13 Fundraising Ideas for Black Churches | 2023 Updated (Full List)

In the black community, there’s a special significance to the church. In Christian culture, it’s not uncommon for people to say that “the church is more than just a place; it’s an extension of my home.”

The first black churches were organized in response to segregation and social injustice. These churches became safe havens where black people could find hope during trying times. Even today, the importance of these houses of worship continues to grow, given that faith remains one of the major unifying factors in the Black community.

If you are part of a Black church looking for ideas on how to fundraise, you’re in luck! Not only are we going to give you 13 great fundraising ideas for Black Churches, but also virtual high fives because you’re going to love them! There are so many amazing things your church can do with these tips: And lucky for you, they are so simple!

Each idea listed here is easy enough that you should be able even if you have minimal experience with fundraising or organizing events.

These are just a few ways black churches help their congregants.

13 Fundraising Ideas for Black Churches

Hold a Shrimp Boil

For many, the smell of boiling shrimp is inextricably linked with celebrations and festivities. If you’re looking for a fun event to unite people, a shrimp boil might be just the ticket!

You can either host a boil at your church or find a nearby outdoor location for the event. If you’re cooking the shrimp indoors, keep an eye on the boil so that nothing gets out of control. Once the shrimp is cooked, you can serve it with potatoes, corn on the cob, and other side dishes.

This is a great event to put on in the spring or summer months, as it’s a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors while still being able to warm up indoors if necessary.

Host a Dinner or Breakfast

If you’ve ever attended a church or civic event and been served a meal, then you know how powerful it is to have a meal shared among friends and loved ones. You can host a dinner or breakfast within the walls of your church or invite guests over to your house.

You can serve eggs, bacon, pancakes, or other breakfast food. For dinner, you can serve whatever you like – but if you’re looking for something to pair with the theme of your event, consider serving a soul-food dish. For Soul Food, several ingredients are a must in any recipe. These include cornbread, collard greens, black-eyed peas, and the main event: Shrimp Boil!

Celebrate Culture Through Food

If you want to recognize Black History Month or celebrate Black culture in general, you can do so by hosting a celebration of culture through food. You can choose a specific culture or cuisine or have various foods available as a buffet. You could also create a menu highlighting the history of the church or the Black community.

Ask for Help From Your Congregation

You can host a donation drive in the church or ask your congregation to donate items you need. Depending on your congregation’s interests, you can even host a clothing drive.

Either way, asking your congregation to help you out is a great way to get people involved and invested in your organization. This is a particularly good option if you’re looking for a way to raise funds for something specific – such as helping a church member pay for a medical procedure.

Kwanzaa Giving

Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday celebrated in December that honors African heritage and culture. If your church celebrates Kwanzaa, consider doing a fundraiser around it as a way to bring in extra money during the month of December.

You can ask people to donate money instead of gifts, host a bake sale, or do something else that celebrates Kwanzaa while raising funds for your church.

Church Yard Sale

If you’re looking for a no-fuss way to bring in a little extra cash, you might want to consider hosting a church yard sale. If you’re hosting a church yard sale, make sure to follow the rules of your city so that you don’t get in trouble for any zoning violations.

You want to let people know it’s a church yard sale, so they don’t start wondering why there’s so much stuff for sale in the church parking lot. For the best results, try to host the yard sale during a weekend or holiday when there’s less foot traffic.

Black Culture Festival – Commemorating the struggles

This is a great event to host during Black History Month or any time of the year if you want to commemorate the struggles of black people in America. You could have various activities and presentations or simply focus on the food and culture of black people.

Pro tip: Add a donation QR code while doing this. You can use a service like Donorbox to achieve this.

Black Church Fundraiser: Fish Fry!

A classic black church fundraiser, the fish fry is a wonderful way to bring people together while raising funds for your organization. The key to a successful fish fry is ensuring you cook enough fish for everyone.

If you have a large group, you may want to consider a buffet-style fish fry where people can serve themselves. For a basic fish fry, you’ll need a large amount of fish, potatoes, corn on the cob, coleslaw, and plenty of cocktail sauce for the fish and potatoes.

Coaching Session

If you have someone on staff who is a sports coach – or, even better, if one of your members is a coach – you could host a coaching session as a fundraiser.

For example, if one of your members is a basketball coach, you could host a coaching session where attendees can ask questions and get personalized coaching advice.

If you have a coach on staff, you might want to consider something like a pitching or hitting lesson.

Communal Events

First and foremost, communal events are a great way to unite members and strengthen their bonds. The best part is there are plenty of different kinds of events that you can host. There’s something for everybody, from sports-related events to game nights and more.

In addition to bringing your members together and strengthening church bonds, communal events are a great way to get people talking about your church in a positive light.

This is important because too many churches have a stigma surrounding them. And finally, communal events are a great way to gauge interest in other events, services, and programs you might offer at the church. Communal events are a great way to get people interested in joining your church and participating in other initiatives.

Church Potlucks

Church potlucks are another great way to unite people and strengthen members’ bonds. What’s more, the best part about church potlucks is that you can make them as casual or formal as you want.

There are so many things you can cook and bring to a potluck; it’s almost impossible not to find something that suits your tastes. If you’re looking for a communal event to host at your church, you can’t go wrong with a potluck.

Not only are they great for bringing people together, they’re also a great way to reach out to people in your community who might not be affiliated with your church. And lastly, church potlucks are a great way to introduce newcomers to your congregation and get them involved.

If you’re hosting a potluck, you can make it a rule that people bring a dish representing their culture or homeland. This way, you can learn about different people’s customs and backgrounds while strengthening bonds between members.

Service Projects

While you can’t do service projects weekly, you can host them monthly. You can find projects tailored to meet your congregation’s needs and the area where you live.

This can be anything from painting murals and cleaning up public parks to helping out at local animal shelters. There are many different ways you can host service projects at your church. You can invite guest speakers to talk about the importance of service and how serving others also benefits you. Also, have your members help plan and host different service events.

Have a Carnival

You can host carnivals at any time of the year, but they’re especially important during the winter. You can host carnivals at your church or invite members to host them at their houses.

Carnivals are a great way to raise money for charities that provide winter clothing to impoverished children. Ask church members to donate games and other prizes for the carnival. You can also host raffles and other games at the carnival that will help you raise money.

Final Thoughts

Black Churches are anchors of hope, strength, and resilience in the black community. They provide much-needed services to the African American community, from offering healthcare support to helping with job placement.

Many black churches need funds to help them grow their community, build church buildings and projects, empower the children and the youth, and so on.

With this article, we hope we have helped you with fundraising ideas to get you to start your fundraising journey. Wish you all the best!