Christmas Fundraising Ideas People Are Happy to Give To
People give more in December than at any other time of year. They’re also busier than at any other time of year. The best Christmas fundraisers fit right into what families are already doing: buying a tree, wrapping gifts, finding something fun to do with the kids over break.
Below you’ll find Christmas fundraising ideas sorted by type, a short list built for schools, and a planning timeline that takes you from picking an idea to thanking your donors.
Quick Picks: Best Christmas Fundraisers by Group
Short on time? Start with the idea that fits your group.
Group
Try These First
Why They Work
Schools and PTAs
Holiday shop, Breakfast with Santa, wreath sale
Families already plan around school events
Churches
Cookie walk, Christmas concert, angel tree sponsorships
Builds on traditions your members already love
Nonprofits
Year-end giving campaign, 12 days of giving, matching gifts
Many donors make their biggest gifts in December
Sports teams and clubs
Gift wrapping station, Christmas tree lot shifts, apparel sale
Lots of volunteers, little upfront cost
Small groups and youth groups
Light hanging service, caroling for donations, parents' night out
“As a PTA president, SignUpGenius has really simplified communicating with volunteers when we need help. It is a great resource for anyone needing an effective communication tool.”
Holiday sales, events, and giving campaigns that people are happy to support, plus a week-by-week plan to pull it off.
Holiday Sales Fundraisers
People are already shopping in December. Give them something they need anyway, and the money goes to your cause.
Wreath and garland sale. Partner with a wreath fundraising company or a local tree farm. Take preorders in October and November and set one pickup day in early December. Fresh wreaths sell well because nearly everyone buys one.
Poinsettia sale. Buy from a local nursery at a group price and sell at retail. Offer two or three colors and sizes, and keep the pickup window short since poinsettias don’t like the cold.
Christmas tree lot partnership. Ask a local tree lot to donate a share of sales in exchange for volunteer shifts carrying and tying trees. It costs nothing up front.
Custom ornaments. Sell ornaments with your school mascot, the year, or a photo of each kid. Families buy them as gifts for grandparents.
Holiday cookie dough or treat boxes. Take orders before Thanksgiving and deliver in early December, just in time for holiday baking.
Team or school apparel. Holiday-themed shirts, beanies, or pajama pants make easy gifts for fans and families.
Holiday calendar. Use photos from the year for a 12-month calendar. Grandparents are your best customers.
Christmas Fundraising Events
Events take more planning, but they give families a holiday memory and bring in money from tickets, food, and extras.
Breakfast with Santa. Serve pancakes and cocoa, add a craft table, and let kids visit with Santa. Sell tickets by time slot so the line stays short, and sell photos with Santa for extra money.
Cookie walk. Volunteers bake dozens of cookies and set them out on long tables. Guests buy an empty tin and fill it up. It’s a classic church fundraiser that’s simple to run.
Holiday home tour. Sell tickets to tour a few of the best-decorated homes in town. Add a hot cocoa stop at the last house.
Ugly sweater contest. Charge an entry fee, set up a runway, and let the crowd vote with dollar bills in jars.
Christmas concert or talent show. Sell tickets and a bake sale at intermission. School choirs, church bands, and local performers all draw a crowd.
Polar Express pajama night. Kids come in pajamas, get a golden ticket at the door, and watch the movie with cocoa and cookies.
Holiday trivia night. Sell team tables for adults. Use our Christmas movie trivia for ready-made rounds.
Gingerbread house contest. Sell kits at a markup, set up judging categories, and charge a small fee for spectators to vote.
🎅 Sell event tickets by time slot
For Breakfast with Santa, a concert, or a home tour, sell tickets online with set time slots and a cap for each one. You'll know your headcount before the day and can check families in at the door.
Food is easy to sell in December, especially anything that saves busy families time.
Hot cocoa stand. Set up at a tree lot, a holiday market, or a busy school pickup line. Offer toppings like whipped cream and peppermint for an extra charge.
Holiday meal kits. Sell freezer meals or side dishes families can pick up before Christmas. Post a menu with order deadlines and one pickup day.
Chili or soup cook-off. Charge cooks an entry fee and sell tasting tickets. Have a few judges award the top prize.
Christmas cookie delivery. Volunteers bake and box cookies, then deliver them to local offices and businesses that order them as client gifts.
Holiday Service Fundraisers
Busy people will happily pay someone else to handle a holiday chore. Services cost almost nothing to start.
