Raise funds for your church or mosque
Pool contributions from your whole congregation for a building project, a mission, or a member in need. One link, mobile money, and a ledger everyone can see.
About Religion & Faith-Based Support fundraising in Africa
Faith communities have always raised money together. The harvest offering, the building fund, the special collection for a family that lost a breadwinner. What has changed is that members no longer all sit in the same pews on the same Sunday. They are in Nairobi, in Mombasa, in the diaspora, scattered across cities and time zones. SenteMe gives your church or mosque one shareable link so every member can contribute by mobile money from wherever they are, and everyone can watch the total grow.
This category is for any cause a congregation pools money toward. Church building funds and renovation projects. Mosque construction and the cost of a new well or ablution block. Mission trips and outreach. Pastor welfare, imam support, and provision for a retiring servant of the community. Sunday-school materials, madrasa fees, choir robes, sound systems. And the quiet, urgent needs: a member facing a medical bill, a widow who needs help with rent, a student whose fees are short. Whether you frame it as a church fundraiser, a harambee, or a community collection, the mechanics are the same.
What makes online giving work for a faith group is trust, and trust comes from transparency. Every SenteMe campaign carries a public running ledger. Each contribution appears with the giver's name (or anonymous, if they choose) and the amount. Every withdrawal is recorded too, so the treasurer cannot move money quietly and members never have to wonder where the offering went. For a church building fund that runs for years, this record matters as much as the total.
Creating a campaign is free. There is no setup cost and no monthly fee. SenteMe takes a flat 7.5% from each contribution, deducted only at withdrawal, so contributors pay nothing extra on top of what they give. A member who sends 1,000 sends 1,000, and the fee comes off the pooled total when the committee withdraws. This keeps the giving clean and the math easy to explain from the front of the room.
SenteMe works across 12 African countries and supports the mobile-money services your members already use, so an usher does not have to chase cash after the service and a building committee does not have to bank a sack of notes. Set a clear target, write down what the money is for, share the link in your WhatsApp group and from the pulpit, and let the congregation give at their own pace. The transparency that holds a community together online is the same transparency that holds it together in person.
How to raise money for religion & faith-based support
01
Name the cause and set a clear target
Be specific. "Roof repairs for the main hall, target 800,000" raises more than "building fund." Members give more confidently when they know exactly what the money buys and how close you are to the goal. Add a short deadline if the need has one, like a harvest service or a roof before the rains.
02
Choose who withdraws and who can see it
Decide as a committee, not as one person. Many churches and mosques nominate the treasurer plus a second signatory and announce both names. Because the ledger is public, every member effectively becomes an auditor, which protects both the leaders and the funds.
03
Share the link everywhere your members are
Read it out after the sermon or the Friday prayer, pin it in the congregation WhatsApp group, and send it to members in the diaspora who want to keep giving from abroad. One link works for everyone, on any phone, with any mobile-money line.
04
Report back from the front
Give a short update each week or each month. "We are at 60% of the roof fund, thank you." Reading the running total aloud keeps momentum, invites the members who have not yet given, and shows the whole body that the collection is being handled in the open.
05
Withdraw and show the receipt
When you pay the contractor or settle the welfare need, withdraw from the pooled fund and let the ledger record it. Then tell the congregation what was bought. Closing the loop in public is what turns a one-time collection into a community that trusts the next one.
How to support religion & faith-based support causes
Open the link and read the ledger
Tap the campaign link and you will see the target, the running total, and every contribution and withdrawal so far. Read it before you give. A faith collection that shows its books openly is one you can support with confidence.
Give what you can by mobile money
Send any amount from your own mobile-money line in a few taps. There is no extra charge to you as a giver. Whether you offer a tithe, a one-time gift, or a monthly pledge, every contribution lands in the same pooled fund.
Choose to be named or anonymous
Your name can appear on the public ledger beside your gift, or you can give quietly without it showing. Both are honored. Some members like the encouragement a named gift gives others, and some prefer the discretion their faith teaches.
Share it with the wider community
Forward the link to former members, to the diaspora, and to friends of the congregation who would want to help. A mosque well or a church roof often gets finished because someone two cities away saw the link and gave.
Frequently asked questions
How do I start a church building fund online?
Create a free SenteMe campaign, name the project (for example a roof, a hall, or a new sanctuary), and set a target your committee agrees on. Share the single link in your congregation WhatsApp group and read it out after the service. Members contribute by mobile money at their own pace, and the public ledger shows every shilling raised toward the goal.
Can a mosque collect contributions for construction through SenteMe?
