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Budget & Fundraising

A church event budget decides what the event can be before anything is booked. The budget guide covers the costs that blindside most teams, and the budget calculator gives a starting split by category for your event type.

When the money has to be raised, the fundraising guide covers setting one clear goal, choosing an event that costs far less than it raises, and turning one-time donors into ongoing partners.

2 guides · 1 free tool · 7 glossary terms

Guides

  1. The Church Event Budget: What to Plan For, and What Blindsides YouA category-by-category budget framework for church and ministry events, the costs that are routinely missed, and how to build a budget that survives contact with reality.5 min read · Fundraising
  2. How to Plan a Church Fundraising Event — and 15 Ideas That WorkHow to plan a church fundraising event: set a clear goal, tell the story, make giving easy and thank donors well — plus fifteen fundraiser ideas by effort.5 min read · Fundraising

Free tools

Key terms

Contingency fund
A portion of the budget held back for costs nobody predicted. Without one, the first surprise expense comes out of something already promised.
Cost per attendee
Total event cost divided by the number of people who came. It is a simple way to compare events and decide whether a ticket price, offering or sponsor is needed.
Event budget
The planned income and expenses for an event, broken into categories such as venue, production, hospitality, promotion and supplies. Setting it early decides what the event can be, instead of discovering it from receipts.
Fundraising goal
The amount an event needs to raise, through gifts, sponsors or tickets, to cover the part of the budget not already funded. Tracking progress against it publicly can encourage giving.
Honorarium
A gift paid to a speaker or musician in thanks for their contribution, separate from travel and accommodation costs. Agree the amount, or that there is none, in writing when you invite them.
In-kind donation
A gift of goods or services instead of money — donated food, a borrowed sound system, a free venue. Recording in-kind gifts shows the event's true cost and who to thank.
Matching gift
A pledge from one donor to match other people's gifts up to a set amount, often within a deadline. It encourages giving because each gift counts twice.