Gift wrapping station. Set up at a mall, bookstore, or church lobby. Charge by gift size or ask for a donation. Ask the store first, since many host nonprofit wrapping tables every year.
Light hanging and takedown. Teens or team members hang outdoor lights in December and take them down in January for a set fee. Keep ladders and roofs for adults only.
Parents’ night out. Offer a few hours of supervised crafts, movies, and pizza so parents can shop or go to a holiday party. Charge per child.
Decoration takedown. In early January, offer to pack up trees and decorations. It’s an easy sell after a long season.
Christmas Giving Campaigns
Not every fundraiser needs an event. Many donors give their largest gifts in December, so a clear ask with a goal can raise more than a sale.
12 days of giving. Share one story, photo, or need each day for 12 days leading up to Christmas, with a donation link in every post.
Year-end appeal. Send a short letter or email in early December telling donors what their gift did this year and what it will do next year. Follow up with a reminder the week before December 31.
Sponsor a need. Turn your wish list into giving levels, like “$25 covers a coat” or “$100 sponsors a family dinner.” People like knowing exactly what their gift buys.
Matching gift challenge. Ask a local business or board member to match donations up to a set amount. A match gives people a reason to give today.
Team fundraising pages. Let each member of your team, class, or club create their own page and share it with friends and family. Personal asks bring in donors your group would never reach.
School fundraisers work best when they fit into the school calendar and don’t ask families to sell door to door.
Holiday shop. Set up a shop where kids buy small, low-cost gifts for family members on their own. Volunteers help them shop and wrap. Price most items between $1 and $10.
Breakfast with Santa. Host it on a Saturday morning in early December in the cafeteria or gym.
Wreath and ornament sales. Send order forms home in October and set one pickup day.
Winter concert extras. Sell flowers for performers, concessions, and a raffle table at the school concert. Check your local rules on raffles first.
Spirit wear. Holiday-themed school shirts or pajama pants make a popular gift.
Parents’ night out. Run it on a Friday in December so parents can shop.
A Christmas fundraiser runs on a tight calendar. Families start holiday shopping in November, and your fundraiser competes with every party, concert, and school event. A clear plan keeps it on track.
1. Set a goal and a reason. Pick a dollar amount and say what it pays for, like new uniforms or 50 holiday meals. A specific goal raises more than a general ask.
2. Pick one main idea. One well-run fundraiser beats three half-planned ones. Choose based on your volunteers, your budget, and how much time you have.
3. Decide how you’ll collect money. Choose before you promote anything. Cash boxes and paper order forms create work later. Online payments, orders, and tickets keep the totals in one place.
4. Recruit volunteers by shift. List every job, like setup, sales tables, delivery, and cleanup, with a time and a clear task. People say yes faster to a two-hour shift than to “can you help?”
5. Promote in waves. Announce the fundraiser, send a reminder halfway through, and send a final push before the deadline. Share progress toward your goal each time.
6. Thank donors quickly. Send a thank-you within a few days with the final total and what it will pay for. Our guide on how to write a donation thank-you letter has examples.
Christmas Fundraiser Timeline
October
Early to Mid November
Late November to Early December
Mid December
Late December to January
Tools to Run Your Christmas Fundraiser
Everything below is free to use on every SignUpGenius plan.
Fundraisers
Collect online donations toward a goal, with a progress bar donors can watch grow.
What are good Christmas fundraising ideas? Wreath and poinsettia sales, Breakfast with Santa, gift wrapping stations, cookie walks, and year-end giving campaigns all work well in December. The best ideas fit what people are already doing, like buying decorations, wrapping gifts, or looking for a fun family outing.
What are easy Christmas fundraisers for schools? A holiday shop, a wreath or ornament sale, and a Breakfast with Santa are popular school fundraisers. They fit the school calendar and don’t require kids to sell door to door. Taking orders online makes it easier for families to buy and for volunteers to track totals.
When should I start planning a Christmas fundraiser? Start in October. Most sales need preorders by mid-November, and venues and vendors book up fast in December. A simple giving campaign can come together in a few weeks, but earlier is still better.
I’m running a Christmas fundraiser for my nonprofit. What raises the most? A year-end giving campaign with a clear goal often raises the most, since many donors give their largest gifts in December. Add a matching gift challenge and let supporters create their own fundraising pages to reach new donors.
How do I collect money for a Christmas fundraiser online? Use an online fundraiser for donations, an online store for product sales, or tickets for events. Each one collects payments and tracks totals in one place, so you’re not counting cash or matching paper order forms. All are free to set up with SignUpGenius.
