Budgeting. Yeah, we know. It’s not our favorite part of VBS either. But having a well-planned budget is one of the keys to a successful VBS and can help steer you in making all sorts of decisions. Here are a few suggestions for how to set and streeeetch your budget 😊.
- Determine your starting budget.
- If you haven’t been given a budget by your church leadership, take a look at what you spent last year (or the year before) and use that as your starting point.
- Next, add up what VBS will cost.
- To keep it simple, you can break VBS into 4 basic buckets:
- Decorating – backdrops, paint, hanging supplies, etc.
- Per-kid resources – these are items that you want to send home with each kid.
- Volunteer resources- this includes things like staff t-shirts and volunteer appreciation items.
- Program resources – station resources, registration resources, etc.
- To determine your overall program costs, look at the Master Supply List and Super Easy Order Form for your specific program.
- The Master Supply List shows everything needed for each station.
- The Super Easy Order Form quickly calculates resources based on the number of kids you’re planning to have at VBS.
- To keep it simple, you can break VBS into 4 basic buckets:
- Compare your starting budget and estimated cost. Is there a difference? No worries, we have some great fundraising & thrifty ideas to help cover the gap.
- Decorating:
- VBS decorating is all about thinking outside the box…and then using the box as your prop! Keep things like boxes, packing paper and poster tubes on hand to become masterpieces on your set!
- Ask your congregation members to donate or lend items that match your theme. For example, at Rocky Railway VBS we had people lend their Christmas trees with us to create a mountain scene!
- Check with your local hardware store to see if they offer discounted rates or supplies. Be sure to recognize them for their generosity!
- Per-Kid resources:
- Invite congregation members to “sponsor” children by contributing a per-child amount.
- Charge a per-child registration fee for VBS. Give discounts to families who register more than one child.
- Invite other church groups to “sponsor” a crew or resource. For example, if you have a prayer ministry, they could sponsor the Watch for God Wristbands.
- Program & Volunteer resources:
- Collect a VBS dedicated offering to cover expenses.
- Ask your congregation members to donate or lend items for your VBS stations.
- Reach out to local grocery and office supply stores who might offer discounted rates and supplies.
- Invite congregation members or groups to sponsor snack for one day.
- Decorating:
- Keep track of your expenses.
- Your budget can fluxuate throughout the planning season based on donations, fundraising efforts and differences in assumed costs. Keep a spreadsheet of what you spend so you can adjust your budget as needed!
