How to Organize an Angel Tree 

As your organization or nonprofit looks for fundraising ideas for the holidays, creating an angel tree could be an excellent option for giving to the families in your community. An angel tree organizes your donors and other community members to provide gifts for the low-income families in your area for the holidays. This donation method is an excellent way for your organization to mobilize and spread the spirit of giving this holiday season. 

Whether your organization is a school, place of worship, business, or nonprofit, an angel tree can help you provide underprivileged or vulnerable kids or adults with gifts for the holidays. This guide will explain how to do an angel tree donation drive and provide tips for the best chance of fundraising success. 

What You’ll Need 

The first step in how to organize an angel tree is to gather a few items and put procedures in place for your donation drive. Here are the top things you’ll need to get started: 

A Decorated Tree 

The central element for an angel tree is an evergreen tree to serve as the focal point of your collection efforts. Your organization will need to place the tree in a visible location where donors and community members can see it, like in a lobby or by the front door. 

Paper Tags 

Your organization will also need paper tags to hang on the tree’s branches. These tags represent the recipients of your donations and might include some identifying information, like a wish list for each one. Donors will take home the paper tag of the recipient they will shop for during the gift drive. You might also choose to decorate the tree, though the decorations shouldn’t overshadow the tags. 

Donation Collection Method

As donors begin buying their donations, they should have an accessible way to give them to your organization. Choose a central location for collecting items, like next to the angel tree or in a break room. You’ll need several volunteers to wrap the gifts and ensure they’re marked correctly for their intended recipient. 

Donation Distribution Method 

Lastly, you’ll need to plan how to distribute the donations to each recipient by the holidays. If you’re coordinating with a local food bank or shelter, they can help you plan deliveries. 

Working Out the Details 

With your tree, paper tags, and donation collection and distribution methods planned out, you’ll need to plan the logistics of the donation. Consider the following:

• The donation recipients: One of the most crucial elements is determining who your angel tree will sponsor. You might coordinate with local organizations to provide for underprivileged children at a local school, families from a local food bank, low-income seniors, or people living in a local shelter. Since an angel tree organizes gift-giving for specific people, your donors also need to know what those people would like to receive. Determine how you’ll gather information about your recipients’ interests and needs. 
• Donation collection and delivery: Your organization will likely need volunteer help to collect, wrap, and deliver gifts before the holidays. Create a sign-up list for a gift-gathering committee 
• Unpicked tags: Create a plan to buy gifts for recipients whose tags are still left on the tree by the donation deadline. 

Creating Angel Tags

Creating the tags is another step in organizing your angel tree donations. Consider the kind of card stock and ribbon you’ll use to hang the tags on your angel tree. Here are a few types of information you may want to put on the angel tags: 

• The recipient’s name: You may not be able to include recipients’ names for privacy reasons. However, including a name on the angel tag helps make the donation more personal for donors. 
• A photo: While some recipients may not wish to have their picture shared, you may be able to include an optional small photo to give donors a face to put with the name on the tag. 
• Identifying information: This information could include age, gender, and clothing sizes. 
• Wish list: You’ll also want to include the recipients’ gift wish list. As you gather information from recipients, encourage them to include a mix of items they need and want. 
• Donation deadline: It’s crucial donors know when they must purchase and bring in their gifts so your volunteers can wrap and distribute them in time for the holidays. 

Utilize an Online Component

Your organization can also use online tools in conjunction with a physical angel tree to gain more engagement from donors. Some people may wish to donate who don’t live nearby or cannot select a tag. Using digital tools can make your effort more accessible to donors and increase unrestricted gifts, which can help you pay for gifts for recipients whose tags weren’t picked from the tree. 

Consider utilizing these strategies for incorporating an online element in your angel tree donation effort: 

• Print QR codes or links on tags: Including a QR code or website link on the angel tags can be an excellent way to share recipients’ information more discreetly through an online wishlist. This method may be helpful if recipients have specific items on their wishlist — scanning the code could take the donor straight to a digital storefront where they can buy the item. 
• Create an online donor sign-up sheet: You could have an online donor registry where people can sign up virtually to receive a random recipient. 
• Use an online donation tracker: An online fundraising software could help your organization track donations, create a website to get donors more involved, and use a progress thermometer to track donation amounts. 

Collecting Donations 

As you consider how to collect donations, you may want to ask donors to leave gifts unwrapped to ensure gifts match the recipients’ list and are in good condition. Designate a drop-off location to make collection smoother for volunteers. 

It can also be helpful to keep track of donations as donors bring them in so you’re aware of which gifts have been purchased. Once you collect the gifts, allow time for volunteers to wrap the gifts before delivering them. Consider creating an organization system for wrapped gifts to keep those going to the same families and households in the same location for easier delivery.

Building a Virtual Angel Tree 

Setting up a virtual angel tree can make your fundraising efforts even more effective, especially if you don’t have space for a physical tree or want to engage donors from other locations. Digitize the process using GiveSmart’s fundraising features, like donation campaign management, embeddable donation forms, a wish list campaign, and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns. 

Building a virtual angel tree donation effort can make donation easier for a larger group of donors, enabling your organization to maximize its impact this holiday season. For example, using a text-to-donate strategy makes it simple for your list of donors to donate right away to provide for an individual or family in need. Mobile donation software enables streamlined donation collection online and boosts your angel tree efforts to bring more joy this holiday season. 

Digitizing your angel tree comes with its own unique considerations. You’ll need to find effective ways to spread the word to potential donors about the angel tree’s virtual platform so there’s plenty of engagement during the effort. 

See How GiveSmart can Supercharge Your Fundraiser 

An angel tree is a great way to organize a gift drive for those in need in your community this holiday season. Having the right strategy for how to organize an angel tree goes a long way in ensuring your efforts are a success. 

Online fundraising software can bring people together with your fundraiser this holiday season, enabling an even greater reach. The GiveSmart fundraising platform provides tools for expanding your organization’s reach, managing donors, and more. Our seamless fundraising software offers customizable features to support your group’s efforts throughout the year. 

With 24/7 customer support and expert one-on-one consultations, we’re here to help your organization fully utilize our software. To see how our software can expand your fundraising efforts, request a demo today.