Category: Fundraising Advice

The festive season is a time for generosity, connection, and celebration. It’s the perfect moment to raise funds for a great cause. Whether you’re planning a charity dinner, school fair, or community campaign, there are endless ways to inspire giving and spread joy.

Here are 12 creative and achievable Christmas fundraising ideas to help you make the most of the season, with a few ways that Givergy’s fundraising tools can make each one easier to run.

1. Host a Christmas raffle or prize draw

Few things build excitement like the chance to win a prize while supporting a good cause. Offer donated gifts, hampers, or unforgettable experiences.

A fundraising platform can help you manage ticket sales, draw winners automatically, and stay fully compliant.

👉 Tip: Givergy’s online raffle system lets you sell tickets, process payments, and notify winners instantly. It’s perfect for quick, festive fundraising.

2. Run a “Secret Santa” auction with a twist

Forget the standard auction. This year, try a Secret Santa Auction where supporters bid on mystery prizes. Each listing gives just a small hint such as “something that sparkles,” “a gourmet indulgence,” or “an unforgettable experience.”

People love the anticipation of the unknown, and you can source donated gifts easily from sponsors or local businesses. Reveal the prizes live at your event or online when the auction closes.

You can host the entire thing online with countdown timers, automatic notifications, and even cheeky “hint drops” through your campaign page. It’s fun, unpredictable, and perfect for spreading festive cheer while raising serious funds.

3. Launch a “12 Days of Giving” challenge

Turn the run-up to Christmas into a series of joyful giving moments. Share a new story, prize, or challenge each day for 12 days, such as unlocking a mini raffle, highlighting a volunteer, or setting a short donation goal.

Scheduling daily updates through your fundraising page or social channels keeps supporters checking back and builds momentum right up to Christmas Eve.

4. Add festive donation options to your website

Encourage small acts of kindness by creating Christmas-themed donation tiers such as “Gift a meal for a family” or “Spread warmth this winter.”

Show donors exactly how their contribution helps by pairing each amount with a short impact story and a festive image. Personalised storytelling turns one-time givers into loyal supporters.

5. Include a 50/50 draw at your holiday event

If you’re hosting a Christmas concert, gala, or party, a 50/50 draw is a quick and easy way to raise extra funds. Half of the proceeds go to your cause and the other half to one lucky winner.

With automated draw tools, you can sell tickets, track totals, and announce the winner live. It’s a simple addition that brings instant excitement and extra income to your campaign.

6. Celebrate with a Christmas jumper day

Whether it’s at school, in the office, or across your community, invite everyone to show off their most outrageous Christmas jumper and make a small donation to take part.

Turn it into a friendly competition by encouraging people to vote for their favourites. Donations can double as “votes,” which helps you raise even more while keeping things light-hearted.

7. Offer “gifts that give back”

For those who prefer giving meaningful presents, set up a donation option where supporters can give in a loved one’s name. Send them a thank-you email or digital card they can share as a thoughtful, sustainable Christmas gift.

8. Build an interactive “Giving Advent Calendar”

Turn your fundraising page into an advent calendar filled with generosity. Each day leading up to Christmas, unlock a new giving opportunity such as a small raffle, a thank-you video, a story from your beneficiaries, or a donation match challenge.

Supporters return daily to see what’s behind the next door, creating anticipation and ongoing engagement throughout December. You can even hide surprise prizes or discount codes from your corporate partners behind a few of the doors.

Givergy’s campaign scheduling tools and flexible content layouts make it easy to pre-set your reveals and keep the experience interactive. Each small daily act adds up to a big holiday impact.

9. Host a Christmas concert or quiz night

Bring people together for an evening of festive fun. Whether it’s a carol concert, quiz, or comedy show, combine entertainment with an opportunity to give.

Sell tickets in advance, run an auction or raffle on the night, and use your fundraising site to collect donations before, during, and after the event.

10. Introduce festive flash auctions

Keep your audience engaged by releasing short, surprise auctions throughout December. You might list one special item each day for a limited time.

Time-limited listings, countdown clocks, and mobile alerts turn smaller auctions into exciting moments that encourage repeat visits and friendly competition.

