local community to the entire globe. If you hit the right notes, you might even go viral – just like these social media fundraising campaigns did. 

If you’re going to hold an in-person event, moreover, use contactless payment technology to collect donations. As a socially-distant method of payment, it’s safer for both fundraisers and donors. It also provides reams of valuable data to help inform your fundraising strategy and is more likely to increase overall donations. In 2017, for example, The Church of England reported a sharp increase in donations from their Christmas carol services as a direct result of introducing our contactless payment terminals; one church raised so much money through one device, in fact, that they ordered five more! 

GoodBox believes that technology can help charities to improve their fundraising. That’s why we provide organisations such as The Natural History Museum and The Church of England with tap-to-give contactless donation terminals. Our innovative tech helps charities to ditch cash and coins in favour of contactless card payments. Interested? Sign up to our newsletter for regular fundraising updates or feel free to drop us a message – we’re here to help.