Key Takeaways
- Small churches can raise $5,000+ with simple fall campaigns using proven strategies like pumpkin patches and harvest festivals
- Pumpkin patch fundraisers offer zero upfront risk with consignment models, churches keep 30-50% of all sales
- Fall bake sales and chili cook-offs require minimal investment but generate strong community engagement and donations
- Themed offering envelopes boost giving by 15-32% when churches accept digital and physical donations
- Hayride and bonfire events combine low costs with high attendance, perfect for family-friendly fundraising
- Thanksgiving basket auctions tap into seasonal generosity while serving community needs
- Autumn coin folder campaigns provide tangible giving goals that children and families can rally around together
Introduction
One small church in Georgia raised nearly $20,000 with a single fall fundraiser. Their secret? They transformed their traditional pumpkin patch into a community festival with sponsorships, activities, and a clear mission focus.
Fall is hands-down the best season for church fundraising. The cool weather, holiday spirit, and the rush to meet end-of-year goals create a perfect environment for nonprofits to raise money. With the excitement of upcoming holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving, people are more willing to get involved in events.
Here’s what you’ll discover in this guide: proven autumn campaigns with real cost-benefit breakdowns, exactly how much effort each idea requires, and which strategies work best for small churches with tight budgets.
Let’s dive into 10 fall fundraising ideas that actually deliver results.
What Makes Fall the Perfect Fundraising Season?
Timing matters more than you think.
Almost half (49%) of churchgoers give by credit card or other electronic means, while 40% give by cash. But here’s the kicker: 60% of church donations come during the last quarter of the year, especially in December.
That means your fall campaigns set the stage for year-end giving success. Fall events and festivals are exciting ways to promote your church and raise funds. Because the holiday season is just around the corner, they’re also a chance to find new donors and form relationships before the biggest fundraising season of the year.
The seasonal advantage is real. People are naturally more generous as holidays approach, and autumn activities bring families together in ways summer events can’t match.
How Can Pumpkin Patch Sales Transform Your Church Budget?
Cost: Low (consignment model)
Effort: Medium (requires volunteers)
Potential Return: $3,000-$20,000
This is the heavyweight champion of fall church fundraisers.
Churches make an average of $5,000 a year on $15,000 total sales with pumpkin patches. But some churches do way better. One church raised almost $20,000 from their pumpkin patch picking festival.
Here’s why pumpkin patches work: No risk, no money up front, pay only for what you sell.
Companies like Pumpkins USA ship pumpkins on consignment. You only pay for what you sell, and you keep a significant percentage.
How it works:
- Partner with a pumpkin supplier who delivers on consignment
- Set up your church lawn or parking lot with displays
- Recruit volunteers for 2-hour shifts throughout October
- The best advertising is the visual impact of a sea of orange
The biggest increase came from sponsorships by community partners, restaurants, doctors’ offices, construction companies, and even other nonprofit organizations. One sponsor agreed to double whatever is earned from pumpkin sales.
Pro Tip: Add activities like pumpkin carving contests, family photos, and face painting to boost attendance and create a festival atmosphere.
Why Do Harvest Festivals Bring the Highest Attendance?
Cost: Medium ($200-$500)
Effort: High (requires planning and volunteers)
Potential Return: $2,000-$8,000
A Harvest Festival is one of the perfect fall fundraising ideas that celebrate the autumn season with fun, family-friendly activities. It’s a great way to engage community members and raise money.
The magic of harvest festivals? They’re not just fundraisers, they’re community builders.
To make your Harvest Festival stand out, include popular autumn activities like pumpkin patches, hayrides, and apple bobbing. These activities attract families and make it a fun day for all ages. Set up booths for local food vendors to sell seasonal treats like apple cider donuts or caramel apples.
Revenue streams to include:
- Admission tickets ($5-$10 per family)
- Food vendor booth rentals
- Game tickets or wristbands
- Craft fair vendor fees
- Photo booth charges
Fall festivals can be a great way to connect with the community, raise more funds, and solidify crucial donor relationships.
The key is making it an annual tradition. When your church becomes known as “the harvest festival church,” people mark their calendars a year in advance.
What Makes Fall Bake Sales So Profitable?
Cost: Minimal ($50-$100)
Effort: Low to Medium
Potential Return: $500-$2,000
Don’t underestimate the humble bake sale. Seriously.
Fall brings out the best bakers in your congregation. Pumpkin bread, apple pies, cinnamon rolls, and everything pumpkin spice sells like crazy.
