Collecting Christmas gifts for families? How to organise your Christmas gift drive

Would you like to make sure that children from families with little money still get a present at Christmas? Perhaps you are thinking of collecting toys with your neighbours, putting together Christmas parcels with colleagues or organising a festive surprise with friends for families who are going through a hard time.

A lovely idea. But where do you start? How do you find families who could use some help? How much money do you need? Where do the presents come from? And how do you get others to support your campaign?

The good news: you do not have to arrange or pay for everything yourself. With a clear plan, committed volunteers, local sponsors and a crowdfunding campaign on Spendenaktion, you can make something special happen together. In this article we show you how to organise your own Christmas gift drive, which options there are for raising money and collecting gifts, and how to make your initiative a success.

Organising a gift drive: where do you start?

For many people, Christmas is a time of cosiness, togetherness and presents. But when every euro is needed for rent, groceries and other essentials, there is sometimes little room for a gift.

That is exactly why so many wonderful initiatives spring up every year. From toy collections at schools to Christmas parcel campaigns by companies and neighbours raising money together. And you do not need to be a large foundation or an experienced organiser. You can organise something as a private individual too. Together with friends, family, colleagues or neighbours, you often get further than you expect.

It starts with three simple questions:

• Who do you want to help? For example, children from families on a low income, people in a shelter or older people living alone.
• What do you want to make possible? A Christmas present, a Christmas parcel, toys, a gift voucher or another festive surprise.
• How will you fund it? With donations, sponsorship, a toy collection or a combination of these.

If you can answer these questions, you already have a good foundation for your Christmas campaign.

How to organise your own gift drive in 7 steps

1Decide who you want to collect gifts for

Start by choosing a clear target group. Perhaps you personally know a family going through a difficult time. Or you would rather help several families in your neighbourhood. Think, for example, of:

• children from families with little to spend
• families who have temporarily run into financial difficulties
• children living in a shelter or care home
• single parents with limited financial means
• older people with few social contacts
• families receiving support from a local charity

Agree in advance how many people you want to help and what is actually needed. That way you avoid collecting gifts that end up not suiting the recipients.

2Choose what you want to give

Do you want to buy new presents? Collect toys in good condition? Or offer gift vouchers instead? There is no fixed formula that works for every campaign.

Young children often love toys, books and games. For older children and teenagers, gift vouchers, toiletries or a personal surprise may be more suitable. Christmas parcels with treats and practical items can be very welcome too.

Ideally, agree on this with the people or organisation you are organising the campaign for. A gift is all the more valuable when it suits the recipient's wishes and age.

3Work out how much money you need

A concrete target amount not only helps you organise, it also makes your fundraiser more appealing to donors. Suppose you want to surprise 40 children with a €25 gift. Your budget could then look like this:

These are sample amounts. Perhaps the packaging is sponsored, or a local toy shop gives you a discount. When setting your crowdfunding target, also allow for the fees per donation received.

Above all, make clear what the money makes possible. An appeal such as ‘Help us give 40 children a Christmas present’ is more concrete than ‘We are raising money for Christmas’.

4Start a fundraiser on Spendenaktion

You now have a target group, an idea and a budget. Time to get others involved. With Spendenaktion you can start your own online fundraiser for your Christmas gift project. On your fundraiser page, you explain:

• who you want to help
• why you are organising this gift drive
• how many gifts you want to provide
• how much money is needed
• how the proceeds will be spent and the gifts distributed

Choose a clear title, for example:

• Together we're providing Christmas presents for 40 children!
• Help us surprise 25 families with a Christmas parcel

Add a nice, fitting photo and explain in your own words why this initiative matters to you. As soon as your fundraiser is online, you can share the link with family, friends, colleagues, neighbours and everyone else involved. They can then contribute online.

Starting a fundraiser is free. Fees only apply to donations received.

5Find donors, sponsors and volunteers

You do not have to wait for people to discover your fundraiser on their own. Start with your own network and ask others to join in. A personal WhatsApp message to family or friends is often a good start. After that, you can share the fundraiser on Facebook, Instagram, in neighbourhood groups, clubs and local newsletters.

Approach businesses in your area too. A toy shop might offer a discount. A supermarket could donate treats. An employer could top up their staff's donations.

You may also need volunteers to choose, wrap or deliver presents. Not everyone can or wants to donate money, so give people other ways to contribute as well.

6Buy, collect and wrap the gifts

Once there is enough money or material, you can start on the practical side. Make an overview of the recipients, their ages and any wishes. Agree with volunteers who buys, wraps and distributes the presents.

Are you working with a charity? Then let the handover and distribution run through that organisation as much as possible. With donated toys, check that everything is clean, complete, safe and suitable for the age group.

Keep track of your spending as well. That way you can show later what the money raised was used for.

7Show what you achieved together

A successful gift drive does not end when the last present has been handed out. Above all, do not forget to thank everyone who helped.

Post an update on your fundraiser saying how much money was raised, how many presents were bought and how many children or families you were able to help. Photos of wrapped presents, volunteers or the preparations make the result visible.

That shows donors what their contribution made possible. It is valuable not only for this campaign, but can also help if you want to organise something again next year.

6 ideas for a Christmas gift drive

Would you like to organise something but are not sure what yet? These ideas will get you started right away.

1. A wish tree: a Christmas present for every child

   Together with a school, family centre or charity, organise a wish tree: children hand in an anonymous wish list through the organisation, and you make sure every wish is granted. Your fundraiser covers the wishes that are still open. You could, for example, aim to give 50 children a €25 present.

