Starting an Alternative Christmas Gift Program

1
Starting an Alternative Christmas Gift Program

• St Francis of Assisi Parish
• Derwood, MD

2
Alternative Christmas Gifts

• What is an Alternative Christmas Gift?
• You make a donation to a charity in lieu of
  giving someone a store-bought gift
• That donation represents a gift that helps our
  brothers and sisters in need locally and globally
• A great example of an Alternative Christmas Gift
  is Heifer International where you buy a flock
  of chicks for 20 for a family in a developing
  world country
• You get a card to give saying that you bought
  chicks
• The family gets the chicks and later on, eggs to
  sell or trade for income

3
Alternative Christmas Gift Program

• Why Start an Alternative Christmas Gift Program?
• To provide a way to reduce or replace the
  secular, commercial celebration of Christmas with
  a simpler, faith-based celebration
• To raise money for local and global charities

4
Alternative Christmas Gift Program

• How does it Work?
• Gift cards representing services/items provided
  by participating charities are purchased in lieu
  of buying a store-bought gift
• Gift cards can be purchased through
• Direct Card Sales after Masses (Set up a table
  in your Gathering Space. Parishioners buy the
  cards and take them home)
• Catalog Orders (Catalog contains a list of
  available gifts charities. Parishioners order
  the cards and card orders are filled and mailed
  back to them)

5
Steps to Starting an Alternative Gift Program

• Get Everyone On Board
• Present the idea to have an Alternative Christmas
  Sale to your Social Concerns Committee
• Get your Pastors Approval
• Recruit Volunteers
• Place a notice in the bulletin seeking volunteers
  to plan, organize, and conduct the Alternative
  Christmas Sale

6
Steps to Starting an Alternative Gift Program

• Plan the Sale
• Schedule a meeting with the Volunteers
• Decide on what charities to support
• Set date(s) for the Sale
• Set a location for the Sale
• Get your Pastors OK for the Sale Dates
  Location
•  
• Contact Your Charities
• Let them know youre planning an Alternative
  Christmas Sale
• Ask if they would supply gift cards and envelopes
  (50 is probably a good starting number
•  

7
Steps to Starting an Alternative Gift Program

• Communications
• Prepare a Flyer announcing the Sale to be placed
  in your bulletin
• Prepare bulletin blurbs for the weeks leading
  up to the sale
• Prepare talking points and get permission to
  speak about Alternative Christmas and announce
  the sale at each of the Masses
• Work with your Parish admin staff to get the
  Flyer and the bulletin blurbs posted in the
  bulletin
•  

8
Steps to Starting an Alternative Gift Program

• Get the Word Out
• 1st or 2nd Week in November Bulletin Blurb
  describing Alternative Christmas and announcing
  the Sale
• 4th Week in November Flyer appears in bulletin
• 1st Sunday in Advent Catalog appears in
  bulletin
• Speak at Masses or ask the Priest to read as part
  of the announcements at Mass 

9
Steps to Starting an Alternative Gift Program

• Conduct the Sale (December)
• Pre-Sale Activities
• Create a Display for the Sales Table
• Set up the Sales Table
• Line up volunteers to staff the table after all
  the Masses
• Conduct the Sale
• Tally results by Charities
• Send Checks to Charities
• Prepare bulletin blurb to announce results of
  Alternative Christmas, thank participants and
  volunteers

10
Need More Info?

• Take one of our Quick Guides with you
• Contact us
• Charles McCarthy, Social Concerns Director
• [phone] / cmccarthy_at_sfadw.org
• Alternative Christmas Program Coordinators
• Pat OConnor [phone] / leafs20879_at_aol.com
• Carol Lindsey [phone] /carlindsey_at_aol.com