11. Combine Giving Tuesday with your Christmas appeal

Use the momentum of Giving Tuesday (the first Tuesday after U.S. Thanksgiving) as the perfect launchpad for your festive campaign.

Kick off a raffle, open an auction, or start a donation challenge, then carry that energy straight through to Christmas. Supporters are already in a giving mindset; you just need to meet them there.

12. End the year with a live “Gratitude Gala”

Instead of a standard thank-you post, host a Gratitude Gala to celebrate your community’s impact.

Think of it as part celebration, part storytelling event. Share highlights from the year, showcase what donations have achieved, and invite beneficiaries or volunteers to speak. Keep it light, warm, and joyful, and consider including a live draw or a final auction for good measure.

Stream it through your campaign page so everyone can join in. Add donation prompts or a final “toast to next year” to keep momentum going. It turns your thank-you into a moment of connection and optimism — the perfect bridge between campaigns.

Make this Christmas count

The holiday season is your opportunity to connect hearts, tell stories, and inspire generosity. Whether you’re raffling off prizes, hosting a Christmas concert, or collecting donations online, the right tools help you spend less time on logistics and more time engaging your supporters.

If you’re ready to make your festive fundraising simple, seamless, and successful, explore how Givergy’s platform can bring your Christmas ideas to life, from raffles and 50/50s to auctions, sweepstakes, and donation pages that shine.

Create your campaign in minutes by clicking here.

It’s a powerful thing when alumni give back to your school, whether they donate to fundraisers, volunteer to mentor students, or speak at a career fair. Alumni are a vital part of your school community, but their busy lives can prevent them from staying involved.

 To engage former students and motivate them to attend your events, you need to meet them where they are—on their phones.

According to Double the Donation’s alumni giving statistics, 75% of alumni said they would engage more with their school if their options were mobile-friendly. Think virtual or hybrid events, accessible websites, and mobile-first messaging.

In this post, we’ll focus on engaging alumni via SMS, or text messaging. Follow these steps to tap into the power of SMS and boost attendance for your next alumni event.

1. Ask alumni to opt in.

Before you start texting alumni, make sure you review and understand SMS laws and regulations. Any mobile messages sent from an application (known as Application to Person, or A2P messaging) must comply with laws like the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which requires recipients to opt in before you text them.

 This means that if you use a school texting app, you need to collect opt-ins. Ideally, you’ll build an opt-in list well before your fundraising event, but it’s never too late to start.

To get your alumni’s consent to text them, add a simple checkbox to important forms on your school or alumni website, such as donation and event registration forms. Then, email alumni about this new opportunity to engage with your school. Explain why they should sign up for your texts—to get quicker updates, hear about important news first, and easily stay connected.

2. Send personalized invitations and reminders.

Once you have a growing opt-in list, start drafting a variety of different messages to send. Each message should be 160 characters or fewer to align with text marketing best practices, and they should include clear calls to action.

To boost event attendance, plan out text messages like:

• Announcements and invitations: Texts are a great way to announce your event and personally invite alumni to attend. While you can’t include every detail in a short text message, you can include links to website pages with more information.
• Reminders to register: Segment your alumni based on their registration status. Then, send targeted reminders to those who haven’t registered yet. Link directly to your online registration form so they can sign up easily.
• Texts to build excitement: Send short, fun messages to keep alumni invested in your event and inspire more registrations. For example, you might tease a few high-value auction items ahead of your alumni gala.

Personalize these messages for maximum success. This way, you’ll grab potential guests’ attention and remind them that you value them as individuals. Use SMS automation tools to send the right messages at the right time, auto-populate texts with first names and engagement details, and easily send tailored messages to different alumni segments.

3. Incorporate multimedia.

Text messages aren’t limited to SMS. With MMS (multimedia messaging service), you can send several types of media, such as images, videos, GIFs, audio, and even PDF files in addition to plain text.

