M&M’s Fundraiser

Here’s a cheap and easy fundraiser that says “thanks” to the congregation for their help with your last trip, and kick-off your fundraising for the next trip.

Purchase a couple cases of mini M&M’s candies in tubes. When you have your youth share their experience from the last Youth Gathering or Mission Trip with the congregation, have them give congregation members a “thank you” of mini M&M’s for their support of the Missions and Ministry of your church’s Youth Ministry. Then have one of the youth encourage the congregation to empty the candy from the tubes, fill them with quarters (one small tube holds $14 worth of quarters, and the big ones hold $22) and return them. Be sure to let the church members know that the M&M stands for “Missions and Ministry,” and more important than the money, ask them to pray for your group’s mission trip every time they add a quarter to the tube or eat some M&M’s. It helps to set a deadline for returning the tubes of no more than four weeks (but don’t stop accepting filled tubes just because your deadline has passed). It also helps to set a goal for your congregation. For example if you know the approximate cost per youth of your next mission trip, set that as the overall goal for your congregation. Be sure to give weekly updates of how much money has been brought in so church members can see if they are close to the goal. Don’t forget, everything we have is blessing from the Lord, so be sure to tithe your fundraisers. Finally, before you hand out your “thank you,” be sure to attach to the M&M tubes a message similar to this one:

Thanks to DCE Mark Engelhardt for this great fundraising idea! It was previously published on thESource and updated in March 2012.