Learn More About Fundraising for Youth Travel Programs
NFCYM recently hosted a webinar titled “Fundraising for Youth Travel Programs” with Keven Feyen from the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa. Kevin shared many different fundraising categories but stressed that the most important task of fundraising is to communicate your vision! NFCYM is making this webinar accessible to ministers in the field in the hopes it helps parishes and schools plan upcoming events like NCYC, summer camp trips, and World Youth Day!
During the webinar, Kevin asked participants to share the types of of fundraising they do in their parishes. Here are the responses:
Sales
- Mum sales
- Christmas Eve luminaries
- Christmas wreaths
- Candy bar sales
- Flea market
- Selling pumpkins
- Bake sales
- Gift card sales/ SCRIP
- Mother’s Day flower sale
Raffles
- Local hardware store donates a drill to be raffled off at the parish picnic
- Drawing for a new TV
Services
- Car washes
- Smoothie bar while waiting for car wash
- 365 prayer fundraiser– donations from $1 (January 1) to $365 (December 31) are solicited and teens say a prayer on that day for the donor
- Help other groups with their events in exchange for a donation (Optimist Club, Knights of Columbus).
- Bottle drives
- Providing volunteer services
- Rent a worker – yard services
Experiences
- Poker tournament
- 24-hour Rock a Thon– teens sit in rocking chairs and bond in prayer, games, and song
- Youth Ministry auction
- Italian dinner (partnered with Knights of Columbus)
- “Who has more cents?”- competition between the men and women of the parish to collect loose change
- Mardi Gras party
- Trivia night- shout out to ProjectYM!
- Corn hole tournament
- Flamingo flocking parishioners’ lawns
Sponsorship
- Just asking– people like to give.
- “Taking Stock in Our Youth”- asking for a donation and having a dinner for stockholders after the event.
- “Adopt a Pilgrim” -parishioners were invited to sponsor a specific pilgrim who then sent them postcards, carried their prayer intentions, and met with them following the trip
- Event sponsorships