Yes. SenteMe is non-denominational and is used for mosque builds, wells, ablution blocks, and other masjid projects just as it is for church projects. Set the target, nominate trusted signatories to handle withdrawals, and share the link with the jamaat. Every contribution and withdrawal is recorded publicly so the funds are handled transparently.
What fees does SenteMe charge a church or mosque?
Creating a campaign is free and there is no monthly cost. SenteMe takes a flat 7.5% from each contribution, deducted only when the committee withdraws. Contributors pay nothing extra, so a member who gives 1,000 gives the full 1,000, and the fee comes off the pooled total at withdrawal.
How can members trust that the offering is handled honestly?
Every SenteMe campaign has a public running ledger that lists each contribution and each withdrawal with dates. Members do not have to take anyone's word for the total because they can open the link and see it themselves. This open record is the main reason faith communities use the platform for building funds and welfare collections.
Can members in the diaspora give to our congregation?
Yes, as long as they can reach a supported mobile-money service in one of the 12 countries SenteMe operates in. Many congregations share the link specifically so members abroad can keep contributing to the building fund or a welfare need back home. The single link works the same for everyone.
Can we raise money for a pastor's or imam's welfare?
Yes. Pastoral support, imam welfare, and provision for a retiring or unwell servant of the community are common reasons to pool funds. Name the purpose clearly, set a target, and share the link with members who want to honor their leader. The ledger keeps the gift dignified and accountable.
How do we collect for a member in need without embarrassing them?
Frame the campaign around the need rather than the person, and let contributors give anonymously if they wish. For a medical bill or a bereaved family, you can describe the situation respectfully without sharing private details. The pooled fund reaches the family, and the ledger reassures givers their contribution arrived.
Is there a limit to how long a campaign can run?
No. A welfare collection might run for a week, while a church building fund or mosque construction can run for months or years. The running ledger keeps a full history the whole time, so even a multi-year project has a clear, public record of everything raised and spent.
Can we run a harvest or thanksgiving collection this way?
Yes. Harvest offerings, thanksgiving drives, and annual special collections work well as SenteMe campaigns because members can give before, during, and after the service from their phones. Set the target, announce it from the front, and read the running total aloud to keep the giving going.
Who should be allowed to withdraw the funds?
Decide as a committee rather than leaving it to one person. Most churches and mosques nominate the treasurer plus a second trusted signatory and announce both names to the congregation. Because every withdrawal appears on the public ledger, the arrangement protects both the leaders and the community's money.
Do contributors need the SenteMe app to give?
No. Contributors just open the shared link and give with their own mobile-money line. There is no account to create and no app required for giving, which matters when you want every member, including older ones, to be able to contribute easily.
Example scenarios
What religion & faith-based support fundraising looks like
Hypothetical, composite examples. No real person is named.
A church roof in Kisumu
Imagine a congregation in Kisumu whose main hall leaks every rainy season. The building committee sets a target for new roofing sheets and labor, shares the link after Sunday service and in the church WhatsApp group, and reads the running total aloud each week. Members in Nairobi and the diaspora give alongside those at home, and the public ledger shows the fund climbing until the contractor is paid.
A mosque well in a rural town
Picture a jamaat in a small town raising money for a borehole and ablution facilities at the masjid. The committee nominates two signatories, names them to the congregation, and shares the link after Friday prayer. Contributions come in by mobile money over several weeks, and because every withdrawal is recorded, members can see the well being funded and built without anyone wondering where the money went.
Welfare for a bereaved family
Consider a member whose family lost its breadwinner. The congregation opens a welfare campaign described around the need rather than the family's private details, and contributors give, many of them anonymously. The pooled fund covers immediate costs, the ledger confirms each gift arrived, and the family is supported with dignity by the whole community.
Resources for religion & faith-based support
- National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK)
Umbrella body for Christian communions in Kenya, useful for churches seeking guidance, registration, and community programs.
- Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM)
Umbrella body for Muslim organizations in Kenya, offering registration and certification support for mosques and Islamic groups.
- Caritas Internationalis
Global Catholic humanitarian network active across Africa, supporting parish and community development projects.
- Islamic Relief Worldwide
Faith-inspired humanitarian charity working in over 40 countries on emergency relief and community development.
- Muslim Hands
International charity funding wells, food aid, and orphan sponsorship across more than 50 countries.
- World Vision
Faith-based development organization running child sponsorship, water, and community programs worldwide.
- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Neutral humanitarian body for crisis support and family reconnection, useful for communities affected by conflict.