3 reasons why decorating a virtual Christmas tree is so popular

The very first Visufund page came as a result of a request from a fundraiser who wanted to ask for donations to decorate a virtual Christmas tree. A donation of £10 would switch on a light, £30 for a bauble, etc. The tree was so popular that it was fully decorated before December had even arrived! That was back in 2015, and still years later, the virtual Christmas tree remains one of our most popular designs. Why?

1. Do they know it's Christmas?

Of course they do!

Many of your supporters are decorating their own Christmas trees at home. You've probably been running an offline appeal for years inviting them to sponsor a light on a tree at your charity headquarters.

When you invite supporters to decorate a virtual Christmas tree, it's just creating an ONline version of what your supporters are already doing OFFline. That makes your simple call-to-action really easy for your donors to understand what you want them to do.

2. All I want for Christmas is you

Christmas is a time for celebration and reflection. Traditionally, families gather together and create happy memories, and unfortunately this means that for some people, it highlights the loss of a family member who is no longer there. Many people choose to do something symbolic to remember a loved one that they miss, such as lighting a candle on the fireplace, spending time at the graveyard on Christmas day, or making a donation to charity in their loved one's name. Some people hang special decorations on a tree with a photo or message to their loved one. It's a special way to involve the person they miss in the festive season.

3. Merry Christmas everyone!

Bringing your appeal online means that it can reach a wider audience. Your supporters can share their decorations through their own social networks, which will attract new people to your page. By setting some of the decorations at lower suggested donation amounts than a typical average gift, donor acquisition rates can soar over the Christmas period, giving you a whole host of new donors to engage in the New Year. In addition, by decorating a virtual tree instead of a real one, you're able to invite support from all over the world instead of just relying on support from your local area.

Now it's your turn

So, now you know why virtual Christmas trees are so popular, it's your turn! You'll be pleased to know that it's free to join Visufund, and you can create your own virtual Christmas tree in minutes to raise money for a great cause.

Have a look at our free Christmas templates to pick a design you like and set up your online visual fundraising page in minutes.

We can't wait to see what you create!