The year-end giving season is a crucial period for nonprofit organizations, schools, clubs, churches, and other community organizations to secure vital funding. Truly, it’s the most wonderful time of the year – for connecting with and engaging supporters. In this article, we will explore 10 diverse giving season events.
Special events play a pivotal role in capitalizing on the generous spirit of giving that flourishes during the last two months of the calendar year. Beyond end-of-year donations, giving season events offer additional value, including attracting new supporters, building mailing lists, and boosting awareness.
Unique event ideas, fresh to the community and eagerly embraced by volunteers and participants, make giving season fundraising even more successful. In this article, we take a look at some ideas to get you started, as well as share tips on how you can raise more with your year-end events.
We’ve made a list and, yes, checked it twice to provide you with 10 ways to harness the giving season by hosting end-of-year fundraising events.
Use events to harness the energy of Giving Tuesday, hosted annually on the Tuesday that follows Thanksgiving in the U.S. (In 2024, that’s December 3.) This is such a big opportunity that we’re sharing two separate fundraising ideas for this day alone!
Drive awareness with new supporters by hosting a parking lot or in-lobby coffee and donut stand. Enthusiastic volunteers greet morning commuters with, “Happy Giving Tuesday! Enjoy coffee and a donut on us.” Then, they hand over a flyer about your mission with the goodies!
For those who would like to make a gift, you can place a large jar with a “Donations” sign on the stand. Better yet, incorporate a donation kiosk for easy on-site giving. With the right kiosk tool, you can follow up with a thank you via email – and add them to your list for future appeals!
Location matters, so scope out a place that offers plenty of foot traffic, has nearby power sources for coffee makers, and space to accommodate your stand. Partner with a community business to get the coffee and/or donuts donated – or even to find an ideal location such as a busy office or grocery store – for maximum revenue.
Gather your supporters together over a festive Friendsgiving-ish food event at a local restaurant with a “Friends of Your Organization” dinner.
Sell tickets to the dinner in advance. During the event, line up some giveaways or merchandise that would make great stocking stuffers to boost awareness and income. Make sure all your advance marketing stresses that it’s a Giving Tuesday event so the timing of it is easy to remember!
Ring in the season – no matter which holiday you celebrate – with a melodious fundraiser. Invite local artists or ensembles to stage a concert, with proceeds from ticket sales going toward your cause.
To add another level of fun, invite several groups to perform a short set. Then, offer a cash prize for the best group based on a People’s Choice vote. (Hint: This award incentivizes the groups to bring more ticket-buying friends and family members.)
For theater and music groups, a giving season concert (or show!) doesn’t have to be holiday-themed. Patrons may want to see and hear highlights from performances earlier in the year – advertise a compilation of favorites. For people who don’t love the holiday season, a non-holiday show could be just the ticket. Plus, with performers already in the know, there’s very little need for much rehearsal time.
Host a classic fall or winter soiree featuring seasonal décor, entertainment, and a silent auction. Sell tickets for this glamorous gala, where attendees can support your organization while enjoying a memorable evening. An aptly named event – like The Fall Frolic or The Snow Ball – conveys elegance, enchantment, and energy.
Like the non-holiday show noted above, this event can take a distinctly un-holiday approach. Hosting it before Thanksgiving or in the early weeks of December means people aren’t in holiday-hectic mode, but you’re still getting engagement from them during the giving season.
Collaborate with local businesses to create a giving season shopping event. After all, many people are in the shopping mindset this time of year! Offer shoppers different ticket levels with added discounts, perks like food and drink, and more. For added funds, ask the businesses to donate a portion (maybe 5-10%) of each purchase to your cause. And host fun activities like a wine pull to directly benefit your mission.
Done well, these events can attract new shoppers to featured businesses, giving them exposure they wouldn’t otherwise have. It’s a win-win-win for shoppers, businesses, and your organization!
Similar to a Friendsgiving event, this can serve two purposes – bringing your volunteers together to thank them for their year of support and raising some funds at the same time.
Serve an easy, cost-effective menu – spaghetti, pancakes, pizza, etc. – for free and tap fundraising strategies like sponsorships, a 50/50 raffle, selling holiday merchandise, or other fun on-site activities.
Host a public lighting display in your community to spread cheer and awareness for your mission. Ideal for an undeveloped area with road infrastructure (e.g. a future housing development, community park, or summer camp), these events give families somewhere to get into the holiday spirit while staying warm and cozy in the car or strolling through a winter wonderland. Sponsorships, food and drink sales (cocoa and cookies, anyone?), and donations collected at the event entrance and/or exit can boost your year-end fundraising.
To save time and money on your part, invite local clubs and businesses to build unique lighted displays. Offer prizes to the best designs to encourage participation! Or, team up with a local drive-through light display for a one-night-only fundraiser where a portion of their proceeds goes towards your mission.
