Did you know North America alone raises $17.2 billion a year in donations through crowdfunding? Crowdfunding is a powerful online fundraising method that works for businesses, nonprofits, and churches alike. If your church needs to quickly raise funds for a specific goal like a new building, a mission trip, or crisis relief, a crowdfunding page could be the perfect solution!
Not sure where to start? No worries — we’ve got you covered! We’re here to share the top Christian crowdfunding platforms and tips on how to set up an effective campaign so you can start fundraising for your church today.
Is Your Church Crowdfunding? Here’s Why it’s Important
Has your church tried a Christian crowdfunding site to raise support? Crowdfunding works by gathering smaller donations from a large number of people, mostly through an online webpage.
Whether your church is planning to renovate, expand, or boost support for ministries, crowdfunding is a simple and effective way to achieve your goals.
Here are our top reasons why crowdfunding matters.
Budget-friendly
Crowdfunding is a cost-effective way to raise money. Setting up an online campaign is easy and affordable, and once it’s up and running, it pretty much takes care of itself—unlike a traditional fundraising event. All you really need is a basic webpage and a good plan!
Accessible
What if we told you that you could launch your church’s crowdfunding campaign in less than 20 minutes? With so many online platforms available—some of them even free—there’s no reason not to give crowdfunding a shot. Plus, your crowdfunding page is not just easy for you to set up, but it’s also accessible for church and community members to visit anytime, anywhere!
Increased Reach
Christian fundraising sites are incredibly simple for your church members to share with their friends and family, helping you spread the word far beyond your church walls. Most platforms make it easy to share directly on social media. And, when your church members’ friends see others donating, they’ll be more likely to chip in as well!
Unity
Nothing brings people together like a shared cause. When you clearly communicate the heart and vision behind your campaign, your church members are much more likely to rally together, working toward the same goal as one united body.
Reaches Younger Generations
This type of campaign is especially popular among younger generations. In fact, 46% of millennials prefer to donate through crowdfunding pages. By tapping into crowdfunding, your church can engage this group more effectively and reach even more potential supporters.
6 Christian Crowdfunding Platforms to Consider in 2024
Wondering which Christian crowdfunding platform might be the best fit for your church? We’ve put together a list of the top six platforms available right now, along with what makes each one special. Now it’s your turn to choose your favorite!
1. Donorbox
Donorbox is one of the leading Christian fundraising platforms on the market, and their crowdfunding resources are next level. Churches love using Donorbox for its customizable donation pages, text-to-give feature, secure payment options, recurring giving capabilities, and so much more.
Top Crowdfunding Features:
- User-Friendly: You can create an easy-to-navigate crowdfunding webpage in under 15 minutes, with no setup or monthly fees, contracts, or coding skills required.
- Storytelling: Share your mission by adding photos, videos, and your church’s branding to make your donation page truly unique.
- Updates: Keep everyone in the loop by sharing posts and images about your campaign.
- Personalized Communication: Send targeted emails to your supporters to help them feel connected to your campaign.
- Donor Wall: Encourage more donations by publicly recognizing your donors.
- Goal Meter: Track your campaign’s progress with a visual meter that motivates donors to contribute.
- Social Media: Share your page easily on social media with quick links.
Pricing: There are no setup fees, monthly fees, or contracts to worry about. While there is a 1.75% platform and processing fee for each donation, churches have the option to cover this fee, ensuring that 100% of each gift goes directly toward funding the project.
2. GoFundMe
Although GoFundMe is often used by individuals, churches can also utilize this popular crowdfunding platform, especially for urgent needs or crisis-related campaigns. It’s easy to set up and great for reaching a large audience in a short amount of time.
Top Crowdfunding Features:
- Well-known: Crowdfunding using a simple and widely recognized platform means you’re using a trusted name that people are already familiar with.
- Wide reach: Access a large user base with the potential for wide reach.
- Reporting: Download important donor data, helping you better understand your donor base.
- Stay Updated: Real-time updates on donations and progress give you a live feed of how your campaign is doing.
Pricing: GoFundMe is free to set up with a 2.9% processing fee plus $0.30 per donation.
3. Bonfire
Bonfire is a creative crowdfunding platform where your church members can buy t-shirts, tanks, and other merch to support your cause. It’s a great option for churches that want to offer something tangible to bring people together around your fundraising project. Simply design your shirt, set your price, customize your crowdfunding page, and let the fundraising begin!