How to maximize profits:
- Host it after Sunday service when everyone’s already there
- Price items slightly higher than grocery stores, people expect it
- Offer “whole pie” pre-orders for Thanksgiving (that’s where the big money is)
- Bundle items: “3 cookies for $5” moves inventory fast
- Accept card payments with a simple Square reader
Churches that had a cake decorating contest to supply the baked items found that it turned out even better because it engaged more people and created buzz.
Real Talk: One small church raised $1,200 from a single Saturday bake sale by pre-selling 40 pumpkin pies at $30 each for Thanksgiving.
How Can Thanksgiving Dinner Events Serve and Fundraise Simultaneously?
Cost: Medium to High ($300-$800)
Effort: High
Potential Return: $1,500-$5,000
Here’s a beautiful idea: host a community Thanksgiving dinner that serves those in need while raising funds for missions.
Charge $15-$25 per plate for those who can afford it, and serve meals free to those who can’t. The paying guests understand they’re covering costs for everyone.
Two models that work:
- Sit-down dinner: More formal, higher ticket price, better for smaller groups
- Carry-out style: Serve more people, lower overhead, family-friendly
Partner with local grocery stores for donated turkeys and ingredients. Many stores have community giving programs specifically for events like this.
The emotional connection people feel when giving AND serving at the same time? That’s when real generosity kicks in.
Why Are Autumn Coin Folder Campaigns Perfect for Families?
Cost: Very Low ($20-$50)
Effort: Low
Potential Return: $800-$3,000
Coin folders are criminally underused. They’re simple cardboard folders with slots for coins that families fill over several weeks.
Here’s why they work: kids love them. And when kids get excited about giving, parents follow.
How to run a coin folder campaign:
- Distribute themed autumn folders in late September
- Set a specific goal (new playground equipment, mission trip, building fund)
- Create a visual thermometer showing progress
- Celebrate when folders are returned with a pizza party or family movie night
Churches using coin folders report that families who might not write big checks happily fill a folder with $20-$50 in loose change. Multiply that by 50 families and you’ve got serious money.
Bonus: This teaches children about sacrificial giving in an age-appropriate way.
For tracking these donations, use themed offering envelopes that match your autumn campaign theme.
What Makes Hayride and Bonfire Nights Low-Risk, High-Reward?
Cost: Low ($100-$300)
Effort: Medium
Potential Return: $1,000-$3,000
Picture this: families sitting around a bonfire, roasting marshmallows, kids taking hayrides around the church property. It’s Norman Rockwell meets fundraising genius.
Why it works:
- Minimal setup costs if you have outdoor space
- $5-$10 per person or $25 per family is easy to justify
- Add food sales (hot dogs, s’mores kits, hot chocolate) for extra revenue
- Doesn’t require fancy equipment, just hay bales and a trailer
Safety first: Check local regulations for open fires and get proper insurance coverage. Have clear boundaries and adult supervision.
One church in North Carolina combines their hayride with a “glow walk” where kids follow an illuminated trail. They charge $8 per person and consistently raise $2,500+ on a Saturday evening.
The low barrier to entry makes this perfect for churches testing fall fundraising for the first time.
How Can a Fall Craft Fair Support Local Artisans and Church Missions?
Cost: Low ($50-$150 for marketing)
Effort: Medium
Potential Return: $1,200-$4,000
Turn your church into a one-day marketplace.
Charge crafters and vendors $25-$50 for table space. With 30-40 vendors, you’re already at $1,000+ before a single shopper walks in.
Additional revenue streams:
- Concession stand (coffee, baked goods, lunch items)
- Raffle tickets
- Church merchandise table
- “Goodie bag” sales at the door ($5 with coupons and samples)
This event is easy to add to a larger fall festival, bringing you more fundraising opportunities and a chance to boost event attendance.
Promote your craft fair on local Facebook community groups, that’s free marketing that actually works. Start promoting 6-8 weeks in advance.
Smart tip: Reserve a few tables for church members to sell their crafts, with proceeds going to the church. It builds ownership and participation.
Why Do Apple Picking Fundraisers Create Lasting Memories?
Cost: Variable (depends on orchard partnership)
Effort: Low to Medium
Potential Return: $800-$2,500
Partner with a local apple orchard for a church group outing.
Here’s how it works: Negotiate a group rate with the orchard, then charge church families slightly more. The difference is your fundraiser. Most orchards are happy to work with churches, it brings them business.
Example breakdown:
- Orchard charges: $8 per person
- Church charges: $12 per person
- 100 people attend = $400 profit
Add on:
- Selling caramel apple kits ($5 each)
- Group photos ($10 per family)
- Pre-order apple pies made by church members
What would a fall festival be without pumpkin or apple picking? This simple and fun activity is a tradition for a reason.
The relational value here is huge. Families bond over shared experiences, and those memories get associated with your church community.
How Can Chili Cook-Off Competitions Drive Engagement and Donations?
