Most Christmas fundraisers have to be planned months and months in advance. But if you're just starting to get into the Christmas fundraising spirit – it's never too late!
There are some great holiday ideas to raise money for your charity even come December – especially if you want to catch those last minute holiday shoppers looking for a unique gift idea.
Given the current economical slowdown, this year's holiday season promises to find more in need than ever before – especially those who depend on non-profit organizations. So, as you financially plan your own Christmas, spare a bit of extra giving for those who have less to look forward to at holiday time – those who find themselves out-of-work, the sick, the elderly, children, and those unable to work.
If you don't have a holiday charity, Christmas gives you the perfect reason to spread some holiday spirit to those who don't expect lavish gifts, but hope for a warm meal.
Christmas fundraising is a great idea to bring a community, organization or workplace together to help those during the holidays or to save for later.
Here are our unique, last-minute Christmastime fundraising plans:
Paint a Holiday Scene
Take your group of willing and amateur artists around the neighborhood to offer window painting. Holiday phrases or scenes look great on a neighbor's house or a local business window during the winter season.
Homemade Christmas Cards
Visit a craft store for holiday stencils and colors for a holiday card made with love. Sell them individually or in a collection.
Christmas Clean Up
Most busy families are expecting a brood for Christmas day, but don't have time to clean up the house for expected guests. Offer holiday maid services to alleviate the stress during the holidays.
Christmas Decorating
Offer your crafty side to local businesses that need help with holiday decorations. Many businesses don't have time to decorate themselves, and the good thing about that is they don't mind paying a little extra money for your help. Enlist a group of volunteers to canvass the neighborhood and sign up local businesses for decorating. Then send in your decor group for the main event, and you can even offer to return and clean up when holiday season is over.
Christmas Decorations
Most families with young children have a box or two of old Christmas ornaments tucked away in the attic. Have group of volunteers collect donated decorations, then fix them up and resell them at a Christmas craft show.
Poinsettias, Candles and Treats – Oh My!
Do some research into companies that promote Christmas or holiday products – especially for fundraisers! It won't be hard to find catalogs full of holiday plants, foods, candles or gift ideas which can be used as fundraisers.
Then all your volunteers have to do is knock on doors, drop off catalogs, take phone orders, and deliver the goods. Companies that have fundraising products give good deals to non-profits for a good cause.
Breakfast with Santa
It's better than Breakfast at Tiffany's when it comes to some face-time with the man in the red suit. Offer a few group breakfast with Santa opportunities at local diners, then sell $5 to $10 entry fees (plus a kid's breakfast). The kiddies get to have breakfast with Santa, and get their seasonal photo taken in one shot!
Christmas Gift Wrapping
If your fundraising is on a smaller scale, offer gift wrapping services for your friends, family and work colleagues in exchange for a $5 donation. If your charity efforts are most substantial, arrange a group of volunteers and canvass local malls and department stores to see if they will let you set up a gift-wrapping table where shoppers donate in return for wrapping their store-bought items.
Keep in mind that gift wrap fundraisers have little overhead cost – especially when many stores will donate the gift wrap to charitable organizations.
Homemade Gift Tags
This can be directly tied into the gift-wrapping fundraiser above. Make your own gift tags from stencils or stickers and charge $1 per tag. Paint them with nice, but simple holiday scenes.
