Christmas fundraising at work for charity: a UK guide

Plan a workplace Christmas appeal for charity: roles for HR and comms, a six week calendar, internal messages, rules to check, matching and an online team page.

In short A workplace Christmas fundraiser works best when it is small, dated and easy to join. Pick one charity, one lead from HR or internal comms, and a team page where colleagues give in three steps. Plan six weeks, ask your employer about matching, and keep Gift Aid for the charity to confirm.

An office Christmas appeal can fade when nobody owns it and giving is awkward. This guide gives you a plan for a team of 5 to 10 organisers, a calendar, wording for internal comms and a simple online page, so colleagues give in aid of one clear cause.

Who should run a workplace Christmas fundraiser?

Run it as a small project with three roles: an organiser, an HR or people team sponsor, and an internal comms voice. The sponsor clears time and rooms, the comms voice keeps the message steady, and the organiser keeps the team page and thank yous moving.

Ask for volunteers from different floors, shifts and sites, so hybrid and shift colleagues feel invited rather than left out. A group of 5 to 10 people is plenty, and each person needs one job and one deadline.

How do you choose the charity and the format?

Let colleagues vote between two or three charities, then commit to one. A single cause reads better in a message than a long list, and results are easier to report back in January.

Match the format to your workplace. Office favourites include Christmas Jumper Day, a Secret Santa alternative where colleagues donate instead of swapping gifts, a festive bake sale, a quiz, a carol concert in the foyer and a sponsored challenge. For more ideas, see our guide to Christmas fundraising ideas for a UK charity.

Whatever you pick, put a giving option next to it. Bake sale cash and jumper day pound coins are lovely, but a shared online page captures colleagues who work from home or are on leave.

What does a six week calendar look like?

  • Week 1: confirm the sponsor, the charity and a target everyone can picture.
  • Week 2: build the team page and brief managers.
  • Weeks 3 and 4: announce, then repeat the message in two places.
  • Week 5: run the events and share a running total.
  • Week 6: close the page, thank everyone and report the result.

The general method is in our plan for a Christmas fundraiser. Start in mid October and you have a calm run before the last working week in December.

How should internal comms and HR tell colleagues?

Say what, why, when and how in four lines, then repeat it. Use the channels people already read: the intranet, a team chat channel, the all hands, the lift poster and the managers' briefing. Name the charity and the cause, give one date, and add one link.

Keep the tone warm and optional. Nobody should feel pressure to give, and nobody should see who did not. Share totals, never individual names, unless a donor chooses to be named.

Which rules should you check first?

Check the rules for each activity before you announce it. A few points are confirmed on official UK pages, checked on 9 October 2026.

  • Raffles: an incidental lottery held at an event allows up to £100 of costs and £500 of bought prizes, with tickets sold on the day at the event. Otherwise a lottery may need registration.
  • Carol singing from door to door needs a licence from the local council.
  • Street collections need a council permit, and councils set their own lead times, and some ask for at least four weeks.

What about Gift Aid and employer matching?

Gift Aid lets a recognised charity claim an extra 25p for every £1 given by a UK taxpayer who has made a declaration, so a £100 gift becomes £125 for the charity. The donor pays nothing extra. Raffle tickets and paid event tickets are not eligible.

The charity makes the claim, not your company, and company gifts are not eligible. Ask your charity how it collects declarations on your team page, and do not promise Gift Aid in your own wording until they confirm it.

On employer matching, treat it as a question for your leadership, not a given. Some employers offer matching, so ask HR whether a scheme exists, whether there is a cap, and what proof they need. Then write the answer into your announcement.

How do you set up the online team page?

Use one page that every colleague can reach on their phone. A good page names the charity, shows the target and the date, explains in two sentences what gifts do, and lets people give once or monthly.

With WeGlow.world, the charity can open a donation page where giving takes three steps: amount, personal details and summary. It supports one off and monthly gifts and works on a phone. Colleagues can also start their own fundraiser page for the cause, so a department or a floor can run its own mini target.

The charity can add a thank you text, which then goes out by email after a gift, so write it before launch. Our guide to online Christmas fundraising with a digital experience goes deeper, and the hub at Christmas fundraising lists every format.

How to do it with WeGlow.world

Offices are a natural home for the Card Wall, one of four Christmas experiences we are building. Each gift becomes a card, an envelope hung on a string, and each card is a stamp.

The Glow Room is another fit: a 3D living room with a tree where every gift adds a decoration. These experiences are a concept until the official launch, so treat them as a preview and check the experience pages for the latest.

Ready to try it for your charity? Sign up or contact us with questions.

How do you keep the momentum and report back?

Post the total at the end of week 3 and again at week 5, because progress invites a final push.

After the close, send a thank you within 48 hours. In January, share the final figure, the charity's thank you note and what you would change next year.

FAQ

How much time does a workplace Christmas fundraiser take?

Plan about six weeks, with a team of 5 to 10 people sharing the work. Most of it happens in the first two weeks, while the page and messages are built. After that, it is mainly reminders, events and updates.

Can we claim Gift Aid on money raised at work?

Only the charity can claim it, and only on eligible gifts from UK taxpayers with a declaration. Raffle tickets and paid event tickets are not eligible. Ask the charity how it handles Gift Aid and follow its advice.

Will my employer match what colleagues give?

That depends entirely on your employer. Ask HR or your leadership team whether a matching scheme exists, what the cap is and what proof is needed. Then add the answer to your announcement so colleagues know.

Do we need a licence for a raffle in the office?

It depends on the form. An incidental lottery at an event has limits of £100 costs and £500 bought prizes, and tickets must be sold at the event. Check the Gambling Commission guidance or ask your council before you sell tickets.

How do remote colleagues take part?

Give them the same online page as everyone else, and add a virtual event such as a quiz on video. Share the running total in your team chat so they see progress alongside the office.

Sources

Articles