Church chairs can be a large investment for a congregation. You likely have a budget in mind, and hope to stay in that budget. You may have even considered buying from a cheap manufacturer to save money. Sure, you might be wondering – is church seating a good place to save money, but there are better ways to stay in your budget without sacrificing quality! Here are some common ways to fund a large purchase. These options could help finance your church chairs.
- Apply for A Loan from a Private Lender
- Apply for a Grant
- Start a Giving Drive in Your Congregation
- Host a Fundraising Event
- Financing Options Directly from the Manufacturer
Apply for A Loan from a Private Lender
There are dozens of private lenders that might be willing to help you finance your purchase. The most common type of lender is a bank or financial institution. An individual may also be willing to loan you money, but this is a much riskier situation. With an established financial institution, the terms of the loan are clear, and you know you’re working with a reputable lender.
Apply for a Grant
Your church must be classified as a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization in order to be eligible for grants, but this is a great way to receive funds. Governments, corporations, and foundations often award grants. There are websites out there that list grant opportunities, like ChristianVolunteering.org. You could also talk to members of your community. They may know of a foundation that funds religious institutions.
Once you’ve found a grant opportunity, you’ll need to fill out an application. This is where you will make a case for why your church should receive these funds. While there are professional grant writers you could hire to help, there are also plenty of tips for applying for a grant on the internet.
Start a Giving Drive in Your Congregation
Since this purchase will benefit the entire congregation, your members will likely be willing to help fund it. Start a giving drive for the purchase and encourage church members to give. You could even set up a crowdfunding page online to make it as easy as possible to contribute.
If you notice that some members give sporadically or not at all, you could even just encourage everyone to start contributing weekly. That little bit of extra money could help fund the purchase.
Host a Fundraising Event
Consider hosting an event for members of the community outside your church. Festivals, car washes, bake sales, and bingo games are all fun and relatively inexpensive activities. You can hold the fundraiser at your church to avoid the cost of renting facilities. Ask your congregation to volunteer and donate supplies so you can maximize your profits from the event.
Financing Options Directly from the Manufacturer
Any reputable church chair manufacturer will offer its own financing options. Anyone who understands the church chair industry knows that this is a major purchase, similar to a car or house. You cannot be expected to pay the entire cost of church seating all at once.
At ChurchPlaza, we offer financing options for a variety of budgets through Hampton Ridge Financial. View our financing options, or contact us with any questions today.
