Collect Money to Host an Ugly Sweater Party with PayIt2

Lets begin

The ugly sweater party has become a holiday tradition for people who want to have a casual, fun get-together to enjoy the season. It’s also a great opportunity to give back. Focus on making your guests comfortable and encourage everyone to laugh at themselves — or at their tacky sweater — and take donations for your favorite cause. Have a few extra sweaters on-hand for last-minute guests or people who didn’t have time to shop, so everyone feels welcome.

Make it a Fundraiser

People often think of others during the holidays, and your ugly sweater party can take advantage of that generosity. Turn the party into a fundraiser where there’s no pressure to give more than you’re able. Offer people the option to donate when they RSVP on PayIt2, so their contribution amount remains private and anonymous except to you, the organizer. The options are endless — you can pick a well-known charity or your local food bank.

Finding or Making Sweaters

Many of your guests will have an ugly holiday sweater or two hanging in the back of their closets. But for those who don’t, offer tips on your PayIt2 page on where to find a sweater or even make one. Some companies sell high-end, original holiday sweaters, if you want to step up the class at your gathering, but also list local thrift stores and discount shops.

If your favorite cause — for example a local hospital or animal shelter — has a gift shop or second hand store, encourage guests to buy a sweater there so the cause gets even more support from your event. Ask those who show up without appropriate attire for an extra $5 donation to "rent" one of your sweaters.

Encourage your guests to go all-out with crazy accessories, like reindeer antlers, brooches that sparkle like Christmas lights and Santa hats. You can make an ugly sweater by using Velcro to attach a felt Christmas tree to a plain pullover — tell everyone to be creative and have fun with the idea.

Food and Music

As much as the sweaters are important, this is also a party. Have a good supply of beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, to accommodate most tastes. Consider a potluck where each guest brings a light snack, like cut veggies, sweets, desserts, cookies, chips and dip. When your guests RSVP on PayIt2, ask them to say what they are bringing.

Depending on your crowd, the music can be anything from standard holiday fare to light contemporary tunes or modern music — make it your own and play what you like! Make room for dancing if you have a particularly energetic group.

Ugly Sweater Contest

Reward your guests’ hard work in finding or making a great ugly sweater. Give out prizes in several categories, such as funniest, tackiest, silliest, most creative, best homemade, best accessories and all-around ugliest. Many of these categories may overlap, but the idea is to recognize as many people as possible.

Get started now planning your Ugly Sweater Party with PayIt2

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How collecting money works

#1 You create a Collect Page

Create your own custom Collect Page.

Choose color themes
Upload images
Customize everything

Then share with family and friends through Facebook, Twitter, and email.

#2 An online payment is made

Friends, family, and anyone else can now make an online payment to your new Collect Page. At checkout you can even ask custom questions like "Why am I the coolest person ever?".

All major credit cards can be accepted.

#3 Stripe processes the payment

To accept payments online you must use our vetted Payment Processor. Our payment processor, Stripe, sets you up with an account automagically when you sign up for PayIt2. After you connect a bank account to Stripe, everything else is taken care of for you.

It only takes 2-3 business days to transfer your money

#4 Money is in your bank account

Now that you have the funds, it's time to use them. While organizing, use the Manage List to see who has paid and who hasn’t. Here you can also manage refunds, contact payers, and view payment information. This gives you all the information you need to give you peace of mind and make sure everything goes smoothly.