Top Crowdfunding Features:
- Crowdfunding Page: Sell your t-shirt on an easy-to-use crowdfunding site.
- Design Tools: Upload your artwork or create a design using Bonfire’s built-in tools.
- Print and Shipping: Bonfire handles all the printing and ships the products directly to your supporters.
- Receive All Profits: Your church keeps 100% of the profits from your campaign.
Pricing: Bonfire’s platform is free to use, with an 8% fee to cover payment processing, plus additional shipping costs for U.S. and international orders. Nonprofits enjoy a reduced processing fee of 3.5%.
4. GiveCentral
GiveCentral is built with nonprofits and churches in mind, offering a variety of online fundraising tools, including crowdfunding. With GiveCentral, you can set goals and timelines to meet your crowdfunding needs.
Top Crowdfunding Features:
- Customized Donation Page: Create a personalized donation page with your church branding and photos.
- Social Media: Easily integrate your crowdfunding page directly on your social media.
- Quick Set-Up: GiveCentral guarantees churches a live crowdfunding page within a day!
- Support: The GiveCentral team loves working with churches to make sure your crowdfunding campaign reflects your mission.
Pricing: GiveCentral charges a one-time fee to set up your account at $75. From there, churches pay a monthly fee of $31.15 plus transaction fees.
5. Fundly
Fundly makes it easy for churches to run visually engaging crowdfunding campaigns We love how its social media integrations make it easy to reach people beyond your congregation.
Top Crowdfunding Features:
- Facebook Integration: Embed your donation form directly into Facebook, so supporters can donate without leaving the platform.
- Reporting: Track donor and visitor trends easily and share updates directly on your crowdfunding page.
- Share your story: Use photo and video tools to bring your mission to life.
- Keep-it-all: You keep every dollar raised, even if you don’t hit your goal. Plus, you can extend your campaign to raise even more.
Pricing: Starting a Fundly campaign is free. Once donations come in, Fundly charges a 4.9% platform fee and a 2.9% payment processing fee, plus $0.30 per donation.
6. GiveSendGo
GiveSendGo is specifically designed for Christian fundraising. Offering more than just financial support—they foster community and prayer alongside donations.
Top Crowdfunding Features:
- Spiritual Support: Congregants can use the “pray now” button to show their report.
- Simple Startup: Set up your crowdfunding page in just a few minutes.
- Social Reach: Share your donation page across multiple social media platforms.
- Great Customer Service: GiveSendGo is dedicated to serving your needs, and their prayer team is available with just one click to pray for you.
Pricing: GiveSendGo has no platform fees and a standard processing fee of 2.7% + $0.30 per donation.
Tips for an Incredible Church Crowdfunding Campaign
Once you’ve chosen your crowdfunding platform, it’s time to start building your campaign. Here are some tips to help you create an inspiring and effective campaign that gets people excited to support your cause.
Share Your Mission
Your church members and community want to connect with your mission, so share the heart behind your campaign. Be clear about what you’re raising funds for and why it matters for your church and community as a whole. Adding personal stories, photos, and videos can help people visualize your cause and inspire them to give.
Set a Realistic Goal
Start with a clear, achievable fundraising goal. Having a specific target motivates people to give, and hitting milestones along the way builds momentum. You can always increase your goal if you surpass it!
Make It Easy to Share
Encourage your supporters to share your campaign with friends and family. Social media is a powerful tool for spreading the word, so be sure to include easy-to-share links in your updates.
Keep Everyone Updated
Regularly update your supporters on the progress of your campaign. Whether you’re halfway to your goal or have an inspiring story to share, keeping your church informed helps maintain excitement and keeps the donations coming.
Show Gratitude
Don’t forget to thank your congregation! Publicly recognize them on your crowdfunding page or send a personalized thank-you message. Letting people know their support is appreciated goes a long way in building lasting relationships.
Conclusion
Crowdfunding is a simple and cost-effective way to raise funds for a specific project or cause while bringing your church community together. With the right platform, you can easily set up a crowdfunding page, share it on your website and social media, and start raising support in no time.
Donorbox MinistryMomentum is built with churches in mind, offering a variety of tools to help you fundraise, including crowdfunding. You can start building a powerful and effective campaign for free in just 15 minutes — sign up today!
For even more tips and resources on church giving, check out the Church Giving Blog—your go-to source for everything related to church fundraising and more!
