Money is one of the biggest concerns when planning any type of event, and especially when it comes to retreats. As a retreat coordinator, you want to provide your guests with an excellent experience, but you also need to make sure you can cover the cost of everything.
A few key components that you may need additional funds to pay for are:
- Your retreat speaker, musicians, workers
- Snacks, water, etc.
- Welcome bags
- Retreat crafts
- Themed decorations
- Scholarships for people who can’t afford the event
- This list could go on and on!
You want to put on a high-quality event, but not at the expense of your entire operating budget for the year. Of course, you don’t want to spend all your time worrying about finances when you should be focused on your attendees and bringing them closer to Christ.
But money is definitely an issue that needs to be addressed early on. So how do you raise funds for your retreat in the quickest and most efficient way?
By implementing this one simple step. Marking up the registration fee!
Many people have difficulty learning to accept this, but it is necessary to cover costs.
But wait! How do you do this without breaking everyone’s bank? Here’s how:
Raising the Retreat Fee
Now, obviously, you want to avoid having an outrageous registration fee, as this will deter a great number of people from attending. But if there is any room for an increase, and you are struggling to find the money for your retreat’s essentials, the key may just be to raise the fee.
Such a change would need to be planned well in advance so that your potential attendees aren’t caught by surprise at the last minute. This is also a decision that you will need to discuss with your entire planning team and gather multiple opinions about.
Raising the retreat fee may be beneficial, but it is not a choice to be made lightly.
Prerequisites for the Raise
In order to be able to raise the retreat fee, you have to make sure that the actual cost is as low as possible to begin with. One important precaution that you can take beforehand is reserving an affordable event venue.
If you are able to find a Christian campground that is both high-quality and affordable, you’ll be able to minimize the cost of the retreat and charge your attendees a little extra to help fund the essentials.
There are many Christian venues that offer full-service experiences at very affordable rates. Be sure to research our directory for your state to find the perfect one.
The Results
Once you decide to raise the retreat fee, the process is actually quite simple to understand and execute. For example, if a one-night retreat is $85 for the cost of the facility, your church can tack on an extra $10 without losing too many potential attendees. To be honest, at a $10 increase, you probably won’t lose any at all!
An additional $10 isn’t a big increase, but it could potentially yield an extra $400-500 for a 40-50 person retreat. This money can go a long way toward paying for common retreat expenses such as speakers, welcome kits, door prizes, and activities.
It’s worth it to you and your guests to have a great spiritual retreat. Some things are worth investing in.
