Five simple ways to collect money for a group birthday gift

Harry Collick-Room

August 17, 2022

Five simple ways to collect money for a group birthday gift

We have a money collection application. However, in the interest of an un-biased argument, here are five other ways you can simply collect money for a group birthday gift!

Est read time: 3m 45s

An outstretched pair of hands asking for money — Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

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Happy January, fellow organisers.

By now I hope you’re settling into the year, conducting yourself gracefully and still exercising satisfaction in organising the world around you (and for everyone else)

I would like to take a moment of your time to talk about group gifts, that’s group gifts over solo gifts, why bother with group gifts? That’s a good question, I’ve broken down my justification of group gifts into a nifty bullet-pointed argument which can be found down below… (please see)

Group gifts can occupy greater financial worth, which may translate into a better quality of the gift.
Group gifts can provide a route into a contribution for those who may otherwise have forgotten or maybe not care as much.
Group gifts are just as much about the experience of buying a group gift, as a group.
Group gifts allow everybody to club together and buy something the person actually wants.
Buying a group gift is more thoughtful than not buying a gift at all.

Are we settled on that then? Group gifts are clearly the superior option…

A small headache with group gifts, however, is that it becomes necessary for one person to organise the group gift; that person is likely going to be you. Because you are an Organiser.

So in light of this information, I have taken upon myself to fashion five methods to simply collect money for a group gift, a group birthday gift.

Nice!

The ‘Brown envelope’ method

Let’s begin with the ‘brown envelope’, the same brown envelope that would have been apathetically passed around an office in years gone by. Whatever is the opposite of a sprinkling of love, that’s what a brown envelope is.

This method involves passing the envelope around and donating whatever cash that you owed into the flaps, but this is deeply flawed.

Also, who carries cash around with them nowadays?

Brown envelopes used to be functional, but we think they may have served their purpose.

THEY’RE DONE!

There's a slight nod to PayPal money pools there... sadly they're no longer with us either...

You can read all about that just here.

The ‘Hope for the best’ method

This method involves paying out of pocket and then waiting for everyone to pay you back in their own time.

This one belongs exclusively to the optimistic. Those who haven’t yet been thrown about by the world, or, perhaps you sincerely always think the best of people?

These are really endearing character traits, and in many ways, I tip my hat and remain envious.

However, as many organisers can attest to, there’s only so much rope that can take a thrashing before buckling under the pressure.

The people who never pay you back, the people who promise to pay you in the next few days and the people who never even intended on paying you back will break you…

With peace and love, you’re doing it wrong…

The ‘Cricket bat’ method‍

An old painting of two men fighting — Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash

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The violent option.

Just above I spoke about the infant stage of an organiser's descent into madness. Think about a Stanley Kubrick protagonist, but just before they go full-on Bat crazy.

This is post that phase.

This is an angered organiser taking the law into their own hands. Collecting money via an unlawful interpretation of justice, this time, they’ve decided that violence is fine as long as they get their rightful compensation.

It’s not fun to be on the receiving end of anyone's wrath; likely it’s bubbled for a while, Organisers are consistently poked and taken advantage of by Contributors.

I call it the Cricket bat method because that’s exactly what will be aimed at your head.

The worst part is that you likely deserve it. Just pay up, you moron!

The ‘Passive-aggressive’ method

Two actors engaged in a stern dialogue — Photo by Afif Kusuma on Unsplash

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The passive-aggressive method can best be summarised via comparison to an icy stare. It’s shot from across the room, and landing directly in the pits of your stomach, you know, where guilt lives.

Although this can be considered a step down from the full-blown cricket bat method, passive-aggressive debt collecting can be just as uncomfortable.

Consequently, friends and families have been torn apart by such disputes, ever unwilling to communicate, not always knowing exactly what they did to incur such wrath.

How do you do the passive-aggressive method?

It’s really easy, just ignore the person that owes you money until they pay you back. Also, you should be as petty and childish as humanly possible whenever you interact with them.

That’ll show ‘em…

Should you be willing to cooperate, I predict you should be on terms by the day after (should you pay up that is…)

Collctiv

Not to brag, Collctiv is fairly brilliant.

It’s an all in one version of all of the aforementioned solutions, and certainly represents a more favourable option than hunting down friends with cricket apparatus.

Collctiv allows you to collect money from peers without any hassle. So that you may conduct a whip-round without any fuss. Purchasing a gift for a loved one, from a group and with love!

It’s just a few simple steps (see below)