Top 10 holiday gift ideas for your nonprofit finance team

The holiday season has arrived, and as a nonprofit finance leader, you will want to show your employees appreciation as this year comes to a close. Thoughtful leaders choose gifts that are meaningful to employees. Some gifts can also have a direct positive impact on the organization.

Read on for ten types of gifts to help your organization deliver holiday cheer and show appreciation for your nonprofit finance team. We hope this provides some good gift ideas to prepare your team for a successful 2023!

1. Year-end bonus and gift cards

For most working people, it has been a hard year financially. Inflation has run at a 40-year high in North America and Europe. The areas worst hit by inflation have been nondiscretionary items needed for daily living such as food, automobile fuel, utilities, and rent. If there has ever been a year when your employees need a holiday bonus, it is certainly 2022.

Nonprofits are feeling the bite of inflation, too. If there is not enough money left in the budget for year-end bonuses, consider holiday gift cards as an alternative. If you choose gift cards that can be used anywhere, your team members can purchase whatever they want or need. Remember to include the value of gift cards and holiday bonuses in taxable wages for payroll purposes.

2. Box or basket of goodies

Gift boxes and baskets are a tried-and-true holiday gift for employees. They can be delivered easily to both in-office and remote employees.

Most employees enjoy curated food gifts, including holiday cookies, gourmet cheese, chocolates and nuts, or other snacks. But you don’t have to stick with food items. Getting away from food gifts ensures you do not send something a team member cannot eat due to dietary restrictions.

These days, there is a gift basket for every theme, hobby, and passion. If you have a smaller finance team and a bit more time, you can customize your gift box or basket to match each employee’s tastes and interests. This extra personal touch shows you really know your employees and makes your gift more meaningful. PerkUp suggests these “13 Fabulous Ideas for Holiday Gift Baskets for Employees.“

3. Nonprofit and leadership books

Show your team you are interested in their careers and advancement. Books help members of the finance team upshift their thinking toward leadership and strategic planning. For ideas, The Nonprofit Leadership Center published a list of “Books Every Nonprofit Leader Should Read,” Nonprofit Hub created “9 Books to Help Nonprofit Professionals Do More Good in 2022,” and Forbes Nonprofit Council offered “12 Must-Read Books for Nonprofit Employees.”

4. Wellness coaching

According to the Gallup State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report, employee stress is at an all-time high. And only 24% of employees feel strongly that their employer cares about their wellbeing. When employee mental wellbeing suffers, productivity and engagement decline too.

One of the best ways employers can help employees lower their stress levels is by helping them manage their workloads and maintain a good work/life balance. You could also consider giving your team the gift of wellness coaching that focuses on helping them improve mental health, reduce and manage stress, and overcome burnout. Health Assured recommends these “35 Ideas for Workplace Wellbeing Initiatives.” 

5. Matching funds for charitable giving

Your employees have big hearts for people and causes—that’s why they work in the nonprofit industry. Surveys show employees prefer to work for organizations they feel share their values.

When you match an employee’s contribution to another nonprofit, you stand with them in commitment to their causes. This demonstrates that while business objectives remain tightly focused on your mission, the organization’s empathy and compassion extend much further.

6. Planner or calendar for 2023

Everyone needs tools for better time management. A 2023 calendar or planner can help everyone start the New Year off with better organization. Daily planners help professionals grind out tasks and plan every detail but can be daunting to maintain. Monthly planners help people see the big picture but are necessarily short on detail. Many people prefer a weekly planner as a more practical happy medium (and it often includes a monthly planner).

Select a few planners and allow members of your team to choose what they want. Some will prefer a physical, paper planner, while others may like digital tools like Monday.com, Todoist, OnPlanners, and nTask. For ideas, see New York Magazine’s “28 of the Very Best Planners” list.

7. Flowers or plants

Did you know that having plants and flowers in the workplace improves creativity and innovative thinking, according to research by Texas A&M University? Flowers and plants also spark feelings of happiness and calm and can even help people concentrate better and work with greater accuracy.

Remember, not everyone has a green thumb. If you are considering plants as a gift, it is wise to choose hardy varieties. Good Housekeeping provides great ideas in “15 Low-Maintenance Office Plants That Require Minimal Sunlight.”

8. Extra day off

Does anything beat the gift of time? An extra and unexpected day off can be a delightful bonus for finance professionals. They can use the day to pamper themselves, complete holiday shopping and preparations, or relax and refresh before busy year-end reporting. If you are unable to give a whole day off, consider a half-day off, perhaps after an office holiday luncheon.

9. A holiday party

Now that employees can gather together in the office again, an office or team holiday party may have special significance this year. Match the format to your team’s vibe. For food, you can opt for catering, letting each team member order their favorite take-out choices, going for a fancy lunch out, or even coordinating a bring-your-best potluck.

You may want to adopt a theme for your party and plan activities, decorations, and gift bags around your theme. For creative party ideas, check out Inc. magazine’s “9 Corporate Holiday Party Ideas Your Employees Will Be Talking About for Weeks.”

If you have remote workers on your team, consider hosting a virtual happy hour. Ask your team to wear funny hats or ugly sweaters, consider a white elephant gift exchange or fun game, and ask your team to prepare their favorite holiday beverage. You can even hire a professional mixologist to do a virtual mixology class. For ideas, SnackNation recommends “28 Best Virtual Mixology Classes, Activities and Fun Themes for Hosting an Unforgettable Online Cocktail Party.” 

10. Cloud-based nonprofit accounting software

You might not want to officially present nonprofit accounting software to your finance team as a “gift”; nevertheless, it is an investment that will give your team more time and deeper job satisfaction for many years to come. A cloud accounting and financial management solution, like Sage Intacct, provides core fund accounting, accounts payable automation, grant tracking and billing, nonprofit revenue recognition, and much more to improve your organization’s mission impact.

---

“Sage Intacct has made a world of difference for all our day-to-day financial processes—from reporting, to accounts payable and receivable, to payroll. With the increased efficiency, our finance team is able to scale easily with the business. I’ve even been able to reduce headcount and increase salaries to boost job satisfaction. Sage Intacct truly makes finance fun and helps our team look outstanding in the organization.”

Chief Financial Officer, Hopi Tribe Economic Development Corporation

---

With cloud nonprofit accounting software, your nonprofit finance team benefits from real-time visibility into financial performance and outcomes, less data entry and more data integration, dramatically faster reporting and closing, continuous multi-entity, multi-currency consolidations, easier audits, better collaboration and tools for improved analysis. Learn more about this gift for your organization and your team when you download the Benefits of Cloud-Based Nonprofit Accounting Software e-book.