Creative Christmas Fundraising Ideas Nonprofits Love

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If you work in fundraising, you already know the truth: Christmas fundraising is basically the nonprofit Super Bowl.

It’s joyful, chaotic, magical, and undeniably high stakes. Nearly 30% of annual giving happens in December, with 10% of it during the last three days.

Donors are more generous, more emotionally connected, and more willing to support causes that spark meaning during the holidays.

So the question isn’t: Should you fundraise during Christmas?
It’s: Which Christmas fundraising ideas will actually work for your nonprofit in 2025?

The answer: a mix of virtual, in-person, and hybrid ideas, paired with smart promotion and strong donor engagement. This guide gives you 10 high-ROI Christmas fundraising ideas, complete with templates, case studies, and expert tips you won’t find anywhere else.

What Is Christmas Fundraising?

Christmas fundraising refers to holiday fundraising ideas designed to harness year-end generosity through events, storytelling, digital engagement, and community activities.

These campaigns connect emotionally with supporters because people naturally want to give, share, uplift, and bring joy during this season.

Think of it as the time of year when your donors are already in a giving mindset… you just need to give them the right invitation.

Why Christmas Fundraising Matters (2025 Stats)

December remains the peak of charitable giving:

34% of annual nonprofit donations arrive in Q4
Fundraisers themed around Christmas often see a 40% boost in participation compared to other times of the year
Hybrid and digital holiday fundraisers grew by over 50% since 2020, so don’t miss the mobile and online opportunity!

A Smart 3-Step Holiday Fundraising Framework

Before we dive into the Christmas fundraising ideas, here’s a simple, nonprofit-tested framework your team can follow for a smoother, more successful holiday season.

1. Plan your Christmas fundraising

Define:

Your goal: What you want to achieve with your Christmas fundraising and how the funds will be used.
Your audience: Who you’re trying to reach – major donors, families, volunteers, or your broader community.
Your capacity: What your team can realistically manage in terms of time, staffing, and budget.
Your Christmas fundraising strategy: Whether you’ll focus on events, product sales, peer-to-peer campaigns, or a hybrid approach.

Build your holiday fundraising toolkit:

Landing page: A clear, dedicated page explaining your holiday campaign.
Donation form: A mobile-friendly form that makes giving easy in seconds.
Email templates: Ready-to-send outreach for invites, reminders, and thank-yous.
Phone banking list: A prioritized list of supporters for personalized outreach.
SMS reminders: Short texts that boost attendance, engagement, and giving.
Event registration page: A simple sign-up process for any Christmas fundraising events.

2. Promote your Christmas fundraising

Use an omnichannel approach:

Email: Announce your campaign, share updates, and send timely reminders.
SMS: Deliver urgent reminders and last-minute nudges with high open rates.
Phone calls: Personally reach warm leads, recurring donors, and major prospects.
Social media: Build festive momentum through reels, countdowns, photos, and stories.
Printed materials: Posters, flyers, and signage to increase visibility in your community.
Event platforms: Use tools like Eventbrite to list and promote your Christmas fundraising events.

Keep messaging consistent:

Use the same theme, visuals, and holiday tone across all channels so supporters recognize your campaign instantly.

3. Optimize your Christmas fundraising

Track key performance indicators:

Registrations: How many people signed up for your events or activities?
Donations: Total funds raised, including recurring and one-time gifts.
Average gift size: To understand donor behavior and identify upsell opportunities.
Matching gift submissions: How many donors requested employer matches?
Engagement rates: Email opens, SMS replies, click-throughs, and social interactions.
Peer-to-peer shares: How widely your supporters promote your campaign within their networks.

Refine your approach:

Use what’s working, cut what isn’t, and adjust messaging or outreach to maximize year-end results.

10 Standout Christmas Fundraising Ideas (How-To)

Here are 10 ideas on how to bring your community together and raise more funds this Christmas season:

1. Festive craft workshop

Bring supporters together for a holiday craft session like ornament making, wreaths, or gingerbread creations. Ask for an entry fee or sell pre-made kits. Be sure to send timely invitations and reminders; automated email and messaging tools can keep your RSVP list on track.

2. Silent or online auction

Auctions raise more when donors compete for unique experiences or gifts. Use an online auction platform to run bidding smoothly, then follow up personally with winners using CallHub’s SMS or phone calls for prompt payment and a genuine thank you.

3. Holiday gift wrapping station

Offer gift wrapping at a local store or school event. Use CallHub auto-dialer to schedule volunteer shifts and text reminders about extra busy shopping days.

4. Christmas concert (In-person or virtual)

Host local musicians, a choir, or student bands for a holiday concert.

Sell tickets in advance and make donating as easy as possible, whether with a mobile payment link, text-to-donate option, or a donation form accessible from the event page.

