Events Weeks cost money to organise and implement. However, it is money worth spending so people can hear the gospel!
Too often planning teams can make the mistake of starting with the budget and then limiting their plan. Always start with the vision first. You may not have the money yet, but an exciting vision for the week can motivate people to give… and can result in far greater reach than you first anticipated. And remember that not all good things are expensive… and not all expensive things are good!
Costs:
You can expect to spend money on:
- Venue booking
- Equipment hire
- Publicity
- Speakers’ expenses: some speakers just charge travelling expenses; others will have a set fee structure. If the speaker is dependent on other people’s giving for his/her living you may want to give more.
- Gifts for the CUGs.
- Expenses for other people involved — people giving testimonies / musicians.
- Food: You might be able to prepare this yourself, or ask local Christians for help providing it, to reduce costs. In some venues you will have to pay for in-house catering, which will cost more (but may be worth it, to secure the best venue).
- Literature to give away. (You can save money by buying books at reduced cost from www.10ofthose.com)
Fundraising:
We often feel awkward about asking for money, but Jesus said ‘It is more blessed to give than receive’ (Acts 20:35). It is a blessing to give so that people can hear the gospel!
The main source of income should be CU members themselves. Even though money is tight, encourage students to give sacrificially. It will help them feel more ownership over the week. It is also hard to ask others to give, if you aren’t giving generously yourselves.
Other sources of income:
- Churches — both those in the same town as your university and those attended by students back home. See Involving Local Churches
- Graduates — they will hopefully feel a connection, with a desire to support their former CU… and may now have the ability to give more than they did when they were students.
When communicating your financial needs it is important to be clear:
- Explain the vision for the week.
- Show the total budget for the week, and a breakdown of the various costs.
- Let them know how much the CU have already given and how much is still outstanding.
Keeping things organised:
- You may need to open a special Events Week bank account to keep things clear. If this isn’t practical, at least make sure all contributions for the Events Week are accounted for separately in the CU accounts.
- All requests for money and payment of bills need to be channelled through the same person who keeps a careful record (with receipts).
- Keep a record of who gives finance, so that you can communicate with them — they will want to know how the Events Week goes.
Things to do:
- Dream. Discuss your vision for the Events Week — start with a blank sheet and don’t be limited by finances at this stage.
- Budget. Create a budget that breaks down the costs in the different areas.
- Sources. Decide on a list of possible sources of income.
- Write. Produce a document or leaflet that you can easily send out to potential donors. See a good example here.
- Record. Keep clear accounts showing all income and expenditure.