BlogFundraising The 20 Best Holiday Fundraising Ideas for 2024 Fundraising The 20 Best Holiday Fundraising Ideas for 2024 Author: Marlena Moore November 22, 2024 Contents 🕑 15 min read Temperatures have dropped, neighbors are decorating their houses with lights and holiday music is playing on all radio stations; what does this mean? The holiday season is finally upon us, and with it comes a major opportunity for fundraising. In this blog, we’ll share a snowstorm of ideas to help your fundraising efforts as this year comes to an end. Read on for inspiration that brings holiday cheer and maximizes funds to impact your mission! Why You Should Fundraise During the Holidays Fundraising during the holiday season is a no-brainer. Not only is it a strategic way to achieve your goals before year-end, but it allows for creative ideas and holiday spirit. After all, this is the season of giving. Individuals are more likely to give during the holidays – it’s all over social media, in stores and in your inbox – giving back is on top of everyone’s mind. Here are some quick stats on holiday fundraising: Nonprofits raised $3.1 billion during GivingTuesday in 2023 Most nonprofits make 47% of their online revenue during the last week of December 10% of all giving happens in the last 3 days of the year Individual donors make up the largest share of total giving (67%) Holidays Happening to Keep In Mind It’s easy to think of the holiday season as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Still, there are a lot of holidays to consider when planning your fundraising event. You’ll reach a broader audience to support your mission by highlighting or theming your fundraiser with more holidays. Here are some major holidays happening from November to December: Thanksgiving Christmas Hanukkah Kwanzaa Feast Day of Our Lady Guadalupe Bodhi Day Boxing Day Yule New Year’s Eve Holiday Fundraising Ideas to Make an Impact Time to dive into our ideas for bringing a charitable spirit to your community and additional funds to your organization. Classic Holiday Fundraisers These are the tried and true ways to reach your fundraising goal during the holiday season. Chances are you’ve heard of these before or even put these fundraisers on for your own organization! Giving Tuesday Campaigns GivingTuesday is one of the biggest drivers for nonprofit fundraising. It’s a global effort focused on the power of radical generosity. How it works: On GivingTuesday, the first Tuesday after American Thanksgiving – December 3, 2024 – the whole world comes together to give back to their community through service or monetary donations. Be sure to share your organization’s story through social media, email campaigns and on your website. There’s no registration needed – just direct supporters to your donation page. Don’t forget to include #GivingTuesday in your marketing efforts! Read more: Giving Tuesday 2024: FAQ + How to Create a SMASH Campaign in 16 Steps 12 Days of Giving Campaign I’m sure you’ve heard of the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” this is the same idea – but for fundraising! How it works: Each day of the giving campaign, focus on a different area of your organization, highlight specific causes or have a different theme relating to your mission. You can use this to call supporters to donate funds that will help make a difference for your volunteers, staff, resources and community. Social media will be a huge part of this fundraiser – link to your donation page and be sure to share your nonprofit’s story. Toy Drives This is a great fundraiser to implement if your organization is focused on families, youths or schools. Whether you’re collecting toys for fun or education, a toy drive can make a significant impact. How it Works: Call your entire community to donate toys to your organization. You’ll collect the toys and distribute them directly to the families/children or the schools that will use them for lessons. Gift Wrapping Everyone needs a gift wrap service during the holidays, so why not exchange this for a donation to your cause? How it works: Set up a gift wrapping station in a busy part of your community. This is even easier if you’re a faith-based organization or a school – have a station set up at the end of service or after school pick up. In exchange for wrapping someone’s gift, ask for a donation. Make it easy with a virtual way to donate through a QR code to your donation page or a mobile way to accept credit cards. Santa Claus You see it in every mall during the holiday season; Santa is in his red suit, ready to hear kids’ Christmas wishes and take a picture. You can do this just as easily and raise money for your organization. How it works: Have someone from your organization dress up as Santa Claus and bring those holiday memories to families. Set up a photo op complete with a fun background and provide a printed photo in exchange for donations. The best part of this fundraiser is that families can come and meet Santa for free, bringing holiday cheer to your community regardless of whether or not they buy a photo. Holiday Gala Everyone loves a fundraising event, especially a gala. Individuals get to dress up and enjoy good food and entertainment while supporting a good cause. How it works: Organize a fundraising gala but with a holiday