Tips on How to Plan Carnival Fundraising Church Events

Planning a practical fundraising project can be one of your church’s most important events. Whether it’s to buy new supplies for the excellent children’s program, to help the community in need of outreach, or to provide more resources for your Sunday school and groups, a fun event is the perfect way to raise funds!

What kind of fundraising should a church hold? Many time-tested methods include bake sales before or after church services, car washes (typically run by the church youth group), and offerings collected during service times.

Another practical but exciting way to attract church members and to bring forth giving: a fundraising carnival! Let’s explore how this idea can work for your congregation!

Considerations

It’s essential to plan before getting ahead of yourself, like most church events! Think about some basic concepts on carnivals. Some questions you need to answer include:

• What’s the location? This may be the most crucial decision. The carnival theme—and its size—largely depend on the physical location. Finalize how small or big you want the event to be and ensure you can access a large, flat piece of land.

Traditionally, carnivals and church events don’t go together, though they could be if there is a large meeting hall or an outdoor space such as a field or athletic court. If your church has a gymnasium or auditorium, renting inflatables might be an option if you have an outdoor area to set the inflatables up. In any event, make sure that there is enough space for all your inflatables, plus any planned activities that involve running around.

• You should also decide if this carnival will be open to members of surrounding churches. That will help you determine whether or not you need large outdoor areas and what prices you should charge for inflatables, concessions, and other items for sale.
• How should I distribute the work? Having one person or family run everything is the pathway to trouble. Pick a committee to oversee the carnival production and then appoint people to manage certain aspects such as food, entertainment, and money-raising events. 
• What’s the best method to raise funds at a carnival? Since raising money, having fun, and fostering a sense of church community is the goal, you need a plan. Choices include:
• Selling carnival-related merchandise such as T-shirts or giving away items such as keychains or pencils with your name as souvenirs (use koozies for cold drinks—a simple way to earn money).
• Providing food items such as baked goods, cotton candy, popcorn, hotdogs, or shaved ice. 
• Holding an auction of items donated by church members, such as sporting game tickets or restaurant vouchers.
• The best way of raising funds at carnival-inspired church events is to rely on ticketing. It’s practical and efficient since the only financial transaction occurs at the entrance. From there, you can give guests vouchers equivalent to one round at a game booth or a meal at a food stall. Once the event is over, the finance team can pack up and remit the cash!

Contact Burgess for Church Events

These are just some of our ideas for hosting carnival-themed church events. If you have any more suggestions that will help, do sound off in our comments section or contact us via social media.

But if you’re already set to host festival-themed, fundraising church events throughout the year, let Burgess Events know today! We do professional event planning that combines innovation and excitement for corporate and religious outings. Get your quick quote from us right now!