Fundraising Ideas for Congregations

Raising Money to Send Delegates to General Assembly (GA)

Crowd Funding

Faithify is the crowdfunding site where passionate people inspire, unite, and fund Unitarian Universalist ministries.

Crowdfunding is a democratic, grass roots, and increasingly common tool to fund travel and registration expenses. When we contribute to a General Assembly scholarship campaign, we are expressing The Power of We by welcoming more people to fully participate in our largest gathering for learning and doing the business of our Association.

Why use Faithify? As a project of the Unitarian Universalist Association, we charge no fees to host your campaign, we have the highest success rate in the industry, AND you get real human UU support for your project.

Get inspired by recently funded General Assembly Scholarship campaigns or GA Scholarship campaigns from our Archives

Start to Faithify your GA today!

Suggestions for Auctions, Raffles, and Bake Sale Events and Fund Drives

If your congregation doesn’t usually pay delegate expenses, here are some ways to raise the money to do so.

  • A sermon topic
  • A worship service focus
  • Lunch with the Minister, the Director of Religious Education, the Music Director, the Administrator, or the Board President
  • Musical performances (choir, instrumental concert, sing-along)
  • Pageant, play, or talent show
  • Dance
  • Bake sale
  • Car wash
  • Circle suppers
  • Sponsored weight loss or smoking cessation
  • Donated massages
  • A class in organic gardening
  • Six conversational sessions in a language other than English
  • The services of a handyperson
  • Babysitting services
  • Mending and clothing repair service
  • A portrait photograph
  • Dinner for Four (catered or frozen)
  • Donated “Bread of the Month”
  • A knitted or crocheted “GA afghan”
  • A wall hanging to celebrate your congregation
  • Artworks on “What it means to be a Unitarian Universalist” created by children and youth in the RE program
  • Knitted scarves, hats and mittens
  • Donated books, CDs and DVDs

Donations

  • Divide the estimated cost of attendance by the number of adults in your congregation, and ask every adult to donate that amount to the fund.
  • Ask people to donate Frequent Flyers miles to get delegates to GA.
  • Ask a group of major donors to match contributions made to the fund or to contribute a fixed amount, like $500.
  • Put a “GA delegates fund” box next to the refreshments you serve after worship, and ask people to drop paper currency into the box every time they take a cup of coffee or a snack.
  • Ask people to bring loose change to drop into a “GA delegates fund” jar. Children and youth in the religious education program can count the money and report progress toward the goal of supporting all the delegates your congregation can send to General Assembly.

Obviously, every idea won't be a good match for every congregation. If your congregation has an idea that works, please share it with us so we can add it to the above list of ideas.

Youth groups, seminarians, workshop presenters, artists, musicians, and others have successfully raised needed financial support to be part our denomination's annual business, networking, and learning gathering.

Read these 7 tips to Faithify your GA

The UUA Co-moderator leans over the back of her conference chair to speak with the person behind her

UUA Co-moderator Elandria Williams speaks with an attendee at General Assembly 2019 in Spokane, WA.

The former UUA President speaks from a rainbow draped podium

Former UUA President Rev. William F. Schulz