twist. Theme the evening with the holidays in mind, whether it’s a winter wonderland, gingerbread ball or a glittering New Year’s bash. Attendees will enjoy hearing about your nonprofit’s accomplishments and the tasty food provided. You’ll raise money by charging ticket fees to attend your gala, but if you include a silent auction or raffle tickets, you can really reach your fundraising goals. Virtual Fundraisers During the Holidays Finding time to attend a holiday fundraising event can be difficult with how hectic schedules can become at the end of the year. Opting for a virtual event can increase your attendee rate, bringing you closer to your fundraising goals. Virtual Cooking Class Everyone loves learning a new recipe, especially during the holidays when many people are hosting or attending pot lucks or dinner parties. How it works: Bring people together over Zoom or another virtual platform and teach a recipe step by step. This can be a dish or dessert traditionally eaten during the holiday season, like Latkes during Hannaukah. Plus, being able to make the recipe in your own kitchen with your own tools makes it easier to replicate next time! Simply charge a ticket fee and proceeds will go to your organization. Letters (or Emails) from Santa Every child sends a letter to Santa, but how many of them get one in return? A letter or email from Santa Service can be a simple way to support your cause and bring some joy to kiddos. How it works: Parents can request a personalized letter from Santa to their children. All they need to do is provide a couple of details about their kid (name, what they asked for for Christmas, interests, etc.). They’ll get a unique, customized letter sent that will bring magic to their house. These letters can be handwritten or digitally sent through email. Just make sure to put some holiday magic in with fun designs and of course an official Santa Claus signature. You can charge a flat fee for the letter with an option to donate more and add-ons like an official certificate of the nice list. Digital Photo Contest Who doesn’t love a fun contest to get people excited for the holidays? A photo contest is the perfect time to raise money for your cause and let people make fun holiday themed photos. How it works: Participants donate to enter the contest and submit their photos online. You can accept submissions through social media, email or a form on your website. Once all submissions are in, share all the pictures with your community via newsletter, social media and your website. Award the winners with categories like “most festive photo,” “funniest photo,” or “best Christmas decor.” Winners can receive gift cards, tickets to events or even just the glory of winning. Virtual Themed Bingo or Trivia Night Virtual bingo and trivia are always fun, but having a holiday theme will always amp it up! How it works: Host your virtual event on Zoom and provide downloadable, themed bingo cards for attendees or come up with trivia questions about the holiday you’re celebrating. This is relatively low-cost and requires little effort to set up; just ask for a small donation to participate and offer prizes to winners like gift cards or small treats. Online Holiday Market The amount of skilled and crafty people you have in your organization is more than you realize! Put on a virtual holiday market where they can sell their services or creations to your community. How it works: Depending on your preference, you can charge a fee for sellers to host their items on your online store or a portion of their sales can be donated to your organization. Think of this as a virtual holiday bazaar with things like crocheted goods, handmade jewelry, pottery, lawn services, car detailing, etc. The world is your oyster! For a bonus in your holiday fundraising efforts, ask for a donation at checkout for those purchasing. Outdoor Fundraisers During the Holidays Depending on where you’re located, the holiday weather could feel like a winter wonderland, a crisp breeze or perhaps a frozen tundra. If the temperatures are cooperative, hosting a fundraiser outdoors can make raising money even more festive. Themed Fun Run or Race We’ve all heard of the classic Turkey Trot, so why not extend this to any holiday you may be celebrating? How it works: Charge participants an entry fee to be a part of your run and offer either T-shirts or medals as a reward. Suppose you have a super active running community. In that case, you may want to offer farther distances like a 15K or half marathon. Otherwise, a 1-mile fun run or 5K appeals to most individuals. Holiday Caroling What better way to bring people holiday spirit than by singing holiday songs? Add in some themed costumes and it’ll be a night to remember. How it works: Gather a group of volunteers to share their voices with your local community. This is best executed when singing aligns with your organization, like church choirs or musical clubs. You can go door-to-door or perform at a local business or community center to bring the crowd to you. All you need to do is ask for donations in exchange for your voices – a donation can even be a song request. Polar Plunge Are you located near a swimming hole, lake or beach? Chances are it’s not being used much in these winter months, making it the perfect fundraising opportunity! How