With Christmas around the corner and the festive mood in the air, people—especially young adults—are more likely to participate and donate. Cheer, goodwill, and paying it forward are all Christmas values, and they truly show during the Christmas fundraising season.
However, that doesn’t mean people will go out and donate without cause. Your fundraiser still needs to attract participants and encourage participation—which is why we’re here!
From our research (and personal experience), these are the 11 best Christmas fundraising ideas! Guaranteed to lock in that holiday cheer, take these fundraising ideas, make it your own, and speed right past your fundraising goals this festive season!
Use these epic Christmas fundraiser ideas to bring on the generous Christmas spirit and encourage participation!
Community events are a great way to get the whole neighborhood involved and guarantee participation in your fundraising event. Families are always looking for something to do around the festive season.
Transform your community into a Christmas-winter wonderland with a dazzling holiday light show! Deck out a home, a store, or the inside of a business in unique and awe-inspiring holiday lights and charge families a small entrance fee. You can also ask guests to make a donation—whatever they can spare is fine. But you can usually count on some community members to go above and beyond.
To make the event even more fun, let visitors participate by hosting a competition. Let attendees vote for their favorite display and reward the winner with a festive prize like a gift basket or gift card to a local business.
Fully immerse your fundraiser in the Christmas spirit with a cookie decorating contest. Provide participants with basic cookies and decorating supplies for a small entrance fee, and watch the magic happen.
Encourage participation with a competition for titles like “Best Christmas Cookie” and “Most Creative Cookie.” You can also sell pre-packaged cookies and decorating supplies for participants to enjoy at home.
Get your community up and running (or walking) with a Santa Run! Charge a small participation fee and encourage participants to dress as Santa or any other Christmas character.
A Santa Run is a fun and effective way to get more than just the local community involved while raising money to meet your fundraising goal.
Food, specifically seasonal treats, is essential to the Christmas season. These treats can be both delicious to taste and pretty to look at—who doesn’t enjoy that?
So, host a holiday bake sale with a festive twist by offering an array of festive treats like gingerbread cookies, peppermint bark, fruitcakes, and holiday-themed cupcakes. Make the fundraiser more engaging by including live baking and workshops.
A Christmas Craft Fair is a fantastic way to raise money for your NPO while celebrating local artisans. Rent out booths to local craftsmen for a small fee and charge attendees an admission fee.
Add attractions like live music, food stalls, or kids’ craft workshops to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. And don’t forget to create an epic fundraiser poster!
The holiday season is busy, and few people have the time or expertise to wrap gifts like professionals. So, set up a gift-wrapping station and offer your services with proceeds going to your cause!
Decorate your station to the max to attract people and set up your station where you’ll find a lot of shoppers, like the local mall. Offer eco-friendly paper and finishing touches like ribbons and tags to make your offer even more enticing.
Virtual or online auctions and fundraisers are super effective, making them ideal to meet your Christmas fundraising goals!
An online auction is a modern way to get people bidding for good while dramatically increasing your auction reach! By hosting your event online, you can invite people from all over to participate.
Use fundraising software, like BiddingOwl, to host your fundraiser and auction off electronics, gift cards, paid dinners, etc.
Talk to local businesses to donate auction items and promote their company during the online event.
Create fun and engaging social media challenges that inspire creativity and encourage sharing. Participants can donate to enter and nominate others to join, spreading the campaign virally. Offer incentives, such as entries into a prize draw, to keep engagement high.
Crowdfunding is a great way to tap into the generous spirit of the Christmas season. With the help of crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe and this excellent crowdfunding guide, you can easily collect funds.
You can also use a fundraising thermometer to share your goals and celebrate your wins!
Double up on your fundraising potential by collaborating with others—here’s how!
Partnering with local businesses is great if you need fundraiser items to sell or present to winners while helping your collaborators build attractive, philanthropic brands.
So, arrange a Christmas Shopping Day, where sales proceeds go to your cause. Or, host special events like wine tastings, trivia nights, or exclusive shopping hours, all with built-in fundraising mechanisms.
Christmas is the perfect time to host a fundraising raffle! Invite local businesses to donate great raffle prizes and sell tickets. You can hold online, in-person, or hybrid events, depending on your goals.
We’d also suggest checking your local legal requirements for hosting a raffle before you host your Christmas fundraising event.
Christmas is known as the season of giving, making it the ideal time to host a fundraiser. Encourage participation and blast past your fundraising goals with these awesome Christmas fundraising ideas.
From classic bake sales to more modern online auctions, the above fundraising ideas will help you take advantage of the festive season and the giving atmosphere of Christmas.