Church fundraisers come in a lot of shapes: a straight donation ask, a table of baked goods, a mission trip supported by the whole congregation, a ticketed festival. Each of those works better with a different setup. This guide walks through the fundraiser types that come up most in churches and which SignUpGenius product fits each one, so you're not stuck trying to make one tool do a job it wasn't built for.
If people are giving money straight toward a goal, without buying or selling anything in exchange, Fundraisers is the right tool. It gives you a goal bar donors can watch fill up, flexible or fixed giving amounts, and updates you can send as the campaign moves along.
This fits fundraisers like:
Amazon-a-thon - Members buy gift cards in whatever amount they're able, with funds going toward school supplies for a local school. A goal bar keeps the momentum visible as cards come in.
Buy a Brick - Larger donations fund a dedication stone or paving brick in a new building. Fixed giving tiers (bronze, silver, gold) make it easy for donors to pick their level.
Change Jar - Members donate loose change collected around the house for a month. A simple running total shows how close the jar is to its goal.
Giving Tree - Specific items get a dollar amount, like "$100 for four Sunday school chairs." Donors pick an item to fund and see it get fully funded in real time instead of pulling a paper tag off a branch.
- A special need, like helping a family with adoption costs, gets its own page with a goal and story, promoted through your weekly newsletter.
“Our church hosts a huge one-day food packaging event requiring over 700 volunteers. All of them sign up through SignUpGenius, which allows for a streamlined, nearly flawless check-in experience at event time. I run a report at the last minute to show who signed up on what shift at which table and how many people are coming with them. I also run a separate report that shows me where any empty spots are need to be filled in. I don't know how this event could be run without SignUpGenius.”
Every church fundraiser works a little differently. Here's how to match your idea to the right tool, with real examples for each one.
Online Crowdfunding
Love Your City Campaign - A one-day sale of donated, city-themed items works well paired with a Fundraisers page, so people who want to give cash on the spot have somewhere to do it beyond the sale table.
Genius Tip
Auctions, raffles, and silent bidding events (Themed Auctions, Event Auction, Camp Throwback, Travel Auction) don't have one product that runs the whole thing. The bidding stays in person, but a Fundraisers page is a clean way to collect the winning bid or raffle ticket payment online instead of chasing checks after the event.
Ready to Start a Fundraiser?
Set a goal, choose giving levels, and share one link with your congregation.
Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers: Mission Trips and Sponsorships
When individuals, not the church as a whole, are the ones raising money, Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers gives each person their own page under the main campaign. Supporters can give directly to that person while your church still sees the total for the whole group.
This fits fundraisers like:
Mission trip support - Each traveler gets a personal page to share with family and friends, with their own progress bar toward their individual goal.
Beard for a Cause - Pastors and staff grow out beards for a month, and members sponsor them to see it through (or not). Each participant gets their own page, so it's obvious who's raised the most for showing up unshaven on Sunday.
Sponsor-a-Step Walkathon - Members walk a set route or lap course, and supporters pledge per mile or a flat amount. Each walker gets their own page, so friends and family can cheer them on and give directly.
Turn Your Congregation Into Fundraisers
Give each participant their own page, complete with a leaderboard and progress tracking.
If you're selling something people take home, whether that's merchandise, baked goods, or a Christmas tree, Online Stores handles inventory, variations, and "sold out" automatically, so nobody's manually tracking what's left on a spreadsheet.
This fits fundraisers like:
Church S.W.A.G. - Bumper stickers, coffee mugs, and other logo gear sell in small batches without anyone managing inventory by hand.
One-Day Christmas Tree Sale - Track how many trees are left in real time and mark the listing sold out the moment they're gone.
Jewelry Bazaar for Global Ministries - Items from partner ministries go up for sale online instead of requiring a cash box at a table all day.
Sunday Sundries - An ongoing sale of bagels, donuts, or fruit cups runs the same way every week with a simple menu.
Christian Book Fair - Donated books from Sunday school classes get listed and sold without reprinting a sign-up sheet each time.
Selling Goods for Your Fundraiser?
Set up an online store with inventory tracking in minutes, no e-commerce experience required.
When people are paying to participate rather than donating, Dues & Fees collects the payment and the registration info together, so you're not running a sign up and a separate payment link.
This fits fundraisers like:
Trivia Tournament - Teams pay an entry fee when they register, and you can cap how many teams the tournament will hold.
Expert Lecture Series - Ticket sales fund Sunday school materials, with payment collected at the time someone reserves a seat.
Tutoring Auction - Older students offer hour-long tutoring sessions for a fee, booked and paid for in one step.
Christmas Card Photo Fundraiser - Families book a $50 mini-session and pay when they reserve their slot, rather than paying separately on the day.
Forms & Waivers: Events with Liability Risk
Anytime there's physical activity, an overnight stay, or anything that calls for a signature before someone participates, Forms & Waivers lets people sign digitally when they register instead of you tracking down paper forms the week of the event.
This fits fundraisers like:
Polar Plunge Challenge - Members take a cold-water plunge at a local lake or pool to raise money for a mission or ministry need. A waiver covers the physical risk, signed digitally when people register to jump.
Pay-to-Play Sports Day - Anyone joining a tournament or sports challenge signs off digitally ahead of time.
Need a Waiver Before the Big Day?
Collect signatures and registration info in the same step as payment.
When a group is giving toward one shared thing rather than individual items, Group Gifts lets everyone see who's already contributed without anyone having to manage a paper envelope wall.
This fits fundraisers like:
Giving Wall - Instead of physical envelopes on a wall, members contribute online and see the wall fill up in real time, with a shared list of who's given.
Ready to Fundraise Together?
Get started with SignUpGenius for free, no credit card required.
How do I know which SignUpGenius product fits my church fundraiser? Ask what's actually happening: if people are donating money, use Fundraisers. If someone's raising money on behalf of themselves, use Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers. If you're selling goods, use Online Stores. If people are paying to participate, use Dues & Fees.
Can I use more than one product for the same fundraiser? Yes. Many church fundraisers use two products together, like a sign up to organize volunteers alongside a Fundraisers page for collecting donations, or an Online Store for sales paired with a Fundraisers page for cash gifts at the same event.
Do all these products cost extra? No. Every product, including Fundraisers, Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers, Online Stores, Dues & Fees, and Events, is available on every plan, including Free. Paid plans add more customization and higher volume limits, not access to the products themselves.
Is there a fee for collecting donations online? Standard payment processing fees apply, the same across every plan. You can also pass those fees along to donors if you'd rather they cover the cost.
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