6 ways to give differently this Christmas
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None of these ideas need a big budget. They just need a small shift in how you already spend at Christmas. And if you know someone who’s still got half their Christmas list to sort, or who’s genuinely impossible to buy for, this is worth forwarding to them too.
- Give together instead of gifting
If you’ve got a friend or family member who’s genuinely hard to buy for (or who always says they don’t need anything), suggest backing a cause together instead. Pick a project you both care about, split the pledge, and you’ve got a gift that actually means something, with no wrapping paper required.
- Shop the rewards, not the shops
Plenty of the businesses and makers crowdfunding right now offer genuinely lovely things in return for backing them, and buying one is real Christmas shopping, not a donation with extra steps. Stannergill Whisky, a craft distillery reviving a historic mill in Caithness, is a good example: back the project and you can walk away with a genuine, giftable bottle, while helping bring a piece of Highland history back to life. It’s a nice alternative to another year of ordering from the same handful of giant retailers.
- Build your Christmas list from rewards
Struggling to answer “what do you actually want for Christmas?” Have a browse of live projects, pick your top five rewards, and send the list to whoever’s asking. It works just as well as any shop wishlist, and everyone on it is backing something real.
[EMBED PLACEHOLDER: gift and reward picker, answer a couple of quick questions about who you’re buying for, get matched reward ideas from live projects]
- The daily saver challenge
Set aside £2 or £5 a day from 1 to 25 December (£50 to £125 by Christmas Day, without ever noticing a big hit to your account), then either donate the running total each day or save it up and pledge it as one lump sum on Christmas Eve. It works especially well as a reverse advent calendar, and it’s an easy one to do as a family or with a group of friends, each choosing a different cause to support.
- Give in someone’s honour
Backing a project in someone’s name, and saying so in the comments, is a genuinely lovely way to mark Christmas for a friend, a parent, or someone you’ve lost. It costs nothing extra and takes seconds, but it’s the kind of gesture people remember.
- Gift a prize draw entry
Prize draws make a brilliant Christmas gift idea, with one small rule to know upfront: for compliance reasons, an entry always has to be made under your own name and details, so you can’t literally enter “as” someone else. What you can do is enter with them in mind and let them know, or dedicate the entry to them in the comments.
WWF’s Mountain Gorilla Experience prize draw is a good example of why this works so well: the prize is a trip for two. Enter it thinking of a friend who’d love it, tell them you’ve entered, and let them know they’re coming with you if you win. It costs a few pounds, supports a cause, and turns a prize draw into a genuine “thought that counts” gift.
Frequently asked questions
Can I enter a prize draw using someone else’s name so they get the prize? No, entries need to be made under your own name and contact details so the organiser can verify and contact the winner, but you can absolutely dedicate an entry to someone or promise to share the prize with them.
Is backing a project instead of buying a gift actually tax-deductible or does it count as a proper present? It’s not about tax, it’s about the gesture. A backed project supports something real, and you can tell the recipient exactly what their “gift” achieved, which most shop-bought presents can’t offer.
What if the person I want to gift to isn’t into charity as such? Reward-based projects work well here. Choose one with a physical or experience reward they’ll actually enjoy, such as food, drink, or tickets, so it still feels like a normal, thoughtful present.
Can a group of us combine the daily saver challenge? Yes, and it often works better that way. Agree an amount, a project (or a few), and a date to pledge together, whether that’s daily or all at once on Christmas Eve.
Where to go next
- Explore live projects to find a cause worth backing
- Make a donation directly to a cause you already know
- Running a campaign yourself this year? Start with Festive fundraising 101 (link live once published)