-
First on your Christmas list: decide what you would like to do to raise money!You can choose from our ‘12 ideas for Christmas’ guide (below), or get creative and decide on your own event.
You could even take on the ultimate challenge: do a different activity each day for the 12 days of Christmas!
Once you decide what you’re doing, we have step-by-step instructions below to help you make the most of it!
12 ideas for Christmas 
Idea 1 - Ask for donations as a Christmas present
Not sure what to ask for from Father Christmas?
Why not ask for a donation in your name for Christmas instead of a gift this year?
Idea 2 - Craft something
Whether it be knitting and selling scarves to keep you and your friends warm this winter, or creating homemade Christmas crackers, spending the extra effort to make homemade items to sell can be a great way to fundraise over the festive season.
Idea 3 - Create an annual calendar
Are you a keen photographer?
Why not make the most of your skills and create an annual calendar to sell ahead of the New Year!
Idea 4 - Christmas jumper day
Ask your colleagues to make a donation to wear their Christmas jumper to work for the day. The louder the better!
Get everyone together for a festive bake sale and ask your employer to match the money you raise.
Idea 5 – Host a Christmas quiz
Put your friends and family’s Christmas knowledge to the test by hosting a quiz – either in person or online.
Ask everyone for a small donation to take part.
Idea 6 – Hold a seasonal streaming fundraiser
Have some festive fun and raise money by streaming directly from your PC, phone, or console. Streaming isn’t just for video games it can be anything that you enjoy doing!
From baking to crafting, making music or anything else that inspires you.
Idea 7 - Christmas film night
Invite your friends and family over to watch some classic Christmas films and ask them to pay an entry fee.
Make hot chocolate and popcorn or their favourite treats in exchange for donations.
Idea 8 - Christmas coffee morning
Invite your friends and family in out of the cold for a warming drink and a natter!
You could even bake some festive treats. Ask for donations to attend.
Idea 9 - Onesie Runsie
If running is your thing why not do a sponsored run in a festive onesie?
Set up an online giving page or use our sponsorship form, decide a route (short or long!) and don’t forget to take selfies along the way to share on your socials afterwards.
Idea 10 - Christmas Concert
Unite your community by hosting a Christmas concert. Or do it from the comfort of home on a Facebook Live and ask people to donate to hear your talents.
Idea 11 - Hold a Christmas auction
We’ve all received presents that we don’t want before.
Rather than let them gather dust, why not auction them off in aid of the National Autistic Society?
Idea 12 - Festive Walk
Work off the mince pies and raise some money!
Wrap up warm, set yourself a suitable distanced route and ask for sponsorship. Do it as a team and raise more!
-
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn are all good choices. We're outlining how to do it on Facebook, but you can modify as needed for other social media platforms, including setting up an online giving page for sponsored events.
-
It’s easy to create a Facebook event, and you can personalise it with your own photos and words. If you want it shared as widely as possible, be sure to create it as a Public event rather than Private.- outline what your event is and include any details about deadlines, criteria etc
- use the group to tell people about your fundraising and invite them to take part
- ask your friends and family to share the event so more people can join the festive fun.
-
Will you ask people to donate to take part? Or sponsor you? Consider whether you want to ask for a suggested amount or if any donation will do.It’s easy to set up a JustGiving page, and donations made to it come straight to the charity, making it a highly efficient way to collect donations and Gift Aid (where applicable).
If you’re fundraising as part of a team or as part of a bigger challenge, eg a student fundraising challenge, be sure to tell that story on your JustGiving page and to encourage all your team members to share among their contacts!
Top tip: Add your JustGiving page link to your Facebook event in a pinned post, to make it easy for people to find the link.
Alternatively, you can add a Donate button on Facebook, on any post within your Facebook event or on your own timeline.To add a Donate button to a Facebook post:
- look at the icons below your post. There is one that looks like a heart in a circle. If you hover over this, it says ‘Support Charity’
- click on this and type 'National Autistic Society'
- then type what you want to say and hit 'Post'.
Donations made via a Facebook donate button come straight to the charity. Easy peasy!
-
Shortly ahead of your event, remind people it’s coming up – post on Facebook, message your participants, post an update on your JustGiving page.If using Facebook Live, YouTube Live or Twitch, or a Zoom meeting room, send the URL for the meeting to everyone who has donated to take part.
If using Facebook Live or YouTube Live, start your feed a few minutes before your announced time so you can check it’s all working correctly.
You may want to tell your participants how much has been raised so far, tell them about the impact their fundraising will have and encourage them to donate if they haven’t already.
At the end, remember to thank everyone who takes part for donating to help autistic people.
Keep you fundraising safe, legal and fun
No matter what type of fundraising activity you choose to do, your safety and the safety of others should always be a top priority.
The National Autistic Society cannot accept any responsibility for accident, injury, loss or damage as a result of your fundraising event.
Participants who have any doubt about their health or have a medical condition that could be affected by the fundraising activity, must obtain their doctor’s approval before participating in any event.
Find out more
For more information about getting your Christmas fundraising started, please email our team at fundraising@nas.org.uk.
Have fun, and thank you for supporting the National Autistic Society!
