Church fundraising is a year-round activity. While churches are vital in keeping the faithful together, they are subject to the same financial pressures as every other group. So we've whipped up a couple of fundraising ideas to gather your parish.

Work with a committee
Fundraising alone is not an easy feat, so why not make life simpler by teaming up? Try to find people who share your passion and vision. The best way to get people working together is to create a committee: begin by inviting the church leader to join the committee. Having him or her on your team will make setting goals and guidelines easier, since they can provide guidance as well help rally more potential committee members. Be sure to make your efforts public and be visible to the whole community so that more people can join. Schedule meetings and try to make routine announcements in the church newsletter, website, masses and sermons, and directly send emails or letters to the members of the church.

Create events or sales
These are opportunities not only to obtain donations, but also to develop fellowship with other participants. For example, a backyard product sale and mixer in the church's parking lot is a great way to get to known fellow church members and raise funds. Moreover, you can ask other participants to contribute with items they no longer use, from apparel and electronics to home furniture, anything can be saved - church bazaars are extremely popular! If possible, schedule the fundraising on a sunny weekend morning as more people will be inclined to show up!

Fundraising with candles
Candles create a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere and they're useful during power outages, making them an easy and quick to sell. Candle fundraising is also a springboard for larger fundraising goals when a church doesn't necessarily have enough money for a larger campaign. There's no money required upfront: you receive a brochure filled with different candles and scents. You share the brochure with supporters and submit an order with quantities needed for each candle. You will then receive the candles and distribute them to everyone who purchased one. Easy, right? An individual can easily sell up to 20 candles to family, neighbors and friends, so imagine what can be raised if your entire parish participated? Another idea is to set up shop at the end of Sunday services: when everyone is leaving, they can pass by your table and order a candle!

Provide discount cards for church fundraisers
Everyone loves a good deal, and selling discount cards as a church fundraiser is a sure profit. These cards provide a variety of discounts for a wide range of goods and services, ranging from restaurants to mechanics to retail stores. Discounts for local and national merchants are available: who needs a mess of coupons when you've got a nifty card that saves you even more?