Christmas is not only about decorations or pockets full of snow. It is about giving and spreading joy. Gone are those days when you had to go to the local area to donate funds for your preferred charity. Whether you are a nonprofit, school, church, or just a kind-hearted group of people, Christmas is a time when it is easy to give back and raise money while doing it. People can donate money to anyone from anywhere in the world with some excellent Christmas fundraising ideas.
Why Christmas Is the Best Time for Fundraising
Christmas brings out the best in people. Christmas is literally the season of giving, and it just works the way it is supposed to, giving even the shy types the nudge to support a cause of interest to them. Some donors just want to be able to donate at year-end for tax purposes, while others want to make a difference in the community before year-end.
Fundraisers, and giving initiatives for Christmas, all see greater response, donations, community participation, than at any other time during the year. All that’s needed is a fun activity idea and perhaps a little Christmas cheer!
Are you ready to make a difference this Christmas? Then why not start your Christmas fundraiser today on WhyDonate!
22 Christmas Fundraising Ideas to Delight and Inspire
1. Christmas Carols
This is a fun way to get some friends who are not afraid to sing together and go around the neighborhood or to local events, to sing carols with a donation jar. You can even start offering pre-booked caroling visits for a fee! This is a wonderful way to get the community involved in festive Xmas fundraising ideas.
2. Christmas Tree Decoration Contest
Engage your community by inviting families to donate their time to decorate Christmas trees, either at your location or at home. Let everyone else vote for their favorite tree by donating. The tree with the highest amount of donations wins. It is one of the easiest Christmas fundraiser ideas for schools to facilitate.
3. Pet Pictures with Santa
Everyone loves a festive pet photo! Organize a pet photoshoot with Santa, and encourage your friends and community members to participate–ask to charge a fee and send them adorable digital copies of the photos. This would be a great addition to a Christmas donation drive!
4. Christmas Wreath Fundraiser
Organize a Christmas Wreath Fundraiser by selling handcrafted or locally sourced wreaths for the holidays. Partner with local artisans or volunteers to create beautiful designs. Promote orders online and in your community. All proceeds go toward your Christmas outreach or charity projects.
5. Holiday Themed Fun Run
Host a “Santa Dash,” or “Elf Run,” and invite runners to dress up and run for a cause! Charge a registration fee or suggest a donation fee to run. The finish area can include prizes or medals, hot apple cider, and candy canes! This is a great winter fundraising concept for adults and kids, this could even be a Christmas fundraiser for schools!
6. Christmas Card Selling Campaign
Design and sell Christmas greeting cards featuring original artwork by local artists, students, or volunteers. You can sell either printed cards or digital versions for more eco-friendly celebrations during the holidays. You can also couple this campaign with an additional Christmas donation drive.
7. Christmas Tree Pickup Services
Offer to pick up and recycle people’s real Christmas trees after the Christmas season for a small donation. You can partner with a recycling center to recycle the trees in an eco-friendly and efficient manner. This idea will also fit into your Christmas charity donation ideas as well.
8. Days of Giving Social Campaign
Each day, you will highlight a reason to support your cause or tell a beneficiary story. Add a link for people to donate and encourage Susie to share/forward it. This will give you a creative focus for your social media Christmas giving campaign.
9. Holiday Organization Donation
Many corporations welcome fundraisers during holidays, which gives employees the opportunity to donate to certain causes. Corporate organization employees are normally busy and don’t get time to focus on finding good fundraisers to contribute. That is why it can be one of the best Christmas fundraiser ideas to approach them and have them donate to your fundraiser by explaining the purpose of the funds.
10. Ugly Sweater Party
Charge an entry fee, if you’re creating any ugly sweater movement or competition. Group your holiday sweater event with music, cocoa, and a photo booth, to make it a night to remember. Prizes could be awarded for the ugliest, funniest and/or most original sweaters. This is also a great option whether it’s a private group fundraising event or whether you are hosting a church Christmas fundraising event.
11. Christmas Bake Sale
Get those cookies, cakes, and gingerbread! Plan a bake sale with a holiday twist that includes some seasonal favorites like mince pies, peppermint brownies, and yule logs of course. Go set up at local markets, at schools or even online! The friendly nature of a bake sale is an excellent Christmas fundraiser for schools.
Create your Christmas fundraiser, donate to a campaign, or join WhyDonate today to make this festive season truly meaningful.
12. Holiday Gift Wrapping Station
Shelton a gift wrapping balloon at your local mall, or the library, or church. Put up a gift wrapping booth with wrapping paper and ribbon and gift tags and just ask for a donation for a service. Helpful and good fundraiser to offer during a busy time in the holiday season. Include as part of your Christmas donation drive to build awareness.
13. Hot Chocolate Stand
The classic lemonade stand is not just reserved for summer: take the concept for winter and sell cups of hot chocolate with or without marshmallows, whipped cream, peppermint stirrers, or even all of the above. This is great at schools, markets, or after church! Allow for community building with this winter fundraising idea.
