5 Fundraising Ideas To Get You In The Holiday Spirit

Incorporating the winter holidays into your year-end fundraising is a great way to engage with your supporters and raise more money.

The weather is getting colder but, as the holiday season approaches, hearts are warming. In fact, nearly a third of all annual giving happens in December. As the national conversation pivots towards gratitude, togetherness and celebration, here are five real nonprofit fundraisers to get your donors into the spirit of giving.

Thanksgiving

What better way to give thanks than by learning more about the true origins of the holiday, sharing a meal with others in your community and giving back? Launch Ministries held a virtual Thanksgiving fundraiser that was both fun and educational. They provided viewers with pre-packaged meals derived from indigenous recipes. The thoughtful menu choice was a creative way that they were able to weave the event messaging throughout the celebration.

Hanukkah

Often called the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah is celebrated with the lighting of the menorah, traditional foods, games and gifts. For many, charitable giving features into their Hannukah traditions. One Jewish Community Center gave their donors the opportunity to donate online as a gift to a friend or family member. Using a tool like Tribute Gifts allowed their donors to immediately notify the recipient of the donation.

Christmas

In the Christian tradition, people give gifts that are symbolic of the tributes made to the baby Jesus. The Rescue Mission is providing their donors with a way to get into the Christmas Spirit and give to those in need. With their Christmas Catalog, their donors can choose from a variety of giving opportunities and make a difference for families in their community.

Solstice

Winter Solstice is December 21st and is celebrated by many other faiths and traditions from around the globe. In the Northern Hemisphere it is a celebration of the sun’s return and anticipation of the warmer days of Spring and the emergence of new verdant life as Spring approaches. Many people exchange gifts that come from nature. And giving back to nature is a perfect way to celebrate the solstice. A Farm Center held a tour of their center and an evening bonfire to celebrate the changing of the seasons. They used ticketing for easy touchless check-in at the event and provided donors with an opportunity to contribute to their mission.

All Holidays

Because generosity and giving are such common aspects across many December holiday traditions, some organizations provide a way for donors of any faith to make a charitable gift in honor of others during the Holiday Season. This theater, inspired by Cameo, had their actors create a personalized holiday message that a donor could gift to friends and family. Other nonprofits have mailed cards, shared recipes and sent small tokens in exchange for a holiday donation.