Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Today, I’m attending my first “Card Party” at my new congregation.

I know I’ll have a great time kibitzing with women of all ages, visiting over the specialty sandwiches, and bidding with abandon on baskets of goodies. I like this kind of event. Seriously.

But from what I hear from the organizers, it’s time for a makeover. Preparing for the event is an enormous job, from soliciting thousands of dollars of donations from parishioners and community businesses, transforming the fellowship hall into a festive space, and recruiting volunteers to set-up, serve, and clean-up. Then there’s the act of selling tickets to a card party where cards are no longer played, and it runs from 11 am to 2 pm on a weekday.

Nevertheless, the event is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Episcopal Church Women, and the money raised 'fills in the cracks,' from paying for wanted-but-not-urgent building projects to scholarships for kids to attend church summer camp. The fundraiser is important in the life of the congregation and can’t be easily dismissed, despite the work and energy it demands. 

I suspect lots of our church fundraisers, from bazaars to spaghetti dinners, are in need of a re-fresh. As with other aspects of our church life, we sometimes continue with a model that worked wonderfully in another time but that perhaps isn’t as well-suited for the realities of today. 

I have seen some examples of how we’re willing to tweak a good thing to make it better. For example, some churches have moved their vacation Bible schools from the daytime to early evening, accommodating working parents who would struggle to get their kids there for a half day – or who could volunteer after work but not during the day. 

Congregations offer Bible studies and formation programs in new ways, from beer and Bible gatherings in a local pub to virtual conferences and webinars. 

How can we take this same entrepreneurial spirit into our fundraising efforts? I’m hoping loyal readers can help. What are some of the most creative and engaging fundraisers at your church? Share them here. We promise to steal them – but at least it’s for a good cause. And you know, imitation is a form of flattery.