it works: Charge participants a flat entry fee to be among the adrenaline seekers who will jump into the frigid water. These bold few can also get others to donate through pledges depending on how long the plunger lasts. This is a fun event that brings the community out to watch winter shenanigans, and it helps raise money for your cause! Benefit Concert Music, friends, family and food, what a better way to spend the winter seasons? This is an easy way to raise money for your organization’s cause and bring out a big crowd. How it works: If you have a local band or a couple of talented musicians, you can put on a benefit concert for your nonprofit. Sell tickets to attendees and have a laid back evening of holiday music. If you want to take this concert to the next level, you could book a bigger artist and have vendors selling food and drinks. Make sure you connect with vendors and either charge a vendor fee or have them donate a percentage of their profits to your mission. Hot Cocoa Stand Nothing puts you in the holiday mood like a cup of hot chocolate in the brisk winter chill. Use a hot cocoa stand to warm up your community and your fundraising. How it works: If you’ve got a great homemade hot chocolate recipe, now is the time to use it! Otherwise premade Swiss Miss packets will do the trick. Make a big batch and keep it warm in a crock pot or an insulated carafe. Set your stand up in a busy part of town where individuals are doing their holiday shopping. Charge a small fee for the chocolatey goodness and include an option to donate more to your cause. Unique Fundraisers During the Holidays Chances are you’ve heard of a lot of the ideas we’ve already listed, so here are some to make your holiday fundraiser stand out from the crowd! Reverse Advent Calendar I’m sure you’ve had an advent calendar before and opened up a little holiday treat or present each day before Christmas. Now is where you can switch it up and give rather than get. How it works: Set up a giving challenge for your supporters to make a small donation each day leading up to Christmas. Outline the instructions online and give a specific theme for each day of the reverse advent calendar. At the end of the calendar, donors can bring their box of contributions to your organization for proper distribution. Donations will usually be non-perishable food items, clothing, toys, or toiletries for those in need. Still, a monetary donation instead of an item contribution is always welcome. Mystery Holiday Gift Boxes Auction Everyone loves a good mystery prize, especially with the thrill of bidding to raise the stakes. How it works: Prepare holiday-themed boxes to be auctioned off, and the proceeds will go to your organization. You can choose to keep the boxes a complete mystery or share a general theme with your excited bidders. Some ideas to include are holiday treats, decor items, children’s toys, locally made items, luxury goods or local business gift cards and gift certificates. Don’t forget to unveil the mystery to all attendees once the box has been awarded to the highest bidder. Santa’s Secret Helper Volunteer Auction There’s always a task or project to be done around the holidays. So why not offer the gift of time to bidders in the form of Santa’s Secret Helper? How it works: Volunteers will sign up to offer their time and skills in this fundraiser. The services could be as simple as gift wrapping and dog walking or as involved as home cleaning and holiday themed photo shoots. Participants will place their bids for specific services; the highest bidder wins the service, and their bid supports your organization’s cause. The secret part is that the volunteer’s identity is hidden until after the auction, adding an element of surprise and fun. This also allows the bids to focus on the service’s value instead of the volunteer. If volunteers want to lean into being Santa’s helper, they can even dress up as one of Santa’s elves when it’s time to fulfill their act of service. Holiday Pet Parade Combine the joy of the holiday season and the love of animals with a holiday themed pet parade. How it works: Participants register their pets and pay an entry fee that goes to your nonprofit’s cause. They will dress up their dogs and themselves according to the theme and parade through local neighborhoods or outdoor shopping areas where it’s safe. There can be different categories to win awards, like most festive costume, best owner-pet duo and cutest rescue pet (highlight adopted animals!) This is a great fundraiser to implement if your organization supports animal causes. Best Practices to Raise More During the Holidays With those ideas creating a fundraising flurry in your mind, remember to implement these best practices to see the most success. Leverage Social Media Social media is king when it comes to fundraising. Especially if your fundraiser is virtual, social media channels help you reach a wide range of individuals who might not know about your cause. Think about all the times you’ve seen something on Insatgram or Facebook thanks to their algorithm. Their AI knows your interests and puts things on your feed that align with your passions – the same will happen for potential donors when viewing your content. The potential to go viral with a unique fundraising idea or social media