Related: Read even more creative winter fundraising ideas. Explore the full list now and find the perfect way to make a difference this season!
14. Charity Advent Calendar
Create a physical or online advent calendar, and for each day of advent, you can highlight a small challenge of donation, or a good deed for the day. Advent calendar campaigns can be included in your wider charity campaign for December, and shared on social media every day.
15. Festive Raffle or Silent Auction
Ask local businesses to donate holiday gifts or vouchers, and you can raffle them off, or run a silent auction online. This is a great way to raise money and support local businesses. These festive fundraising activities will be sure to generate buzz for those people to get involved with your cause.
16. Secret Santa for a Cause
Organize a Secret Santa gift exchange, but with a bit of a twist. Participants donate a set amount to participate, and a portion of that can be given to charity. You could even have clues that are donation-based to make it a little more enjoyable. This is a feel-good Christmas giving campaign idea that the entire community can take part in.
17. Virtual Christmas Market
Reach out to your small business owners, crafters, or artists to see if they would be interested in selling holiday-themed items. They can sell these items online and give a percentage of the donations to your fundraiser. Then you can market it within your social media and email campaigns. This is one of the newer Christmas fundraiser ideas that are gaining traction.
18. Christmas Film Night
Host a movie night featuring beloved holiday films such as Home Alone and Elf. You can sell popcorn, hot drinks, and snacks! Charge a small ticket price or ask for donations at the door. It is a cozy option for Christmas or church fundraiser ideas!
19. Reverse Advent Calendar Donation Drive
This idea requires no money! Rather than receiving something each day, ask your friends and community members to contribute one item each day throughout the month; then collect the donations and deliver them to shelters or food banks. It is a great Christmas charitable idea for communities.
20. Holiday Trivia Night
Host a Christmas-themed trivia night, providing rounds on Christmas movies, traditions, and Christmas songs with teams competing for holiday prizes at your church or community center. Charge teams an entry fee and sell some holiday snacks. All proceeds will go towards your holiday charity!
21. Christmas Karaoke Evening
Whether you are an excellent vocalist or a shower singer, we should acknowledge that karaoke is for everyone. Karaokes are fun and can be a fantastic excuse to fundraise for a cause. Everyone loves music and a night of laughter. And singing jolly Christmas songs that put the twang into the holidays is just lovely. You could also include refreshments and drink options, providing even more engagement and successful fundraising for the cause. Create a donation box where people can donate as much they can while having fun and making a difference.
22. Online Christmas Fundraising Campaign
Launch an online Christmas fundraising campaign through your website or online crowdfunding platforms. Encourage supporters to donate digitally to fund holiday meals, gifts, or charity programs. Share heartfelt stories and progress updates to inspire giving. Offer digital badges or thank-you messages to recognize donors.
How to Organize a Christmas Fundraiser
Here is a brief outline of organizing a Christmas fundraiser that captures the Christmas spirit and inspires people to donate:
- Select your cause: Identify a cause that resonates with your community that exhibits the spirit of giving this Christmas season.
- Set your fundraising goal: Be clear on how much you would like to raise, where the funds will go, or what effect you want the funds to have.
- Decide your event type: Think about the type of event you wish to hold (virtual, in person, or a hybrid of both).
- Plan logistical details as soon as possible: Please book your venue, organize volunteers, and get any approvals if needed.
- Promote your fundraiser: Promote your fundraiser through your community’s social media site, your newsletters to a local audience, or local newspapers.
- Thank your donors and provide the outcomes: Take the time to thank your donors (publicly) and provide the results, whether good or bad. You will receive the outcome, and hopefully it will inspire them to donate again the following year.
Launch your Christmas fundraising today on WhyDonate, the fast and perfect fundraising platform for you to reach more supporters internationally, and it is free!
Make the Most of This Season with Christmas Fundraiser Ideas
Christmas is all about kindness, giving, and coming together, and it is really the best time of the year to support a great cause. Whether your plans call for a small community activity or a large campaign, these Christmas fundraiser ideas will help you turn holiday cheer into meaningful contributions.
No matter how large or small your efforts become, every act of giving counts. So turn on your holiday lights, spread some holiday cheer, and your Christmas fundraising ideas for schools and community will brighten someone’s holiday season.
FAQs on Xmas Fundraising Ideas
1. When should I start to plan my Christmas fundraiser?
In general, you can think about planning your fundraiser as early as possible. But you should start planning in October or early November. This gives you adequate time to promote and prepare for your Christmas fundraiser.
2. How do I start a Christmas fund?
One of the effective ways you can manage this is by starting savings – setting targets for yourself and directing regular amounts into a different account. It is also possible to gather funds through online campaigns, thereby mobilizing your close circles to chip in their fair share to ease the cost of holidays and turn up for important events.
