Leading the modern puppet ministry for 30 years!

There are many methods of raising funds for ministries. From bake sales to pizza sales, yard sales and garage sales, car washes or pet washes, the options are all over the map. But when it comes to raising money for puppet ministries, you can always do something different.

Do something only a puppet team can get away with. Do something weird.

For instance, instead of doing an activity that is completely unrelated to your ministry to raise money, why not use the puppets themselves as a fund-raiser? There are two common ways to do this.

"Missionaries"

    One way is kind of like a sponsorship for a little stuffed "missionary." Your puppets can be presented to the congregation of your church as "actual" ambassadors that need support money in order to be able to do the ministry they have been "called" to do. Although the presentation is obviously tongue-in-cheek, it is still truthful to say "it takes money to buy puppets and stages and props!"

Although there are a variety of ways to accomplish this kind of fund-raiser, here is the basic idea:

    You can present a puppet to the congregation and tell about your ministry. Talk about your goals for the ministry and where those goals may lead. (If a mission trip is a part of those goals, where do you expect to travel?) Individuals can then sponsor this puppet as though it is a missionary going to a foreign land. Working the pitch into a puppet sketch isn’t hard. The puppet can act like he is going to a new land and he needs some companions to go on the mission trip. If the congregation isn’t willing to go along then they can sponsor some recruits who don’t have a choice in the matter!
    Pass out sponsor sheets and take a special offering, receive pledges or whatever is appropriate at your church. Follow up, after the money is received and puppets have been purchased, is a very good idea. Let the congregation know what was done with the money and how their donations ultimately worked.

It’s simple. It’s easy. It’s different.

"Adoptions"

    Another way is to have adoptions. The basic premise of the adoption is to have specific people or families "adopt" specific puppets that you need. The goal is to have one person essentially pay for one puppet for your team. They do this by sponsoring a specific puppet under the idea that he or she is "adopting" a puppet, by name, so you can use it for your ministry. Details can be worked out in a variety of creative ways. The following should get you started.

Have a someone make up a fancy little adoption sheet on a word processor or publishing program. The "adoption" sheet should include:

• All sorts of background info on the puppet/s you wish to buy. Perhaps a tongue-in-cheek "sad" story of a lonely puppet, or a humorous bio of a puppet’s "birth."
• Spaces for adoptive "parents" names.
• A photo of the puppet (when possible.)
• Perhaps spaces for eye color, hair color, and skin color (age and height can also be funny.)
• Price of adoption (puppet cost.)
• -or-
  A blank spot for the individual to indicate how much they would like to offer.
  (If you want to go a different route entirely, you can offer something like "For the price of a cup of coffee a day for 3 months, you can give this child a chance to reach his full potential.")

    Allow them to "adopt" a puppet, or co-adopt. That way one person or family can essentially purchase a puppet for your team, or go in with another person to buy it.

    When the paperwork is done, you have the money, and the puppets have been purchased, send a special "Thank You" letter that has "adoption papers" included. Show a picture of the puppet, along with it’s "birth certificate" and whatever clever info you think the person who sponsored your puppet would like. This gives the people who donated to your ministry a chance to feel they are a part of your ministry.

Both ideas have a lot of potential. You need to be creative and explore more involved and fun ways to present these. Remember that your ministry has the unique ability to help other ministries as well. As a puppet team you can make announcements and "advertise" other ministries on stage. By helping other ministries, you show that you play an important role in church activities.