Pastors and church leaders who take on church construction projects know that funding the vision can be one of the most difficult obstacles to tackle in realizing their dreams. Yes, approaches such as taking up building offerings during services and giving your congregation the opportunity to pledge a specific amount to donate by a targeted date offer a traditional means to funding a successful church building project—yet technology opens new options in supplemental funding for new church construction. Enter crowdfunding. Sounds appealing, right? Who wouldn’t want a crowd funding their vision?
What is Crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is simply raising money for a specific purpose using online tools. When setting up a crowdfunding campaign, many find tools like the following helpful:
- GoFundMe.com
- FundRazr.com
- CrowdRise.com
Pros and Cons for Raising Funds for Church Building Projects Through Crowdfunding
The primary downside to raising funds for your church building project through crowdfunding is that too many people think that simply putting the opportunity out there for others to participate in will turn the campaign into an instant success. The reality is, it takes planning, strategizing, and hard work to create and launch a successful crowdfunding campaign. Donors want to be informed not only about your cause, but also about the progress and completion of the vision.
Some of the benefits of crowdfunding include the ability to share your project with a broader group of people who may just buy into your vision and embrace the opportunity to participate in your church building project. When the purpose of the project is shared, people get motivated to contribute. Crowdfunding makes funding your church construction project public, accessible, and sharable.
Public
By opening up an online opportunity to participate i n funding your vision, the possibility of reaching your funding goals increases. Reaching out to the public is in essence saying, “We invite you to help us—so we can help more people.”
Accessible
The beauty of launching an online funding campaign is that it makes participating in your vision accessible to others on a broad scale. People from all over the world no longer have to be present in your services to put cash into an envelope and drop it in your offering. Through crowdfunding, people worldwide can readily make donations in the comfort of their own homes any time—day or night. Accessibility is a game changer, and it has the potential to fund the work of the Gospel quickly and efficiently.
Sharable
Crowdfunding campaigns are readily sharable for all who see them online. Share your cause with your friends and family first, then encourage them to share your cause with others. Create compelling content that speaks to the heart of your audience. Be genuine in sharing your reason for raising funds, and embrace the online community as they come alongside your church community through online donations and interaction.
5 quick tips for the best crowdfunding results
1. Set up
Research various platforms and options for setting up your crowdfunding campaign. Some great features to look for include:
- Easy to use
- Customizable
- Social media tracker
- Email feature
2. Include
When advertising, include the following:
- Your specific purpose for fundraising
- The timeframe in which you need to reach your goals
- The relevance your purpose has to your donors
3. Inform
While setting up your campaign, utilize the following to inform others about your vision, monetary goals, and timeline:
- Photographs
- Written descriptions
- Videos
- Blogs
Once your campaign is launched, share it with family, friends, and your online community.
4. Update
Provide updates to your supporters online. Let them know how you are progressing in the vision. They should hear from you regularly throughout the campaign, as well as after the completion of the campaign when funds are used to complete your church building project.
5. Remind
Prompt your supporters periodically to use the shareable features within your crowdfunding campaign to spread the word through Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms. You’ve told your story in your crowdfunding campaign. Now solicit the help of others to retell your story by sharing it with others.
Fundraising for Your Church Construction Project
See our recommendations for fundraising, and call Churches By Daniels for your church construction needs.