5. Themed holiday card campaign

Create unique holiday cards; personalize them for donors or supporters.

Reach out with a quick call or message when sending cards to let them know the difference they’re making.

6. Walkathon, run, or Santa Dash

Promote a festive “Fun Run” by decorating the route, encouraging costumes, and utilizing CallHub for peer-to-peer pledge requests and race-day coordination.

Add a virtual sign-up for remote participants.

7. Christmas cookie bake-off

Bake-offs combine fun and friendly competition, motivating families and volunteers to contribute.

Use phone banking to recruit participants and notify supporters about tasting events or online sales.

8. Gift basket raffle

Curate themed baskets like “Cozy Night In,” “Holiday Baking,” “Family Movie Night”, with donated items.

Promote ticket sales widely through text blasts and follow up with winners personally to deliver prizes, thereby boosting satisfaction and fostering stronger connections with supporters.

9. Employee matching gift drive

December brings great opportunities with employer gift-matching programs that amplify donations.

With CallHub’s Broadcast Texting, you can send timely reminders and matching instructions to donor groups all month long, and Automated Calling makes it easy to follow up with a brief personalized message.

10. Virtual marketplace or holiday fair

Online shops let your campaign reach even more supporters, whether they’re near or far.

With CallHub’s MMS and RCS features, you can send visually rich product promotions, restock alerts, and thank-you images or videos directly to your supporters’ phones, keeping them engaged and making every interaction stand out through the final sale.

Boost Christmas fundraising participation with multiple channels

Most of these Christmas fundraising ideas require people’s participation in different capacities. You will have to advertise your events using different channels. Here are some:

Landing Pages: Each event or campaign needs one clear page with information and a bold donation or RSVP button.
Social Media: Schedule teasers, countdowns, live streams, thank-yous, and real-time event highlights.
Email: Send segmented invites, updates, and campaign wrap-ups. Integrate with SMS for last-minute reminders.
Phone Calls: Use CallHub for personal follow-ups, especially for high-value donors and volunteers.
Text Messages: Achieve nearly 100% open rates for urgent reminders, giving links, and event recaps.

Christmas fundraising: Case study

These real-world Christmas fundraising campaigns highlight how creative partnerships, community engagement, and simple giving opportunities can generate record-breaking results during the holiday season.

1. Macy’s x Big Brothers Big Sisters Holiday Campaign

Source: Big Brothers Big Sisters

During the 2023–2024 holiday season, Macy’s partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to run a nationwide Christmas fundraising drive that encouraged customers to donate at checkout.

The campaign raised $4.3 million, with Macy’s contributing an additional $400,000 in grants, bringing total support to $4.7 million.

By pairing simple giving prompts with impactful mentorship stories, the campaign showed how powerful holiday fundraising can be when organizations meet supporters in the everyday moments where generosity feels natural.

2. Save the Children – Christmas Jumper Day

Source: UKFundraising

Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day turned a simple idea into a nationwide movement by encouraging people to wear a festive sweater and donate through schools, workplaces, and community groups.

The campaign used easy sign-ups, social sharing, and themed fundraising packs to help supporters run their own mini-events.

In 2022, this lighthearted, community-driven approach raised £4.6 million, contributing to the £30 million+ generated since the initiative began.

Quick Expert Tips for 2025 Christmas fundraising

Lets look at some of the tips that will keep you ahead this holiday season:

Start your Christmas fundraising planning at least 60 days ahead.
Mix in-person and virtual opportunities so everyone can join.
Use data, send reminders to donors most likely to give, and segment appeals by past participation.
Always say “thanks” timely follow-up calls or texts turn one-time givers into loyal supporters.

Final word: Christmas fundraising

Ready to unlock your most successful Christmas fundraiser yet?
Begin planning, pick a couple of ideas from this guide, and use CallHub’s tools to reach more donors with less effort. Happy holidays and happy fundraising!

FAQs: Christmas Fundraising 2025

What are the best ways to promote Christmas fundraising events?

Combine social, SMS (for quick reminders), email, and personal calls for max turnout and donations.

How do I make my campaign stand out?

Add a contest, exclusive experience, or a community goal meter. Use personalized calls/texts for VIPs.

How important is employer gift-matching?

Crucial – promote it at every touchpoint. Many companies now auto-match, so make instructions prominent.

How can I keep fundraising accessible for everyone?

Offer pay-what-you-can options, peer-to-peer challenges, and virtual events alongside in-person experiences.

Can small teams run big Christmas fundraisers?

Absolutely – digital tools like CallHub! help automate invitations, reminders, and thank-yous without huge teams.

Tenzin Tsetan

A Tibetan content strategist specializing in helping organizations amplify their digital presence. Through in-house content creation, bridging traditional wisdom with modern storytelling to engage diverse global communities, with a focus on political organizations, nonprofits, and advocacy groups.