Christmas fundraising ideas
Christmas is the perfect time to embrace the generous holiday spirit. Impress your supporters with simple fundraising ideas for the holidays that are fun, festive, and sure to help you make an impact.
Costume contest
Throw a themed costume party to match the season or holiday and award prizes for the best costumes! Sell tickets to your fundraising event online and work with local sponsors to offset costs and spread the word.









Ugly sweater 5k
Get festive by encouraging supporters to wear their ugliest sweater for a fun run (and award the best dressed)! Use peer-to-peer fundraising to encourage participants to set a donation goal and spread the word about the cause, along with photos of them in their ugly regalia.









Candy grams
Buy some crowd-favorite candies and charge supporters to send these sweet treats to a chosen recipient along with a heartfelt note. To streamline the process, have donors fill out custom fields on your donation form with their personal notes and recipient addresses.









Family and friends game night









Bake sale
Everyone loves sweet treats. Whip up some cookies, cakes, and donuts, and set up a bake sale with proceeds going directly to your good cause.
Supporters don’t have cash on them? No problem! With Givebutter you can accept a wide range of modern payment methods, including Venmo.









Caroling
Embrace the holiday spirit and spread joy by going caroling around town or at an event. Pass the hat for cash donations AND hold a big QR code or text-to-donate number for easy mobile giving!









Holiday-grams
Put together bundles of holiday cards and small gifts and charge extra for distribution at your club, school, college, or workplace.
Customize your donation form with custom fields to collect all the details you need—such as the recipient’s name, a personalized, heartfelt holiday message, and where the gram should be delivered.









Cookie-decorating extravaganza
Volunteers bake batches of cookies to contribute to a decorating contest! Participants pay a small fee to enter and use frosting and other edible flare you provide to compete for the best cookie design.
To make your fundraising event even sweeter, bring in a cookie-decorating expert to show off some sweet tips and tricks.









Raise some dough with cookie dough
Buy wholesale cookie dough for volunteers to sell during peak cookie-baking season. To gamify your efforts, use peer-to-peer fundraising so participants can compete to see who sold the most!









Family photo day









Kids’ art calendar
Turn finger paintings and drawings into custom calendars. Or, create custom pieces like photo books, mugs, or T-shirts to sell. Sell the merch using a fun and eye-catching fundraising page.









Gift wrapping









Board game night
Host a pay-to-play fundraising event where participants can compete against their friends in games like UNO or Sorry. Sell goodies for competitors to snack on to make this event extra sweet.









Festive volunteers
Set up a donation form and use custom labels to create fun options, like a $50 donation = putting up your roof lights.









Toy drive
Let everyone know when, where, and what to donate with the help of email marketing software.









Craft sale
Want to make an even bigger impact? Auction off some larger or more in-demand items.









Church choir performance









Virtual concert
Ask local musicians or bands to perform for a livestreaming audience and invite viewers to make donations or purchase tickets to attend virtually right on your event page.
Make sure to feature a donation thermometer on your page to encourage viewers to make extra donations and get you closer to your goal as they enjoy the music.









Cupcake wars









Desk decorating contest









Holiday card campaign
Use Givebutter’s built-in Canva integration to add a little extra cheer to your letters or emails in just a few clicks.









Holiday wreath sale
Partner with a local nursery to sell holiday wreaths made of fresh greenery. Create a fundraising page where supporters can purchase them with ease.









Annual holiday party
With Givebutter you can create unlimited custom event ticket types—allowing you to create fun VIP packages to offer to your partygoers.









Hot chocolate stall
Set up a hot chocolate or coffee stand and sell hot drinks to warm up your community! Have coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and plenty of syrups and toppings that they can add for an extra fee. Don’t forget marshmallows!
Make it easy for supporters to pay for their drinks as you make them with scan-to-donate, Venmo, and other seamless payment options.









Home decor workshop
Charge a registration fee and provide materials for attendees to create their own home decor. Selecting seasonal DIY projects—such as holiday wreaths or pumpkin painting—is a great way to draw a larger crowd. Take this event to the next level by turning it into a competition! Once all projects are completed, attendees can donate to vote for who should be crowned winner.









Frequently asked questions
What are the most popular Christmas fundraisers?
The most popular fundraising ideas around Christmas and the holiday season usually involve making or selling festive items, like cookies and baked goods, wreaths, and decor.
What are the most profitable Christmas fundraising ideas?
Raising money around Christmas time can be especially successful with larger-scale events. Some of the most profitable ideas include hosting a holiday market, silent auction, or gift-wrapping stations in high-traffic areas like schools, malls, and other community spaces.
How do I plan my Christmas fundraiser?
Make sure you plan your Xmas fundraising ideas at least 3-4 months ahead of the holiday season. Your fundraising efforts should include recruiting staff and volunteers to help, setting clear goals, and checking everything off your event planning checklist.
Leading up to your Christmas-themed fundraisers, promote them through multiple channels, including social media, local media, and community boards. You could also partner with local restaurants or businesses for even more visibility!
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