A church photo fundraiser gives you the chance to help busy families get great family portraits and raise money for church projects and services. Essentially, you'll act as a liaison between the congregation and a professional photographer for this simple fundraiser.
Organizing a Photo Fundraiser for Your Church
If you're working with little time and startup cash, a photo fundraiser is a great option to raise some money without a lot of work. With a few dedicated chair people and some great organizational skills, anyone can take on a project like this.
Choosing and Booking a Photographer
The first thing you'll need to do is find a local professional photographer who is willing to work with you. When looking for a photographer consider:
- Asking church members who are photographers to participate
- Looking for relatively new photographers in your community who are often more willing to offer a generous commission structure to nonprofit organizations
- Speaking with several photographers so you can make an informed decision that provides the best balance of value, package choices, and fundraising potential
- Verifying the quality of work performed by any photographer you are considering working with before entering into any kind of agreement
Setting Prices
There are two main ways to profit from this fundraiser. First, if you can find a photographer to donate his or her time, you can charge standard prices for a few size packages and retain all the profits. The second option is to markup the photographers typical prices so you earn the difference. Set reasonable prices that won't scare away customers but will still give you the chance to earn a good amount.
Setting Dates
The next thing you will want to do is set a date for the event.
- Set times for pictures to be taken immediately before and after regularly scheduled church services so people can choose to have their pictures taken during times they will already be at the church and dressed nicely.
- Schedule times on more than one day so people who are out of town or otherwise indisposed on one particular week will still have an opportunity to participate if they choose to do so.
- Create a sign-up sheet and master schedule to keep track of each person's designated photo session. Keep each individual session to a 20 to 30 minute time limit so there is enough time to capture a great photo and schedule many sessions in one day.
Signing People Up
You or the photographer can create an order form and sign up sheets where individuals or families can choose a time slot and photo package. Ask participants to pay in advance or at their session to ensure your fundraiser is a success.
Encouraging Congregation Participation
You'll want to promote the photography fundraiser to church members for several weeks before the sitting dates. Whatever you can do to spread the word in advance will likely have a positive impact on the level of participation.
You can do this by:
- Including the fundraiser in church announcements and the bulletin
- Hanging posters in high traffic areas
- Listing the event on the website
Setting up the Sessions
On the day of the event, set the photographer up in a room that is easily accessible and where people who are arriving to attend church activities are likely to see what is going on. You may find that even people who had not intended to participate in the fundraiser decide to have pictures taken of their children or of their entire families when they see how easy and convenient it is, so have order forms handy at the event.
Benefits of Church Photo Fundraising
A photography fundraiser provides the church and photographer with an opportunity to make money and the families with an opportunity for a convenient photo.
- Photographers earn money from the job and get a chance to market themselves for future business.
- Families get to take part in a fun fundraiser and walk away with beautiful memories.
- The church raises money and provides a valuable service to its congregation.
About Photography Fundraisers
A photography fundraiser can be a great option for churches looking for creative ways to raise funds while providing services that will be of value to the members of their congregations. The church typically provides a place for the photographer to set up and markets the photo opportunities to congregants. The photographer generally agrees to charge a fair price for photo packages and to pay the church a commission on all photos sold as a result of the fundraiser.
Schedule Your Fundraiser
Church fundraisers are meant to be fun and mutually beneficial to all involved. If you think a photography fundraiser is a good choice for your church, it's time to get started making your plans now.
