Quick, Easy, & Effective Holiday Gift Wrap Fundraising

The holiday season is an ideal time of year to plan a school fundraiser to fill up your fundraising calendar. Gift wrap fundraising is not only a festive option, but it allows donors to donate to your cause while also saving valuable time during the busy season. Providing a convenient service that meets the actual need of your donors will help you raise even more funds. Read on to learn more about how to plan a gift wrap fundraiser—plus fun tips to make it a huge success! 

In this blog you will learn:

• How to plan a gift wrap fundraiser.
• Tips to make your fundraiser a success.
• Ways to raise even more!

How to Plan Your Gift Wrap Fundraiser

Let's discuss the steps to take to plan a successful gift wrap fundraising event including date and location selection, acquiring supplies, recruiting volunteers, designing a booth, and promoting the fundraiser.

Pick a date, time and location.

First things first, you need to lock down a date and place to host your gift wrap fundraising event. You will want to select a date that is far enough into the holiday shopping season that your donors have had time to actually purchase gifts for you to wrap. You should also take into account any other fundraisers that may be taking place at your school or in your community so there is not a conflict.

Just as important as choosing the right date is selecting a time and location that is simple and easy for your donors to visit. Find an area that will have ample room for gift wrapping stations and supplies. Your school gym or a community center are great options. Remember to offer times that work around busy schedules such as after work or at school pick up and drop off.

Pro Tip: To attract even more donors, you can even ask to set up a gift wrap fundraising booth at a local shopping area or business. Shoppers that just made a purchase can swing by your booth and get their gift wrapped on the spot! 

Make a list of supplies.

You can’t host a gift wrap fundraiser without gift wrap! You will also need gift tags, pens, scissors and tape. Make sure to have multiples of everything so more than one person can be helping a donor at a time. In addition, you may want to add ribbons and bows to make your gift wrapping station really stand out!

Pro Tip: Provide a variety of wrapping paper options for your donors to choose from such as fun kid-friendly paper, both Christmas and Hanukkah themes and festive winter rolls.

Recruit volunteers.

You will need help setting up and breaking down your gift wrap fundraising booth as well as some holiday elf volunteers to do all the actual wrapping. While any volunteer is a welcome addition to a fundraiser, encouraging student participation for your actual event can be very beneficial. This is because donors are more likely to give—and give more!—when they can see what their money is going towards. In this case, the students wrapping their presents!

Pro Tip: Plan a training session before your fundraiser to make sure you provide exceptional gift wrapping services! This will also help improve efficiency which will in turn help you raise even more funds.

Design an inviting gift wrapping booth or table.

Don’t be afraid to go a little over the top with this one! Tinsel, colorful lights, fake snow—the more festive the better! Creating a fun and exciting environment will attract donors and put your volunteers in a cheery mood.

Pro Tip: Wrap up some fake boxes with your supplies to show examples of what gift wrapping options you have to offer.

Promote your fundraiser.

Provide email, text and social media templates that students and families can easily share with their friends and family. You can also create flyers and posters to put up around your town and ask local businesses to hand them out.

Pro Tip: Get the word out about your upcoming fundraiser early to provide your donors with enough lead time to plan and get their shopping done before your event.

Ways to Raise Even More with Your Gift Wrap Fundraising Event

Additional ways to increase the success of your gift wrap fundraising event includes sponsorship, upgrade options, selling wrapping paper, and expressing gratitude!

Seek out sponorships.

Reach out to local businesses to see if they are interested in sponsoring your fundraiser in exchange for valuable advertising exposure. Sponsors can provide supplies, a monetary donation or even the event space where you host your gift wrap fundraising booth.

Offer upgrade gift wrap options.

From special cards to premium ribbons to gift boxes, there are so many extra touches you can add to your services to increase donations.

Sell wrapping paper.

You might be wrapping gifts on the spot, but your donors will most likely have tons of extra gifts at home they will still need to tackle. Why not host a gift wrap product fundraiser at your gift wrapping fundraiser?  

Express gratitude!

Always let your donors know how much you appreciate their support! This will make them more likely to support future fundraisers as well. Along with doing this at the time of the transaction, you can also add personal touches such as writing a heartfelt thank you on your receipts you print ahead of time or collecting donor emails to send a follow up thank you post fundraiser.

Gift wrap fundraising aligns perfectly with the holiday and giving season, making it the perfect addition to your school fundraising calendar. By offering something your donors need during the busy shopping season, your fundraiser becomes more than just a donation but a service that saves time and adds a touch of holiday spirit. Follow these steps to plan it out right, bring lots of holiday cheer to event day and watch the funds roll in! 

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