There’s something magical about walking into a room filled with beautifully decorated Christmas trees, each one telling a different story and supporting a great cause. Festival of Trees fundraisers have become beloved community traditions across North America, bringing together local businesses, creative decorators, and generous supporters, all while raising significant funds for nonprofits.

If your organization is considering hosting a Festival of Trees event (or looking to improve your existing one), this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to create a memorable, profitable fundraiser.

What Is a Festival of Trees Fundraiser?

A Festival of Trees is a fundraising event where multiple Christmas trees are decorated by sponsors (typically local businesses, community groups, or individual donors) and then auctioned off or raffled to raise money for a nonprofit cause. These events often take place at community centers, convention halls, or as part of larger holiday festivals in downtown areas.

The beauty of this fundraiser is that it combines visual appeal, community involvement, and competitive bidding to create an event that’s both festive and financially successful.

Where Festival of Trees Events Shine

These fundraisers work particularly well when integrated into existing community Christmas celebrations. You’ll often find them at:

• Downtown holiday festivals and light displays
• Community centers during the holiday season
• Hospital or museum lobbies open to public viewing
• Shopping mall common areas
• Historic venues or event spaces

The key is choosing a location with good foot traffic where community members naturally gather during the holiday season. This maximizes visibility for your sponsors and increases bidding participation.

Getting Local Businesses on Board as Tree Sponsors

One of the biggest advantages of a Festival of Trees is that local businesses are usually eager to participate. Here’s why sponsoring a tree is an attractive opportunity for them:

• Visible community presence during the busy holiday season
• Positive brand association with charitable giving
• Creative marketing opportunity to showcase their business personality
• Networking with other local business leaders
• Tax-deductible contribution to a worthy cause

When approaching potential sponsors, offer different sponsorship levels (perhaps $250, $500, and $1,000+) that include the tree, decorations, and recognition signage. Many businesses will jump at the chance to support your mission while getting their name in front of potential customers.

Making Your Festival of Trees Exciting and Memorable

The difference between a good Festival of Trees and a great one often comes down to creativity and engagement. Here are some ideas to make your event stand out:

Theme Categories Instead of just having random decorated trees, create categories that sponsors can choose from:

• “Winter Wonderland” (all white and silver)
• “Rustic Cabin Christmas” (natural elements, plaid, woodland creatures)
• “Candyland Dreams” (colorful, whimsical, candy-themed)
• “Elegant Evening” (sophisticated gold and jewel tones)
• “Hometown Heroes” (celebrating first responders, teachers, or local legends)

Add Interactive Elements

• Create a “People’s Choice” award where visitors can vote for their favorite tree (small donation to vote)
• Include a children’s tree decorating station for families
• Host a tree lighting ceremony to kick off the event
• Offer hot cocoa and cookies to create a festive atmosphere

Tell the Stories Each sponsored tree should have a placard that shares not just who decorated it, but why they support your cause. These personal connections inspire higher bids and deeper engagement.

Extend the Viewing Period Don’t limit your festival to just one evening. If possible, display the trees for several days or even a full week leading up to the auction close. This gives more people the chance to see them and bid.

Take Your Festival of Trees Further With AuctionSnap

Here’s where many Festival of Trees events leave money on the table: they only allow in-person bidding during a specific timeframe. This means you’re missing out on supporters who can’t attend due to work schedules, family commitments, travel, or simply living in a different area.

Online Bidding Expands Your Reach

With AuctionSnap, you can run a hybrid auction that combines the excitement of in-person viewing with the convenience of online bidding. Here’s how it works:

• Set up each sponsored tree as an auction item with photos and descriptions
• Attendees can bid on their phones while walking through the festival
• Supporters who can’t attend in person can view photos and bid remotely
• Everyone sees real-time bid updates, creating competitive excitement
• Bidding can extend beyond your physical event hours

This approach typically increases total revenue by 20-30% because you’re not limiting your donor pool to people who happen to be free on one specific evening.

Mobile Bidding Makes It Easy for Attendees

Even for people who are physically at your event, mobile bidding through AuctionSnap is more convenient than traditional paper bid sheets:

• No need to track down a pen or wait in line to place a bid
• Automatic outbid notifications keep people engaged
• Easy payment processing when they win
• Less staff time spent managing paper bid sheets and data entry
• Guests can be notified instantly if they won

Tips for Festival of Trees Success

Start Early Begin recruiting tree sponsors at least 2-3 months before your event. Businesses need time to budget for sponsorships and plan their decorating.

Provide Clear Guidelines Give sponsors specific information about tree size, setup dates, decorating deadlines, and any theme requirements. The clearer your expectations, the smoother the process.

Market Like Crazy Use social media to showcase sponsor involvement as trees are claimed and decorated. Create anticipation by posting sneak peeks. Your sponsors will love the recognition, and potential bidders will get excited about attending.

Consider Delivery Large Christmas trees can be challenging for winners to transport. Offering delivery (for an additional fee or as part of sponsorship packages) makes bidding more appealing.

Have a Backup Plan Know in advance what happens to trees that don’t meet their reserve price. Some organizations keep them for their own offices, donate them to community spaces, or offer them to sponsors at a reduced rate.

Set Realistic Minimums For online bidding, set starting bids or minimum bids that reflect the actual value of a fully decorated tree plus your overhead, but not so high that you discourage early bidding.

Creating Holiday Magic While Raising Funds

A Festival of Trees fundraiser is more than just an auction. It’s a community celebration that brings people together during the most wonderful time of the year. By leveraging local business partnerships, creating an engaging in-person experience, and using AuctionSnap to extend your reach beyond physical attendees, you can turn this festive event into a significant revenue generator for your mission.

The combination of beautiful decorated trees, competitive bidding, and community spirit creates something special that donors remember long after the holiday season ends. And when you make it easy for anyone to participate (whether they’re strolling through your festival or browsing from their couch), you maximize both the impact and the income from your event.

Ready to start planning your Festival of Trees fundraiser? AuctionSnap makes it simple to manage both in-person and online auction components, so you can focus on creating a magical experience for your community.