There’s Always Money in the Banana Stand: Creative Ideas for Funding Ministry Beyond the Offering Plate
Arrested Development is one of my all-time favorite shows (well, the original three seasons. We don't need to talk about the later revivals). I’ve been rewatching it with my son this summer, which means running gags and one-liners are flying around our house nonstop. Naturally, that includes the infamous line uttered by patriarch George Bluth: “There’s always money in the banana stand!”
If you aren't familiar with the show, here is the quick setup: George Sr. repeatedly insists to his son, Michael, that there is money in the family's frozen banana stand. Michael assumes his dad means the stand is a solid, profitable business that can always turn a profit. In reality, George had literally lined the walls of the wooden stand with $250,000 in cash. Frustrated by what he thinks is a failing business, Michael burns the banana stand to the ground, along with a quarter-million dollars in the process.
Minus the arson and insurance fraud, I think this holds a profound lesson for churches today. So many congregations feel like they're running on empty, unaware that they might actually be sitting on hidden resources right under their noses.
The Shifting Landscape of Church Giving
Churches across the country are wrestling with rising costs (building maintenance, staffing, and ministry operations) alongside shrinking annual budgets. Generosity is changing as generations shift. People don’t attend church the way they used to, nor do they give the way they used to. While there’s a dwindling sense of institutional obligation to give, there is still a deep desire to give toward initiatives that make a tangible, real-world difference. The traditional annual stewardship campaign can no longer be the only engine driving a church’s vision.
Unfortunately, financial strain causes many churches to stop dreaming, innovating, or thinking creatively about their community impact. Too many ministry leaders spend all their energy bailing water out of a leaking boat rather than setting sail for a new horizon.
While property and real estate considerations deserve their own deep dive (stay tuned for a future post!), let’s dream about some creative ways to begin resourcing your ministry right now.
NOTE: Take a look at Grace Duddy Pomroy’s book Funding Forward; a pathway to more sustainable models of ministry for a deeper dive on all of these!
Clarity First, Funding Second
Before diving into the list, a quick caveat: funding strategies must follow vision, not lead it. These ideas won’t work if your primary goal is simply "meet our annual budget" or "get more people in the pews."
Effective ministry funding requires clarity:
Who are you trying to reach?
What specific problems or needs exist in their lives?
How is God calling your church to uniquely address those issues?
Whether you’re carving out a specific project from your general budget or launching a brand-new initiative, clarity of mission is your foundation. You cannot answer, "How do we fund what God is calling us to do?" until you know what that calling actually is. Get clear on the mission first; then pursue the right funding strategy.
1. Internal Funding Strategies
Churches usually look inward first, and that’s a great starting point. Internal funding signals to outside partners that your congregation is genuinely invested alongside them. Here are a few ways to unlock resources already inside your walls:
Budget Realignment: Look at where your money currently goes and ask how those resources might be reprioritized toward a new direction. The benefit? A stable, long-term funding stream. The tradeoff? You have to make tough, intentional choices about what stops getting funded.
Benevolence Funds: Many churches let benevolence funds pile up, keeping them tightly earmarked for emergency assistance. But if a fund sits untouched, why not put it to work? If you're launching an outward-facing ministry that directly serves community needs, realigning some of these funds for a targeted commitment can jumpstart the work.
Endowment Bylaw Updates: Every endowment has stipulations, but what happens when funds are locked away for "organ maintenance" in a church that hasn't played the organ in a decade? It might be time to revisit those bylaws, look at the original intent of the donors, and see if those gifts can be freed up to support vibrant, current ministry goals.
Targeted Individual Fundraising: You likely have members in your congregation who are deeply passionate about specific causes (e.g., youth outreach, addiction recovery, food insecurity). Pitching a targeted vision to a few key supporters can secure the seed money needed to sustain a project for its first few years.
Special Offerings: Don't underestimate a simple, compelling call to action. Asking the congregation for a one-time special offering to bless a specific, tangible project can yield surprising results—especially when paired with donor-matching gifts.
Visionary Capital Campaigns: Capital campaigns aren't just for building additions or fixing roofs. You can tie new ministry endeavors directly into a campaign, giving people a compelling missional reason to pledge alongside facility needs.
2. External Funding Options
Grants: Often viewed as "free money," grants are incredibly valuable—but they are rarely effortless. They require clear financial reporting, significant time, and competitive applications. However, grantors (like the Lilly Endowment or denominational bodies) love funding church R&D, innovation, and community impact. Don't look to grants to pay your building’s electric bill, but do look to them to reach new people.
Crowdfunding: Platforms like GoFundMe or Kickstarter can rally external community members around a tangible project—like an after-school program, community garden, or neighborhood food pantry. Studies show that roughly 50% of crowdfunding contributors are new donors, making this a great way to build bridges outside your membership.
Strategic Partnerships: Ministry doesn't have to happen in a silo. Smaller churches can pool financial and volunteer resources together, or larger churches can sponsor niche community projects. Beyond other congregations, local non-profits and civic organizations are often eager to co-fund community-focused initiatives led by a church.
Impact Investing: This isn't traditional charity; it's an investment where the capital is expected to return to the investor, sometimes with a modest yield. This could look like finding supporters who offer low-interest loans to the church instead of relying on a traditional bank. Flip the script: if your church has a healthy endowment, you can invest a portion of it into other kingdom-minded ministries, earning a return while multiplying local impact.
Unlocking What's Already There
Funding ministry in today’s culture requires us to put down the bucket, stop frantically bailing water, and start looking at the walls around us with fresh eyes. The resources you need to take your next faithful step might already be within reach—or hiding in plain sight.
You don't have to figure out the roadmap alone. Whether you need help clarifying your vision, crafting a sustainable funding strategy, or finding and applying for grants, Ministry Architects is here to walk alongside you.
Maybe some of the stories of people we’ve worked with might inspire you:
Still Waters Landing - An innovative food-and-faith-based ministry to serve our local community
Try Pie - A teen employment program that uses work as a tool to engage and equip young women for their futures.
Gastrochurch - Intentional conversation about spiritual things over really good food!
Ready to uncover what’s possible for your ministry? Reach out to me directly at scott.pontier@ministryarchitects.com—let's start the conversation.
