How can we pay for this?

Budgets are tight everywhere, so the first question judicatory staff have is: How can we find the money to pay for this? While it is generally possible to add this to a diocesan budget after the first year, getting that first year funded is often a challenge.

We have offered Judicatory Memberships for years and have heard how dioceses found those funds:

• If your congregations have purchased the CYM in the last three months, we will subtract their fee from the cost of your first year membership fee. 
• If you order in the fall, we are willing to split your first year's fee over two budget years (pay half now and half in January). Or call us to talk about a payment plan if you need time to raise funds. 
• Ask your largest and/or endowed congregations to contribute to the diocese to support this ministry. 
• Some bishops have discretionary funds that can help fund the first year's fee.
• Some dioceses have asked all congregations to contribute -- and sometimes have raised more money than they needed!
• Ask individual donors to contribute -- youth ministry is very popular and this is something many people would be willing to support.
• While congregation budgets also may not have extra funds, an request for donations often leads to significant contributions. E.g., one youth group asked their parish family to give $20 or whatever they could afford and then passed the hat -- literally! Five minutes later they had almost double what they needed to pay for their congregational membership.
• Set up a diocesan Angel's Fund -- and invite individual donor to be an Angel Investor and invest in the youth of the church
• Take a special offering at your diocesan convention -- tie it to a youth ministry report or perhaps a presentation or participation by youth (e.g., during a worship service where you lead the music).

We hope these ideas will help you come up with some creative ways to find the funding for a judicatory sponsorship.