Four cracking Christmas fundraising campaigns
Christmas is a time for giving, and we’re not just talking about gifts for loved ones.
52.6% of households in the UK donate to charity in December, making it one of the biggest events in the fundraising calendar.
If you haven’t launched a festive fundraising campaign, you’re missing a golden opportunity.
Here are four Christmas crackers to inspire you and spread a little festive cheer.
Christmas Dinner Game: RNID
The game was designed to tackle ‘dinner table syndrome’, a phenomenon where deaf people struggle to follow conversations around the dinner table, particularly if they’re loud and several people are talking at once.
In return for a donation of £10, people received their Christmas Dinner Game, which consisted of three sets of cards, a centrepiece for the table that reminded guests how to communicate inclusively, and place name cards with conversational ice breakers.
The game itself combined three family favourites with a deaf-aware twist:
Do you see what I see? Players take turns to draw a card. The picture on the card represents a phrase. Players have to guess the phrase, write it down, and hand it over to the dealer. The first person to guess correctly wins. No shouting is allowed.
Read my lips: Players form teams of two. Player one mouths the phrase on their card and Player two has to guess what they’re trying to say. Then they swap over.
Charades: Players take turns to act out Christmas-themed phrases. The first person to write down the correct answer and put up their hand up wins. There’s a penalty for anyone who shouts.
Opinion: A fun way to earn money, whilst raising awareness of the difficulties deaf people face at this time of year.
Heart Research UK: Sing for your heart
Fancy flexing your vocal cords for a good cause this Christmas? Get involved with Heart Research UK’s Sing for Your Heart campaign, and you can show off your skills whilst raising money for an important cause.
The premise is simple: Members of the public are invited to ‘sing, donate and nominate’ by uploading a video of themselves singing to social media (tagging #singforyourheart) donating £3, and nominating three others to do the same.
The campaign launched in 2017, and was headed up by 6-year-old Jaxon Green-Moore, who was born with a condition called LEOPARD Syndrome. This video tells Jaxon’s story.
Jaxon was invited to spearhead the campaign as the charity has supported him since he was a baby, and he wanted to give back.
Little did he know how popular the campaign would become.
The campaign went viral after Pixie Lott, Boyzone, Alesha Dixon, and Piers Morgan got behind it.
It reached more than 16 million people and raised thousands for the charity.
Still going strong today, it’s become a key annual Christmas fundraiser.
You can join in the fun here.
Opinion: We love this campaign as it’s fun, easy to take part in, and has proven health benefits. On the sign-up page, the charity says; ‘research has shown that singing exercises your lungs, increases blood flow, and reduces stress. That’s why, for over a decade, we have asked people to Sing for Your Heart during the festive period and raise money for pioneering research into the prevention, treatment, and cure of heart disease’.
Blood Cancer UK: Movie Watch Party
Everyone loves a Christmas movie, which is why Blood Cancer UK’s ‘Movie Watch Party’ is inspired.
On Sunday 11 December at 3pm, people across the UK will be switching on their TV sets to watch the Christmas classic, Home Alone, to help people with blood cancer.
The charity is asking participants to donate what they would normally spend on a night at the cinema ( they suggest £15 for a single ticket, £25 for a family ticket, and, an extra £10 for popcorn and an oversized drink).
The charity has set up a Facebook group with the hashtag #HomeButNotAlone where they’re sharing Home Alone content in the lead-up to the event. They’re also setting participants fun challenges.
Want to join in? You can sign up here.
Opinion: This is a simple, but effective way to raise funds and awareness. Home Alone is a classic feel-good movie - perfect for a cold, dreary Sunday afternoon. And participants don’t have to get off the sofa to take part.
TrustFord: The Grinch ‘steals’ donations
This one is not charity-driven, but we’re including it as it’s fun, festive, and a great example of corporate generosity.
In December 2021, a series of car dealerships in East London were ‘robbed’ by a familiar Christmas character.
The Grinch crept into three Ford dealerships and ‘stole’ 40 bags of food, four large shopping trays, and three boxes of food.
He then delivered them to a local food bank in Dagenham.
The dealership has donated to the food bank each Christmas since 2019, but this year, it got creative with its drive, branding the campaign as ‘The Grinch that stole Christmas’.
Opinion: Hats off to TrustFord. They came up with a creative way to raise awareness of their donation (incidentally, the stunt got them coverage in the local press) while doing a good deed.
Final Word
These are four of our favourite Christmas fundraising ideas. What would you add?
Don’t forget, we’re here to support you with your fundraising talent requirements, at Christmas, or any other time of the year.
Call us to get the conversation started on 0203 750 3111.