challenge is high. If your fundraiser takes off online, you’ll get a lot of traffic to your nonprofit’s website and a spike in donations. Be strategic about what hashtags (#) you use to get seen by more people. Remember to ask your current supporters to engage with your posts (like, share and repost). Email Marketing Email marketing is a tried and true way to get more donations for your organization. During the giving season, email campaigns must be set up for your fundraising initiatives. This is key for specific campaigns like Giving Tuesday where you’re asking for a donation on a particular day. These emails will be solely focused on your fundraising goals and request support from the recipient, whether monetary or not. If you send a regular newsletter, be sure to mention your fundraiser and how your subscribers can get involved. If you’re just raising funds, link to your donation page. If you’re putting on an event, share registration pages or volunteer opportunities if applicable. Dive deeper into email appeals and best practices in these blogs: What Is a Solicitation Email and How To Write One + Examples! How to Write A Donation Letter (+ Examples & Template) How to Create a Stronger Annual Appeal Letter Partner with Local Businesses Many of our shared fundraising ideas can be made easier when you partner with local businesses. Whether you utilize their space to execute your event or they sponsor you through donating goods/services, this is a good relationship to build and nurture. Local businesses will benefit from a partnership in a couple of ways. This will improve their brand reputation and corporate social responsibility, showing they care about giving back. They also tend to get more business as the partnership puts their name out to a wider audience. Set a Goal and Share Updates Most successful fundraisers have a donation goal they hope to achieve and share this with their supporters through a fundraising thermometer. This is an easy way to get people pumped about donating. Everyone loves watching the numbers get closer and closer to a goal. Ensure this goal is front and center on your website and in all your newsletters during these fundraising campaigns. During the holiday season you can even theme it! Include snowflakes, Christmas trees, Menorahs or Thanksgiving turkeys. Make Donating Easy Having a user friendly design on your donation page is vital for increasing donations. You never want those coming to give their hard-earned money to be deterred by a slow-loading form or limited options for payment. If you’re receiving donations in person, flexibility is key for taking donations. Use a mobile payment processing system to accept cash, checks, and credit cards. Square is a commonly used payment processing app that allows you to accept credit card payments wherever you are. Read more: Donation Button Best Practices: Make It A Must-Click and Raise More Funds! Utilize Software An all-in-one membership management software (MMS) can amplify your holiday fundraising efforts and simplify processes. MMS have a variety of features that can help you reach your annual fundraising goals and make administrative tasks more manageable. Features to look for are: Customizable online donation forms and pages: Create specific fundraising pages and custom forms for your various holiday fundraisers. This is where you can set up one-time donations or recurring donations. Event management tools: create event pages where people can register, purchase tickets or donate directly on your website. Set up ticketing options for paid events and allow for different pricing tiers. Don’t forget to offer optional donations on top of ticket or registration payments. Donor tracking: track every donor’s history, including their donation amounts, frequency and engagement. This will help you segment donors, making your marketing efforts more effective. Email and contact database: Send all your email campaigns and newsletters to your supporters and potential donors. Plus you can automate your emails to send in the future or after a certain action has happened, like a thank-you email after donation. Payment processing: Securely take payments on a computer or mobile device. This can process registration fees, membership dues, donations and even merchandise sales. This should be integrated with your MMS, allowing you to easily track payment history and provide receipts for tax purposes. Maximize Your Fundraising Potential with WildApricot WildApricot – that’s us – is a powerful MMS that can do everything we’ve listed above! If you’re looking to maximize your fundraising potential and cut down on administrative tasks, try a 60-day free trial of our software. We wish you the best of luck on your holiday fundraising! The season of giving brings more than just funds to your cause. Enjoy your next fundraising event’s community engagement, festive spirit and memorable experiences. Related Fundraising Articles Fundraising 🕑 11 Min Read Mastering Donor Development: Essential Strategies for Sustainable Fundraising Fundraising 🕑 8 Min Read Donation Acknowledgement Letters 101: How to Write One + Template Fundraising 🕑 10 Min Read Prospect Research Guide for Nonprofits The Membership Growth Report: Benchmarks & Insights for Growing Revenue and Constituents Get the report now!