Once you decide you need a new kitchen, the next question is often ‘how do we pay for it?’ Especially in the current economy, budgets are tight, so here are our tips for how to find the funds to get the kitchen your church or community centre needs.
Raising donations to renovate your kitchen
A tried and tested approach to fundraising for church and community projects is to ask for donations from the congregation and the neighbourhood. Personal donations can go a long way to reaching a target, especially when you have engaging outreach to go with it.
Small things can make a big difference. Having a totaliser with milestones helps to visualise progress and motivate people to help reach a goal. You might also consider offering some recognition to donors, such as having their names on a board, plaque, or simply acknowledged in a newsletter.
Don’t forget that local businesses may also be keen to contribute, as they often have a deep sense of belonging in the community.
What grants are available for your kitchen renovation?
You can supplement or cover your fundraising with grants from various organisations. If your purpose fits their criteria, it is always worthwhile to explore an application.
Sources like The National Lottery Community Fund, Dulverton Trust, Church Urban Fund, or Cinnamon Network are some options. If you can demonstrate community value and impact, then you are likely to qualify for assistance. That’s not to say you are guaranteed to get funded, but it is always a good idea to throw your hat in the ring.
TIP: When you are pursuing funds, it can be tempting to ‘grant chase’, and try to fit your cause to the criteria of the awarding body. However, not only is it hard to achieve that, it is also not a good idea. The point of a new kitchen is to serve your community — your community is not there to serve a new kitchen.
Events and revenue generation
Though time- and labour-intensive, running events and even small-scale enterprise can be highly effective ways of raising funds. Talent shows, raffles, and fetes generate goodwill and awareness as well as funds, and, if successful, can become regular fixtures and community fundraisers.
You might even find setting up a small temporary café would be effective. If your building has regular foot traffic past it, or sits near a park or anywhere people gather, you might find a market for drinks and snacks. A successful food business will also offer you a glimpse into the potential of your new kitchen, which could (if you wished) operate a café at a much bigger scale, thanks to better durability, design, hygiene, and equipment.
When you are thinking about the funds you need to raise, start with what sort of kitchen you need. For a church or community group, we would always recommend a semi-commercial kitchen, with a colourful mild steel carcass and door system, complemented with a stainless-steel worktop. That way you have a kitchen that is robust enough to handle heavy usage, but not industrial and intimidating like a full commercial-style kitchen would be. Curious about the design that would suit your kitchen? Get in touch with the experts at Steelplan Kitchens, and we can help you choose the colour, layout, equipment, and specifications that will make the perfect kitchen for you. Call 0844 809 9186 or email [email protected].
