People give more around Christmas than at any other time of year. The trouble is that everyone else is asking too, and everyone is busy. The fundraisers that do well in December are usually the ones that were planned in October and November.
This guide sorts Christmas fundraising ideas by how much work they take, with online and in-person ideas in each section. If you're raising money for a school, school fundraising ideas covers the Christmas fair and the rest of the school year too.
When to start
- October: pick your idea and set a date. Book a venue if you need one, and start asking local businesses for prizes or donated items. They get a lot of requests in December.
- November: launch. Share the link or the date, and give people three or four weeks to take part.
- Early December: run it, ideally before the last week of term or the office closing. Once people break up for the holidays, they stop reading group chats and emails.
The same idea run in early December usually does better than in the week before Christmas, when people's money and attention have run out.
An evening's work
Online
A Christmas duck race. Supporters pay to adopt a duck, name it and dress it in a Christmas outfit, then watch the ducks race on a screen. Set it up in an evening, share the link through November, and run the race at the end of term, at the office party or on an evening when everyone's at home. The first duck over the line wins a prize, and a hamper or a box of chocolates suits the season. How to run a virtual duck race covers it step by step.
A reverse advent calendar. Instead of opening a door each day, people give something each day of December: a small donation, or an item for a food bank. Share a simple calendar and post a reminder each morning.
A Christmas card donation. Instead of sending cards to colleagues or friends, give what you'd have spent to charity and send one message to everyone saying so. It works well in offices, where people send dozens of cards each.
In person
A Christmas jumper day. Everyone who wears a festive jumper to work, school or practice pays a small amount. All it needs is an email and someone to collect the money. Some national charities run a jumper day each December, and you can join theirs or choose your own cause.
Secret Santa with a donation. Add a small charity donation to your office or club Secret Santa, or swap gifts for donations entirely.
A mince pie and mulled drinks morning. A Christmas version of a coffee morning, at home, in the office or in a church hall, with a donation box on the table.
A weekend's work
Online
A Christmas quiz. Run it on a video call with a ticket price per team. Christmas songs, films and adverts make easy rounds that everyone can join in with.
An online auction of Christmas promises. Friends and local businesses donate things like a Christmas cake, a wreath, an hour of present wrapping or a meal in January. Post them in a social media post or a shared document and take bids until a closing date.
In person
Gift wrapping. Set up a table where shoppers pay you to wrap their presents. Ask a shopping centre, a bookshop or a toy shop first. Some welcome it as a service for their customers.
Carol singing. Choose a warm, busy spot with the owner's permission, like a station, a supermarket entrance or a pub, or sing at a care home or a community event. Practise a few times so you can sing without the words.
Bake and sell. Mince pies, Christmas cookies, gingerbread or homemade sweets, sold at work, at the school gate or at a stall. Label what's in everything, as people buying gifts often don't know who'll be eating them.
A month's work
Online
A December challenge. Walk, run or swim a set distance every day of advent, and ask people to sponsor you. Post updates each day. A month of small updates gives people lots of chances to give.
In person
A Christmas fair or market. Stalls, food, crafts and a visit from Father Christmas. It's usually one of the biggest earners of the year, and one of the biggest jobs. Book stallholders and ask for donated prizes in October.
A Christmas concert or carol service. Ticketed, or free with a collection at the end. Churches, schools and community choirs often have the venue and the performers already.
A Christmas party or dinner. A ticketed evening with food and music. Agree the venue and any costs first, and work out how many tickets you need to sell before you start selling.
For workplaces
December is the easiest time to raise money at work. People are in a generous mood and there's already a party to plan. A few ideas that work well together:
- A jumper day on the day of the office party.
- A team duck race, one duck per team or department, raced at the party. Colleagues donate to cheer on their own team. Adopt a duck or race for your class explains how this format works.
- Matched giving. Many employers match what staff raise, and December is a good time to ask. Check whether yours does before you set a target.
Making it work at Christmas
Give a deadline. "The race is on the 10th" works better than "please donate this month". In December, anything without a date gets put off until it's forgotten.
Say what the money will do. At Christmas, many charities can say exactly what a gift pays for: a meal, a present or a night's shelter. A specific target and a specific use help people choose your cause from all the others asking.
Think about timing online. Giving Tuesday, the Tuesday after American Thanksgiving (1 December in 2026), gets lots of attention for charity appeals. It's a good day to launch or to send a reminder.
Thank people before the break. Share your total and say thank you before everyone switches off for Christmas. If the money is going to something they'll hear about in the new year, tell them then too.
Ready to try a Christmas duck race?
It's one of the quickest ideas on this list to set up, and it works for people at home and in the room together. You can try a free online duck race right now. For more ideas outside Christmas, see easy fundraising ideas for charity, or read how to raise funds for charity for the steps from target to thank-you.