5 Ideas for Hosting a Party With a Purpose on Giving Tuesday
Invite guests to a festive gathering to socialize — and donate to a charitable cause — on Dec. 3
If you want to help a cause that’s close to your heart but aren’t sure when or how to make it happen, Giving Tuesday can be a wonderful opportunity to jump-start your giving. This global day of giving is celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving in the U.S. and the major shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so it’s timed to kick off end-of-year and holiday giving. This year it’s happening Dec. 3.
Ready to get involved? Read on for five creative ideas for hosting a #GivingTuesday gathering with family and friends to support the cause of your choice.
Ready to get involved? Read on for five creative ideas for hosting a #GivingTuesday gathering with family and friends to support the cause of your choice.
- Choose a charitable cause that’s meaningful to you. Would you love to be able to help children, homeless families, victims of natural disasters, refugees, animals or the environment? Once you’ve chosen your focus, use a website like Charity Navigator to narrow your search.
- Contact the charity to see what forms of donations would be most helpful. For example, if you’re collecting kids’ toys, should they be gift-wrapped or left unwrapped?
- Pick a party idea. Peruse the list that follows and see if one appeals, or come up with your own creative take.
1. Charitable Supper Club
Put a spin on the supper club and invite guests to share a meal for a good cause. Make it clear on the invites what kind of donations are welcome (cash, checks, gift cards) and where the collected funds will be going. If you have a few foodie friends who would be willing to collaborate, consider divvying up the dinner duties: One person can be in charge of coming up with a signature cocktail, another the appetizers, another the dessert and so on.
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner: The Rise of Supper Clubs
Put a spin on the supper club and invite guests to share a meal for a good cause. Make it clear on the invites what kind of donations are welcome (cash, checks, gift cards) and where the collected funds will be going. If you have a few foodie friends who would be willing to collaborate, consider divvying up the dinner duties: One person can be in charge of coming up with a signature cocktail, another the appetizers, another the dessert and so on.
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner: The Rise of Supper Clubs
2. Cocktails (or Cocoa) for Charity
Want to gather friends for a good cause but without as much hassle as a full-fledged dinner party? Consider offering cocoa-and-carols or cocktails-for-a-cause instead. Set up several stations of drinks and small nibbles throughout your space, put on some festive music and invite guests to come and go, open-house-style, during the evening. Include a few clearly marked donation stations in key spots in the party space, including near the front door and by the drinks table.
Browse bar glasses in the Houzz Shop
Want to gather friends for a good cause but without as much hassle as a full-fledged dinner party? Consider offering cocoa-and-carols or cocktails-for-a-cause instead. Set up several stations of drinks and small nibbles throughout your space, put on some festive music and invite guests to come and go, open-house-style, during the evening. Include a few clearly marked donation stations in key spots in the party space, including near the front door and by the drinks table.
Browse bar glasses in the Houzz Shop
3. Cookie-Decorating Party and Food-Pantry Drive
Looking for a kid-friendly event that families can get involved in? Pull out those cookie cutters and colorful sprinkles and invite everyone for a fun afternoon of cookie decorating. Ask each person to bring a full bag of shelf-stable goods for your local food pantry (or a cash donation) and arrange to transport all the goods to the food pantry after the party.
Looking for a kid-friendly event that families can get involved in? Pull out those cookie cutters and colorful sprinkles and invite everyone for a fun afternoon of cookie decorating. Ask each person to bring a full bag of shelf-stable goods for your local food pantry (or a cash donation) and arrange to transport all the goods to the food pantry after the party.
4. Gift-Wrapping Party
Wrapping gifts is more fun with friends, so why not turn this holiday task into a fun occasion that also helps others? Ask guests to bring their own gifts to wrap plus any wrapping supplies they’d like to pool, as well as a children’s toy or book to donate to a group that serves local children in need. Make room on the dining table and other surfaces, and provide plenty of wrapping paper and tape and a few easy snacks and drinks to nibble and sip while you work.
Wrapping gifts is more fun with friends, so why not turn this holiday task into a fun occasion that also helps others? Ask guests to bring their own gifts to wrap plus any wrapping supplies they’d like to pool, as well as a children’s toy or book to donate to a group that serves local children in need. Make room on the dining table and other surfaces, and provide plenty of wrapping paper and tape and a few easy snacks and drinks to nibble and sip while you work.
5. Clothing Swap and Donation Drop
Encourage friends to clean out their closets for a good cause with a swap-and-drop party. Guests bring lightly used clothing, coats and accessories to trade with one another, and extras are donated to a local shelter, crisis center or (if the clothes are work-appropriate) an organization like Dress for Success. In winter, warm clothing and outerwear tend to be most needed, so consider asking each guest to bring a coat or warm sweater to donate in addition to any items they’d like to swap.
Encourage friends to clean out their closets for a good cause with a swap-and-drop party. Guests bring lightly used clothing, coats and accessories to trade with one another, and extras are donated to a local shelter, crisis center or (if the clothes are work-appropriate) an organization like Dress for Success. In winter, warm clothing and outerwear tend to be most needed, so consider asking each guest to bring a coat or warm sweater to donate in addition to any items they’d like to swap.
Tips for Making Your Event a Success
- Set a specific, achievable goal and share it with invitees. If you’re collecting cash donations, set a goal dollar amount. If you’re collecting an item, pick a target number of items to hit, and share the goal with your invitees.
- Be sure to give specific instructions about what you’re asking each person to bring or donate. Offer a cash option if possible for those who would like to help but don’t have time to come up with a specific type of item before the party.
- Remind guests that every little bit counts! Even if each person donates a small amount, by pooling your resources your group gift can still make an impact.
After the Party
Deliver your collected items or cash donations to the chosen charity. If you can, snap a photo of your guests’ donations being received, and include that in a quick follow-up thank-you note. Include details about the goal you were able to reach thanks to their help and the good that it will do for a community in need.
Your turn: How do you choose where to give? Have you ever hosted a party with a purpose? Tell us about it in the Comments.
More on Houzz
How to Help Others on #GivingTuesday
Your Complete Holiday Season Planner
Shop for holiday decor
Deliver your collected items or cash donations to the chosen charity. If you can, snap a photo of your guests’ donations being received, and include that in a quick follow-up thank-you note. Include details about the goal you were able to reach thanks to their help and the good that it will do for a community in need.
Your turn: How do you choose where to give? Have you ever hosted a party with a purpose? Tell us about it in the Comments.
More on Houzz
How to Help Others on #GivingTuesday
Your Complete Holiday Season Planner
Shop for holiday decor