Top 10 charity fundraising ideas for Christmas

‘Tis the season…to fundraise! Get into the festive spirit with one of these Christmas charity ideas from Teenage Cancer Trust. From carol singing to selling yuletide crafts, fundraise for us and you’ll be supporting young people and families affected by cancer this December and beyond.

1. Ask for donations instead of gifts

Do you have everything you need? Or are you tired of unwanted gifts creating clutter? This Christmas, how about asking friends and relatives to donate to Teenage Cancer Trust instead of buying you a present? Set up a JustGiving page or run your Christmas fundraising through social media.

2. Carol singing

Grab the Santa hats and buckets, and sing your heart out for Teenage Cancer Trust. Entertain neighbours on their doorsteps with your dulcet tones, or gather carollers at a local venue and invite the community along. You could even get together with colleagues and perform as a work choir.

3. Charity gift wrapping

Are you a dab hand at wrapping presents? Lots of people aren’t, so why not offer your gift-wrapping services in return for a donation to Teenage Cancer Trust? Ask friends, neighbours or colleagues if they’d like you to package up their presents, or organise a charity gift wrapping day at a local venue like a community centre or supermarket.

4. Christmas jumper day

Dust off your finest wintery woolly and raise cash for a good cause with a Christmas jumper day at work or school. Ask everyone to donate for the pleasure of showing off their festive fashion and seeing everyone else in theirs. Think about organising some extra seasonal fun on the day, with games like ‘Pin the nose on Rudolph’, to boost your Christmas fundraising efforts.

5. Charity Christmas cards

Pick up a pack of Teenage Cancer Trust’s Christmas cards at your local Aldi store and help the young people in need of our support. Or, send cards – electronic or through the mail – with an online service like Making a Difference. You can choose the amount you donate and have the option of displaying it on the card so that your recipient sees it.

Christmas fundraising tips and resources

6. Christmas raffle or sweepstake

Organise a festive raffle or seasonal sweepstake to raise cash for teenagers facing cancer. It’s a simple and fun Christmas fundraising idea for businesses. Persuade your company to come up with prizes, or invite other local organisations to donate them. Check out our important guidance on running raffles and lotteries first.

7. Festive bake off

Host a Christmas coffee morning or arrange an office cake sale - with a sprinkle of edible glitter, of course. Invite people to bake their merriest treats and ask those enjoying a slice of the yuletide yumminess for a donation. Consider turning things up a notch and making it into a bake-off competition, with everyone voting for their favourite.

Charity bake sale tips and ideas

8. Get active with a Christmas fundraising challenge

Take on a festive fundraising challenge and watch the pounds roll in for teenagers and families affected by cancer. Inject some extra seasonal spirit into your efforts with Christmas fancy dress – how about climbing a mountain dressed as Santa? Or give your challenge a fitting icy twist with an organised polar plunge or snow walk (be sure to have safety precautions in place).

9. Help as you shop

What could be easier than donating a percentage of what you spend on Christmas presents to charity, at no additional cost to you? Sounds too good to be true, right? Wrong. AmazonSmile allows you to support Teenage Cancer Trust as you buy. So, get shopping, and support young people facing cancer along the way.

10. Sell festive crafts

Get crafty and sell your wares to raise much-needed funds for Teenage Cancer Trust this Christmas. From making tree decorations to festive wreaths, there are plenty of seasonal goods you can make and sell for a good cause. Set up a stall at work or outside your home, or promote your creations to family and friends online.

Looking to hold a festive charity event? Check out our Christmas fundraiser ideas.

How do I get the money raised to Teenage Cancer Trust?

We’ll automatically get the money if you’ve set up an online fundraising page. If you’ve collected cash donations, check out our paying-in money guide. And be sure to register your event in advance to get all of the help and resources you need to make it a success.

Download our free Christmas fundraising assets

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