Any of these additions can make your event text messages more engaging and helpful for alumni. For instance, you might use MMS to:

• Include an event flyer in announcements to boost ticket sales.
• Share behind-the-scenes photos of your event setup or venue.
• Create a countdown GIF to generate excitement a few days before the event.
• Send a short thank-you video from your staff to thank registered guests.
• Draw attention to important event details with a graphic.
• Share a class photo to bring back memories ahead of an alumni reunion.

Whenever you include multimedia in a text message, pay attention to the size of the files you want to send. According to Mogli’s MMS marketing guide, large file sizes can cause slower load times and deliverability issues. Fortunately, you can avoid this by compressing files and limiting video length; Mogli recommends keeping them under 300KB and within 15-30 seconds.

4. Share important information via text.

Text messages are much more reliable than email or social media for getting recipients to read messages immediately. In fact, 90% of text messages are read within just three minutes, making SMS the perfect channel for communicating key details that you don’t want alumni to miss.

As you get closer to the event date, take advantage of text messages’ speed and high open rates to share important or time-sensitive information, such as:

• Logistics, like specific time and location details
• Any last-minute changes
• Links to download your event mobile app
• Time-sensitive details about donating during the event
• Event check-in and check-out information
• Updates during the event itself

Quickly sharing this information over text will help you keep registered guests informed and increase the likelihood that they attend. You’ll also provide guests with a more positive event experience overall, which can encourage them to attend similar events in the future.

5. Learn from your engagement metrics.

Finally, track engagement with your messages throughout the event promotion period and the event itself.

Texting software makes it easy to monitor metrics like open, click-through, response, and conversion rates. This data, along with event attendance rates and fundraising totals, indicates how successful your texts were at getting donors’ attention and communicating the value of your event.

After your event, analyze this data to determine which content drove the most action, whether sign-ups, donations, responses, or other interactions. Then, combine this information with alumni giving results to evaluate SMS’s role in your event’s success and identify ways to improve your strategy next time.

SMS is an impactful, accessible marketing channel that any school can leverage to improve its events. But just like any other marketing effort, your success largely depends on how well you can appeal to your unique audience. Center alumni in all your event text messages as you try out these strategies, and you’ll build a strong foundation for engagement.

Creating a welcoming environment is essential when planning a successful event. When attendees feel seen, respected, and comfortable, they’re more likely to participate fully, return in the future, and spread the word. On the other hand, even small oversights in accessibility, communication, or atmosphere can leave people feeling excluded or unwelcome.

Whether you’re hosting a community gathering, a fundraiser, or an educational workshop, every element of your event sends a message. From the first email invitation to the moment someone walks through the door, you have countless opportunities to make that message one of inclusion and belonging.

Let’s explore key considerations for creating an event experience where everyone feels welcome. These tips will help you approach your planning with intention, so no matter who walks in, they’ll feel like they belong.

1. Understand Your Audience

Creating a welcoming event starts with understanding who you’re trying to reach. The more you know about your attendees, the better you can anticipate their needs, remove potential barriers, and foster an environment that feels inclusive from the start. Here’s how to get a better sense of how they operate:

• Identify your event’s intended attendees. Before you make decisions about programming, location, or outreach, define your audience. Are they primarily families, young adults, older adults, or a mix? Will people be attending with different physical abilities, cultural backgrounds, or language preferences?
• Gather feedback from past attendees. Direct feedback can highlight issues you may not have considered. Look at survey responses, talk to returning participants, and identify both the positive and negative experiences people had.
• Tailor communication accordingly. Once you know your audience, you can adjust how you communicate with them before, during, and after the event. Inclusive communication helps set expectations and makes attendees feel more confident and prepared.

Remember that your audience will change over time as your programming shifts and new trends become relevant. Build in time to assess your audience while planning every event to account for any new circumstances.

2. Choose an Accessible Venue

Ensuring that everyone can comfortably and confidently access the venue is essential for creating a welcoming space. Remember, accessibility isn’t just about physical infrastructure; it’s also about how easily attendees can navigate the space and feel supported once they arrive.

