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A while back, I sent out an email to our newsletter subscribers asking for blog ideas or general questions from readers.  Joshua B. writes:

My music ministry is going through some financial problems, how can we raise money as a non-denominational music ministry?

Wow, Joshua, that’s a tough one!  Unless a ministry is a part of a mega church, it’s likely that there is going to be at least some financial difficulty.  “Expenses” in music ministry is often one of the most misunderstood categories of a church budget, which makes the situation all the more difficult.  For independent bands and music groups that aren’t under the umbrella of a church, it gets even harder.  What’s more is that fund raising can become a moral dilemma when you try to maintain operating costs without becoming a “den of thieves”.  I am by no means a financial expert, but I can give you the ideas that have worked for ministries I’ve been involved in as well as strategies that have worked for my own business.

Minimize Expenses

To help ease the financial burden, the first step is to minimize the money going out.  Keep track of what is being spent.  Then analyze that information to determine if there’s any expenses that can be eliminated or reduced.  Spending money is inevitable; however, make sure that the spending isn’t unnecessary.

On an important note, eliminate debt.  Debt can be a real killer to a ministry.  Try not to buy things until you have saved enough for the purchase.  It can be tough to wait, but debt is just a bad practice all around.  Take a look at Proverbs for more on that topic.

Maximize Return On Investment

When you do spend money, make sure that it makes the most impact that it can.  You want the most “Return on Investment” (ROI).  In other words, you want the things you buy to “pay for themselves” (and then some) as quickly as possible.  For instance, if your ministry buys a recording setup, a video camera, or a CD duplicator, how can you use it creatively to generate income back into your ministry?

Find Creative Ways to Generate Income

Desperate times call for desperate measures.  When finances get tough, often we need to “think outside the box” in terms of making money.  Find what goods or services your ministry team’s members could individually donate to your ministry.  Then, find out what services or goods your ministry team as a whole can create.

You’re a music ministry.  How about making a CD?  It doesn’t have to be elaborate or terribly expensive to produce, especially if the music is in the public domain (see our previous post on using music legally).  Sell them on CD-baby or at live events.  Here’s an example of a very simple CD that I produced as a fund raising opportunity.

If you have a digital video camera and a computer at your disposal, consider making video products which would be useful to your audience.  Perhaps music/instrument lessons, video seminars, sermons, etc.  Sell them as DVDs or sell them online as digital downloads.

Again, you want to look at production costs and weigh them against your potential income.  Determine how much you have to sell in order to “break even” and start making a profit.  (I know ministry isn’t about making a profit, per se, but you do need to generate more than you spend in order to survive.)

Stewardship

Basically, all this advice so far can be summed up as thus:  good stewardship.  Take care of what God has already given you and maximize it as much as you can.  Invest it, and make it grow.  Keep in mind that you’re not out to make money to bless yourselves.  However, your focus as a ministry should always be about blessing others.  That said, I believe the ministry should tithe.

Final Ideas

Here’s a list of some creative fund raising ideas:

• Produce your own CD
• Produce video products
• Produce written material (ebook, printed book, calendars, etc.)
• Gather items and have a yard sale
• Do a fund-raising concert
• Sell older equipment that is rarely used
• Raffle goods and services
• Offer a service in exchange for a donation to the ministry (car wash, house painting, lawn mowing, etc.)
• Seek sponsorship from local businesses or benefactors

Hope that helps!  God bless!

What fund raising opportunities have worked for you in the past?  What questions would you like answered?  Post a comment and let us know!

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