2. Christmas parcels for families

   Put together Christmas parcels with friends, neighbours or colleagues for families who could use some extra support: festive groceries, something sweet, a small gift and perhaps a gift voucher.

   Crowdfunding is particularly practical here: you work out in advance how many parcels you want to make and what one parcel costs. That way you can show very concretely how many families you want to support with the money raised.

3. Let people sponsor a gift

   Explain, for example, that one present costs about €25 and ask people to sponsor a gift in full or in part. A contribution of €5, €10 or €25 helps reach the target together. Share updates too, such as ‘Thanks to you, we can already buy a present for 30 of the 50 children!’ That way donors see the progress straight away.

4. Collect toys and raise money

   Organise a toy collection at school, at a sports club or in a community centre, and at the same time raise money through a fundraiser to buy the gifts that are still missing. Handy when lots of toys for young children come in, but you also need presents for teenagers. Check in advance with the organisation handing out the gifts which kinds of toys are welcome.

5. A Christmas market stall or biscuit sale

   A stall at the Christmas market, a biscuit sale, a sponsored run or another activity is a great way to raise extra money. Get pupils, colleagues or club members involved and use your fundraiser as the central place for online donations. When flyers, posters and social media posts point to your fundraiser page, people who cannot be there can support your initiative too. For more inspiration, see our 10 fundraising ideas.

6. Surprise one family going through a hard time

   A gift drive does not have to be big. Do you know a family going through a difficult period because of illness, unemployment, a separation or other circumstances? Then start a small fundraiser with family, friends or colleagues for presents for the children or a festive parcel. Do discuss the idea with the family first and respect their privacy.

How do you reach more people with your fundraiser?

A good idea is the foundation. But in the end it is the people who discover, share and support your fundraiser who make the difference. A few practical tips:

• Make your goal visible. Do not just say you are collecting presents, but also how many children or families you want to reach.
• Explain why you are organising it. What inspired you to do something? A personal story makes your appeal relatable.
• Ask others to share. Not everyone has to donate. Sharing your fundraiser with family, friends and colleagues helps too.
• Show progress. Share it when you reach an important milestone, for example when half of the presents are funded.
• Use local networks. Neighbourhood groups, schools, clubs, shops and businesses can play an important role in spreading the word.
• Remind people of the deadline. As Christmas Eve approaches, you can show how much money is still needed to get all the presents ready in time.

The advantage of an online fundraiser page is that people do not need to attend your activity. Someone in another city can contribute too.

When is the best time to start?

Good planning matters for a Christmas campaign. The presents need to be ready in time for the giving of presents on Christmas Eve, and you need enough time to collect donations, buy presents and put parcels together. If you would like to hand out a small surprise for St Nicholas' Day on 6 December, plan accordingly earlier. A possible timeline:

1. 6 weeks before

   Decide on the target group, contact charities and draw up a budget.

2. 4 to 5 weeks before

   Start your fundraiser, look for sponsors and recruit volunteers.

3. 2 to 3 weeks before

   Share the fundraiser more widely, post progress updates and buy the presents.

4. Final week

   Wrap, check and hand over the presents.

5. Afterwards

   Thank your donors and share the result.

Better to start a little early than too late. Especially when you work with a charity, you may need to agree well in advance on the number of parcels, age groups and the handover.

Sample text for your Christmas gift drive

Would you like to start a fundraiser but find it hard to write a good appeal? Then use this sample text as a starting point.

Adapt the text to your own plans. Only mention partnerships that have actually been agreed, and use a target amount that matches your budget.

Working with existing charities

You do not have to organise everything on your own. Many organisations work for children and families with little money.

Food banks (Tafeln), welfare organisations, parishes, family centres and schools often support families with little money around Christmas. Some towns also run wish tree campaigns, where children hand in a wish list through an organisation and others grant the wish.

It is wise to contact an organisation in your area first. Ask, for example, whether they need presents, gift vouchers or financial support, and whether they can help you reach the right families. You can then start a fundraiser for a concrete goal agreed in advance.

Don't forget the families' privacy

The same goes for photos: preferably show the preparations, the presents and the volunteers rather than recognisable children or families. That way you make the result visible without putting anyone's privacy at risk.

Why organise a Christmas campaign on Spendenaktion?

Spendenaktion helps you turn a good idea into a shared fundraiser. You get your own page where you tell your story, set a target amount and give others the chance to contribute online straight away. Spendenaktion also has a number of practical advantages:

• Free to start: you only pay fees once donations actually come in.
• Easy to share: spread your fundraiser via WhatsApp, social media, email and a QR code.
• Familiar payment methods: including PayPal, credit card, bank transfer and Wero, and in Austria also EPS.
• No tip request: donors are not asked to give an extra amount to the platform.
• Weekly payouts: donations received are paid out every Wednesday as standard, once your bank account has been verified.

That is handy if you want to buy presents or pay for preparations while your fundraiser is still running. Do allow for the processing time of payments and payouts. For the current fees, see the Spendenaktion rates.

Frequently asked questions about a Christmas gift drive

Turn your idea into a lovely Christmas campaign

Perhaps your idea starts small. A conversation with a neighbour. An appeal in your club's group chat. Or the thought that children from families with little money deserve a present too.

But with a little organisation, committed volunteers and the support of others, an idea like that can grow into an initiative that reaches dozens of children or families. You do not have to pay for everything yourself, and you do not have to do it all alone.