Cost: Minimal ($50-$100)
Effort: Medium
Potential Return: $600-$2,000
Friendly competition brings out the best in people, and their wallets.
Host a chili cook-off where members pay an entry fee ($10-$20) to compete, and attendees pay to taste and vote ($5-$8).
Categories that work:
- Best Traditional Chili
- Spiciest Chili
- Most Creative Chili
- Best Vegetarian Chili
- People’s Choice
Chili cook-offs draw in the crowds and raise awareness and funds for your good cause.
Get local businesses to sponsor prize baskets. They provide prizes, you give them recognition and promotion. It’s win-win.
Revenue sources:
- Entry fees from competitors
- Tasting tickets
- Beverage sales
- Cornbread and dessert sales
- 50/50 raffle
One creative church added a “voting donation”, people could donate extra money as votes for their favorite chili. The winning chef got bragging rights and their recipe in the church cookbook.
What Makes Thanksgiving Basket Auctions Perfect for November?
Cost: Low ($50-$100)
Effort: Medium
Potential Return: $1,000-$3,500
Have each child bring a small bag full of canned goods to school then arrange this food in harvest baskets. Then have the kids sell harvest basket raffle tickets for 50 cents a piece or 15 for $5. Last year one school made $1,200 just from this.
Thanksgiving baskets work beautifully because they serve a dual purpose: fundraising and community service.
Two approaches:
Raffle Model:
- Create 10-15 themed baskets (Italian dinner, movie night, baking supplies, etc.)
- Sell raffle tickets
- Winners drawn at Sunday service
- Leftover baskets donated to families in need
Auction Model:
- Silent auction over 2-3 Sundays
- Bidding sheets by each basket
- Creates more buzz and competition
- Generally brings higher returns
The key is making baskets attractive. Think $50+ retail value so people feel good about bidding $30-$40.
You can charge a small fee to join so you can collect funds, and you can also ask participants to make a little extra to share with a local shelter.
For collecting donations from these events, having well-designed offering envelopes makes the giving process feel more intentional and organized.
How Can You Maximize Results from Your Fall Fundraiser?
Here’s what the data tells us about successful church fundraising: About 70% of churches report that their most successful fundraising efforts involve personal appeals and face-to-face communication.
Your fall events create those face-to-face moments naturally.
Churches that actively promoted digital giving in their messaging saw an increase in overall giving. So even at autumn events, promote your online giving options.
Five keys to fundraising success:
- Start promoting early: 6-8 weeks before your event
- Make it easy to give: Accept cash, cards, and digital payments
- Tell the story: Share exactly where the money goes
- Thank people publicly: Recognition matters
- Track everything: Know what works for next year
Churches that actively communicate their mission and impact experience a 15% higher donation rate.
Smart strategy: Combine multiple ideas. Your pumpkin patch can include a bake sale, craft fair booth, and coin folder distribution. Layering fundraisers multiplies results without multiplying effort.
Consider your offering materials too. Using themed offering envelopes during fall campaigns helps create a cohesive seasonal giving experience.
What Should You Do Right After Your Fall Fundraiser?
Don’t let the momentum die.
Within 48 hours:
- Thank every volunteer personally
- Post photos and results on social media
- Send a thank-you email to all participants
- Calculate actual profit (not just revenue)
Within one week:
- Hold a debrief meeting with your team
- Document what worked and what didn’t
- Start a file for next year with notes
- Share impact stories with the congregation
Faith-based charitable giving tends to spike during economic downturns, with a 12% increase during the 2020 pandemic. Even in tough times, people want to give, you just need to make it easy and meaningful.
The churches that see consistent fundraising success? They’re not doing anything magical. They’re just running proven campaigns year after year, improving as they go.
Conclusion
Fall fundraising works because it combines seasonal joy with genuine community connection.
You don’t need a massive budget or a huge congregation. That small church that raised $20,000? They started with a basic pumpkin patch and added elements year by year.
Start with one idea from this list. Execute it well. Build on it next year.
Whether you choose a pumpkin patch, harvest festival, or simple bake sale, the key is taking action. Churches that consistently raise funds are simply churches that consistently try.
Your next step: Pick one fundraiser from this list, set a date, and recruit your team this week. Not next month. This week.
The autumn season waits for no one. Your community is ready to support your church’s mission, give them opportunities to do it joyfully.
Ready to Make Your Fall Fundraising Campaign Even Better?
Take your autumn campaigns to the next level with themed offering envelopes and coin folders that inspire generosity. Explore our collection of fall-themed church supplies and discover tools that make giving easy and meaningful. From harvest-themed offering envelopes to customizable donation materials, find everything you need to run your best fall fundraiser yet!
