As moms, we have a lot to handle, especially at Christmastime. Through all of the hustle and bustle though, I try to make sure to remember to let the people who have touched our lives this year that we appreciate them. At the top of that list are my childrens’ teachers. Trying to think of a thoughtful gift is always a difficult task. I want to find a present that they will actually like and use, but struggle to figure out what that would be. I expect that most other parents are in the same boat.
Did you know that most teachers prefer to receive one big class gift instead of 20 separate presents? GroupTogether actually did a survey and found that 97% of teachers would prefer a collective gift from the entire class rather than individual gifts. When you think about it, trying to take home 20 candles and mugs would be overwhelming. I have often wanted to reach out to other parents to collaborate on a big gift but deciding what gift to give and the challenge of collecting money from numerous people makes it a gargantuan task. That’s where GroupTogether comes in handy.
GroupTogether is a free, easy-to-use website that allows parents to organize teacher gifts from the whole class with a card signed by everyone in the class and a gift card – the teacher can even pick their own! That’s the best way to know they’ll end up with a gift they’ll actually love!
How Does It Work?
Create your gift collection
I went to GroupTogether.com and got started. First, they asked who I was gathering the gift for – a teacher! Then I was prompted to select a greeting card design. I chose one with a snow globe and was able to add “Thank you Mrs. James!” There were a few different options that I could decide on in the settings. I could decide if there was an amount that everyone should contribute to the gift or if people could pick how much they’d like to chip in. I also could include everyone by choosing the option that anyone can sign the card even if they don’t contribute money to the gift. I had over 150 options of gift cards that I could choose from, but chose GroupTogether’s AnyCard which allows the recipient to choose which gift card they would like. I selected a date that we would like the money collected by and then I wrote an email message to the other parents, copied and pasted the emails from our class list and hit “Send!”
Everyone pays & signs online
Everyone got an email with the collection name in the subject, my message and a link to join the GroupTogether. From there, they can click “Sign Only” or “Sign & Chip In”. They can write a message, their names and include a photo. Then they enter the amount of money they wish to add to the gift and payment information and are emailed a receipt. It really is as painless as it sounds. I hope it takes off stress of other busy moms who also can’t decide on a present.
Some Tips For Using GroupTogether
Give parents a price guide
It’s helpful to give a guide for how much to chip in. Use wording on the invitation such as, “There’s no obligation at all, but if you’d like to contribute $10 – $15 to Miss Honey’s thank you gift….“
Pad the calendar
Set the end date a few days before you actually need it, so you can easily re-open it for any last-minute contributions.
Make it personal
The card is a beautiful keepsake for the teacher, and it looks even better if everyone adds a photo of their child to go along with their personal message. You can even print the card as you’ll receive a PDF when the collection is done.
Ready To Try
What also makes this a great tool is that it can be used to collect a group gift for anyone – the team coach, the piano teacher, the bus driver – and for any occasion – Christmas, Birthdays, Weddings, Retirement Farewells.
