Christmas Fundraising Ideas for Parishes

It’s no secret that a tremendous amount of annual giving arrives during the holiday season. And you likely already have a plan for exciting and delighting your community this Christmas to drive interaction and generosity through a successful Christmas fundraising event.

But if you’re looking to spruce up, revamp, or simply add another joyous element to your end-of-year festivities, we’ve compiled a list of Christmas fundraising ideas—some common, some a bit outside the box—that are sure to help your parish’s Christmas fundraising campaign!

Gift Drive

It’s the most popular Christmas fundraiser for the holiday season, and for good reason—providing gifts for those in need around Christmas shows families how much you care about them.

There is, however, an alternative method for hosting a gift drive that can ease the leg work of your potential donors while achieving the same goal: suggest that your community gives toward a fund dedicated to providing Christmas gifts for the community.

Not only does this eliminate a hurdle for your parishioners who may simply not have time to get to the store, but it allows you to easily highlight the power of their generosity through your digital platform! Seeing the impact of their charity through online giving will spur further donations down the road.

Recipe Book Sale

Everyone knows that person in the neighborhood who makes the best stew, the perfect lasagna, the ideal seasoning for a steak. Why not have them donate their secrets to fuel your holiday fundraiser!

Reach out to the amateur chefs in your community—and have members reach out to their own family members in different states—to share their recipes. You can sell them to support your parish. Put an emphasis on Christmas recipes or festive dishes to tie into the holiday spirit!

Gift Wrapping Service

Do you have a significant other who absolutely fails at folding corners and using reasonable amounts of tape? A gift wrapping event is your solution!

Reach out to the “wrappers” in your community and ask them to volunteer their time and talent for those who simply struggle with gift wrapping—for a small fee, of course, that will fund an upcoming ministry project.

Braving The Cold

Winter weather offers so many opportunities for fun and fundraising. If you’re north enough and near a frozen lake, find a creative way to raise funds via a polar bear plunge! Or, if you’re up for it, let parishioners buy a snowball to throw your direction!

Too far south for snow and ice? You can still have fun with the season by hosting a joke-y swimsuit party to (uncomfortably) celebrate the season and encourage Christmas donations.

Ornament Decorating

This is an incredible opportunity to invite the community to create something tied to both Christmas and your church.

Grab plain Christmas ornaments, plus some fun decorative materials, then invite everyone to an event where they can design their very own custom and creative ornament! 

Letters To Santa

What screams Christmas more than writing a wish list for Santa? Every kid in your community has probably had theirs planned for months!

A creative way for turning this tradition into a wholesome fundraising moment is to create some sort of “booth” where—for a small donation from their parents—the children can drop off their letters for express priority delivery to the North Pole!

Christmas Movie Night

There are so many possibilities here. Charge for tickets at the door—you could even print some fun receipts that look like real tickets! Then give everyone complimentary popcorn and drinks while the community comes together to enjoy a holiday-themed film.

Carolling

Have a talented choir? Or even just some passionate, boisterous children? Empower them to spread cheer!

Go out into your local neighborhoods and belt your hearts out—with a dedicated volunteer holding a basket or a QR code, potentially with a sign that explains how all donations go toward funding your parish’s next big project.

Used Book Sale

Almost everyone has a pile of novels stashed away at home. Put those dusty books to good use!

Encourage members of your community to pull out their old books that they’ll never read again and donate them to your fundraising campaign. You’ll be surprised how many people will scoop up a story, and donate to your parish in the process.

DIY Workshop

Your community is full of talented individuals, and many of them would be thrilled to share their skills and experience with others in the area.

Reach out to a parishioner and ask them to host a workshop focused around their unique, useful talent. You’ll simultaneously be helping DIY-ers tackle a project that’s been on their mind for a while, and—by suggesting a small donation for the experience—fueling something important for your parish.

Decorating Services

This topic sometimes gets glossed over during the holidays, but there’s likely families near you who aren’t physically able to hang lights around the house.

Seek out these holiday lovers and send volunteers to help them celebrate the season in style through decoration, pomp, and fun!

Toy Drives

Yes, we already mentioned a gift drive. But hitting this specific topic again, focusing solely on toys, deserves an additional mention. If you have a significant amount of children in your community, make sure they’re feeling heard, appreciated, and valued.

One more tip: Ask the parents in your congregation about what’s “popular with the kids these days.” It seemingly changes hourly. But if you can give direction to those donating, the children and donors alike will feel amazing about the experience.

Meet Santa

Call up the North Pole and have an elf connect you to Santa Claus.

Or, if that’s not reasonable (or reality), but you happen to know someone local with a red-and-white suit who fits the bill, plant that person on a chair and let them listen to the childrens’ wish lists. Ask a photographer to volunteer their time and share the pictures with families. 

Tree Disposal

A massively underappreciated, yet massively inconvenient task every Christmas is getting rid of that year’s beloved tree. 

Fill this need for your community! Reach out to those parishioners with a truck, and—for a small donation—have them pick up Christmas trees. It’s a needed service and brings in more donations to your parish.

Conclusion

Maximizing the generosity of your parish during the holiday season is reliant on the power and simplicity of your digital giving tools. Meet with one of our experts to explore how your leadership team, congregation, and community might benefit from Pushpay’s industry-leading giving tools designed specifically for parishes.