Organize a fall or festive 5K or fun run/walk, encouraging participants to embrace the theme, be it Thanksgiving, the autumnal equinox, or a winter holiday. Runners can participate in a Turkey Trot around Thanksgiving, or hoof it to your Reindeer Run or the Sleigh the Day 5K. Charge an entry fee and provide fun incentives for participants, such as themed medals or tumblers, that serve as year-round advertising for the event and your organization.
Pro Tip: Use peer-to-peer fundraising alongside this giving season event to boost revenue and awareness simultaneously for your organization. Runners can each create their own fundraising page connected to your campaign and then ask friends and family to donate to support their race.
Your giving season event could be a craft fair featuring local artisans and crafters. Charge a vendor fee and invite the community to shop for unique, handcrafted gifts.
A modest entrant fee for shoppers can also benefit your mission. Also consider an event add-on, like a “Kids Create” area where parents make a donation for the wee ones to try their artistic hand at a simple craft.
Create a winter wonderland with games, rides, and seasonal treats for a giving season event that appeals to children and families. Charge an admission fee and/or offer a mix of free and ticketed activities to cater to all budgets.
For example, ask area businesses to host booths with simple, free games for kids (think Plinko, Prize Wheels, and more) in exchange for the promotion it provides for their brand. Then, charge a small fee for tickets to ride a carousel, Ferris wheel, and other fun rides.
Arrange a gingerbread house decorating contest for individuals, families, or local businesses. Entry fees, sponsorships, and sales of gingerbread house kits can contribute to your fundraising goals.
This is another event where you can feature a People’s Choice award. Entrants encourage friends and family members to attend and vote for their deliciously decorated dwelling.
Pro Tip: Boost awareness by posting entries to your social media, encouraging entrants to share your post to get more votes for the People’s Choice award.
Several of the giving season events listed above mentioned add-on fundraising activities. These extra income generators should not be underestimated! In some instances, the income from add-ons can surpass ticket sales.
For every type of fundraising event your organization plans, be sure to consider whether any or all of the following add-ons could be featured.
Pro Tip: Make sure to give yourself ample time to plan your giving season events! Download our free event planning checklist to get started.
It’s called giving season for a reason – people are making more than charitable gifts; they’re giving to friends and family.
Everyone is looking for coworker/neighbor treats, stocking stuffers, and hostess gifts during the months of November and December. Take advantage of this shopper mindset by showcasing your own unique products, like candles, wrapping paper, t-shirts, or mugs. Branded items serve as both memorabilia and a source of revenue!
Incorporate silent auctions into your events as an added source of entertainment and revenue. Encourage local businesses to donate items for bidding, tap your own community of volunteers and their friends and family for donations of unique items, and ensure you have a seamless bidding process in place.
If you have a handful of in-demand items (Taylor Swift tickets, anyone?), consider adding a raffle to your event. Raffles are great because people give in the hopes of just maybe getting something back, but “losers” don’t typically mind missing out since it’s for a good cause.
More and more organizations are hosting 50/50 raffles, where the winner keeps half of the total sales, and the organization gets the other half. Again, participants don’t expect to win, but the mere possibility of winning cash is certainly alluring. Who couldn’t use a few extra bucks during the last few months of the year?
One of the best tools you can add to your giving season event is an on-site giving kiosk that accepts cashless donations. Whether you use it to encourage additional donations or to collect payment for merchandise, refreshments, attraction tickets, raffles, and more, there are so many ways you can put a donation kiosk to work at an event.
The Donorbox Live™ Kiosk app makes it as easy as pumpkin pie to set up your own donation kiosk. Simply create a fundraising campaign on Donorbox, download the app to an iPad or Android tablet, pair it with a card reader, and you’re ready to accept donations via card or smart device.
Donorbox Events’ robust platform boosts ticket sales and streamlines your giving season event management. This user-friendly tool offers several features, including –
Take a look at how the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation is using Donorbox Events to sell tickets to their annual Holiday Designer Show House event. Because this event takes place across multiple days, they make use of unlimited ticket tiers to keep track of the tickets sold for each available time slot.
Get started with Donorbox Events
Remember: giving season events are powerful tools to raise more at year-end. By diversifying your event offerings, incorporating add-ons like merchandise sales and silent auctions, and leveraging the capabilities of Donorbox Events, your organization can maximize its impact during the most wonderful time of the year.
Engaging your community and supporters through these giving season events not only helps financially but also builds stronger relationships and fosters a culture of giving that lasts longer than your aunt’s annual end-of-year fruitcake.
Learn more about Donorbox and all of the powerful tools and features available through our platform here. Looking for more nonprofit tips and fundraising advice? Check out our Nonprofit Blog and sign up for our e-newsletter!
With 20+ years of nonprofit management experience and a passion for serving the nonprofit sector, Libby has been called a “nonprofit brainiac.” Libby’s nonprofit professional experience runs the gamut – board management, governance, fundraising, development, budgeting, marketing, special events, and more! When not consulting and writing, you’ll find her on a boat on the coast of North Carolina with her daughter and chocolate lab!
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Libby O’Malley