Christmas card fundraising for your school

Get the whole school involved with a Christmas card project that combines art and education with fundraising.

While communication is rapidly becoming electronic, nothing beats having a line of cards along the mantelpiece. Warm some hearts and raise funds this winter with a personalised Christmas card project.

How does it work?

A Christmas card project is a simple and enjoyable fundraiser where pupils draw Christmas card designs which are sent off, printed and sold to parents at a profit. The PTA can decide how much to charge for the card packs, which will determine the profit, but it usually works out to around £1 profit per pack.

Children of all ages and abilities can go wild with collage and glue, but this isn't just about potato prints and painty fingers. It's also an opportunity to link the activity to everything from art and writing to history and religious studies. Above all, the little ones get a boost of self-esteem when they see their designs professionally printed and admired by friends and family.

• Run successful fundraisers for winter
• Profit from personalised printed products
• Find Christmas card suppliers

Choosing a supplier

There are multiple tried and trusted Christmas card suppliers in our directory, but how do you know which one to choose? They're all slightly different, so it depends on what you think best suits your school. Ask the following questions:

• Is there a minimum order number?
• What quality is the paper and what size are the cards on offer?
• What other printed products are available, such as mugs and gift wrap?
• How much does the product cost, both to the PTA and the parent?
• What is the final order deadline?
• Is tracking available on your order?
• Can parents pay online?

Christmas card suppliers have a lot of easily-accessible guides and FAQs on their websites, so have a look around, ask local PTAs who they have used to the company that best suits your needs.

Step-by-step

Cards need to be created, whisked away to be printed and then delivered, all in time for parents to write and post them, which means a turnaround of at least six weeks. Start planning in September and you can work towards a comfortable November deadline. Bear in mind parents may want to post cards internationally - the first deadline for international airmail is Africa and the Middle East at the start of December (cards for Europe and the USA should be posted by mid-December). Get it done and dusted before fair planning takes over.

Beginning of September

• Book in with your chosen supplier.
• Suppliers deliver paperwork to schools - this is usually a template where the child will draw their artwork, along with a payment form for parents to fill in.

Start of October

• Children start completing their artwork, either in class or at home.
• Artwork is labelled and sent home alongside order forms via teachers.

End of October

• Parents hand in their order forms and payment.
• Start submitting artwork to your supplier.

Mid-November

• Suppliers have a cut off for submitting artwork - ask your chosen company for an exact date and make sure parents or the school are aware too.

End of November

• Cards are returned to school and distributed to parents to allow for postage time.

Top tips

• Some art materials don't reprint well. Metallic pens and holographic paper won't have the same effect when artwork is scanned. Make sure designs are bold and clear.
• If children have their hearts set on using materials like glitter or sequins, why not add them to your printed cards? It will make them even more special, and the children will enjoy having another chance to get creative.
• Pupils' siblings and children of staff can take part, too. Submit their designs along with those from the school.
• There's more to Christmas than cards. All suppliers in our directory produce other products, from mugs and gift wrap to calendars and shopping bags, so why not consider exploring the Christmas gift market?
• 'Merry Christmas' isn't the only greeting available. Your pupils could design cards for Diwali or Hanukkah, or save the idea for Eid. If your favourite supplier doesn't offer specific greetings for these occasions, leave the cards blank for the children to write their own message.

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