Keep these accessibility considerations in mind:

Physical Accessibility

Assess whether the venue accommodates people with mobility challenges. This includes features like:

• Step-free entrances
• Ramps and elevators
• Accessible restrooms
• Wide doorways and hallways
• Seating options for people with physical disabilities

If your venue falls short in any of these areas, work with the venue staff to find accommodations or adjustments. Also, don’t make assumptions about what your attendees need—poll your attendees as best you can so you can secure the resources they need the most.

Transportation and Parking Options

A venue may be technically accessible but still difficult for some people to reach. Ensure there are transportation options that make attending easier for everyone, like:

• Public transportation accessibility
• Clearly marked rideshare drop-off and pickup zones
• Ample parking spaces, including designated ADA spots
• Safe, well-lit pathways from transit or parking to the venue entrance

You can also consider offering transportation assistance or coordinating carpools if your audience includes people with limited travel options.

Signage

Once attendees arrive, they should be able to navigate the space easily and without confusion. Signage should be:

• Large, clear, and legible
• Placed at key decision points (entrances, restrooms, registration, exits)
• Inclusive of visuals and icons for non-native speakers or those with reading difficulties
• Available in multiple languages, if applicable to your audience
• Accessible to people with visual impairments with braille

If your event spans multiple rooms or areas, provide a simple map at check-in or display directional signs throughout the venue. Intuitive navigation contributes significantly to your attendees’ peace of mind.

3. Make the Registration and Check-In Process Seamless

The last thing you want is for an excited attendee to lose interest because of a frustrating or clunky registration process. Your registration process should accommodate a range of preferences and be simple from start to finish. Here’s how you can streamline your registration process:

• Provide numerous registration options. Providing more than one way to register (e.g., online through your event management software or in person at your office) makes your event more accessible and shows that you’re thinking about your audience’s diverse needs. Flexibility here removes unnecessary friction and ensures no one feels excluded simply because the process doesn’t work for them.
• Use friendly language and design. The way you present your registration forms, instructions, and signage matters. Keep your language clear, conversational, and easy to understand. Avoid using technical jargon or overly formal terms that might alienate attendees.
• Ensure clear navigation and site organization. Forms should be visually clean, intuitive to navigate, and easy to complete on both desktop and mobile devices. This attention to tone and usability helps build trust and confidence in your organization.
• Provide on-site support. Attendees should be greeted by friendly staff or volunteers who are clearly available to assist with any questions or issues. Check-in badge stations should be easy to find and laid out in a way that avoids long lines or congestion. If someone seems unsure or overwhelmed, staff should be ready to step in and help, whether that means explaining where to go next or offering support with accessibility needs.

Even if you accept physical registrations, you’ll probably manage most of your registrations online. To ensure digital accessibility, Fionta suggests following WCAG guidance, the gold standard for accessibility standards online.

4. Design Inclusive Programming

Inclusive programming goes beyond who’s speaking or what activities are planned. It reflects a mindset that values a range of experiences, perspectives, and participation styles. Ensure your programming speaks to different experiences, preferences, and communities by:

• Feature diverse speakers and perspectives. When attendees see people on stage or in leadership roles who reflect their own backgrounds or experiences, it builds connection and trust. It’s also an opportunity to expose your audience to new ideas and voices they may not have encountered before.
• Plan interactive and passive participation options. Not every attendee will engage in the same way. Some may thrive in group discussions or interactive workshops, while others prefer to listen, observe, or reflect. Offering a mix of activities gives people the freedom to participate at their comfort level. You might include breakout sessions, quiet learning zones, or creative expression opportunities to accommodate different energy levels and personality types.
• Be flexible with schedules. A tightly packed agenda can be overwhelming, especially for attendees who need more time to process information, move between spaces, or take care of personal needs. Build in regular breaks, offer optional sessions, and clearly communicate what’s required versus what’s flexible.

Thoughtful programming doesn’t require a huge budget or a complete overhaul of your agenda. It simply asks you to consider the diverse ways people learn, engage, and connect.

When it comes to making events welcoming, small changes can make a big impact, so start at the micro-level and work your way up. For instance, you might invest in event technology that can help you collaborate on event planning, ensuring you cover your bases when it comes to accessibility. Whatever you decide, just keep your attendees at the forefront of your efforts, and you can build a comprehensive event community.