How to run a giving tree with these tags
- Enter each recipient with a family number. Brothers and sisters share it and get letters, so 4A and 4B go home in one bag.
- Print the tags on card stock, cut on the grey lines and punch the circle. Hang them with the stubs still attached.
- A donor takes a tag, fills in the stub and drops it in a box by the tree, or signs the sign-out sheet.
- Each week, mark those tags as taken in the Tracker. It shows what is still on the tree and writes reminders to copy into a text or email.
- On collection day, tick gifts off on the check-in sheet, then use the bagging list to put each family's gifts together.
Tags show a number, not a name, unless you choose otherwise. First names and family contacts you enter appear only on the bagging list, for the people packing the bags.
Questions from tree organizers
What goes on a giving tree tag?
A tag number, age, gender, clothing sizes and a few wishes. The Salvation Army's sponsor manual adds the child's first name, while the Town of Durham, CT tree gives out only a number, age and gender. These tags leave names off unless you turn them on.
How do I keep track of who took which tag?
Every tag has a stub with the same number. The donor writes their name and phone or email on it and drops it in a box by the tree, or signs the sign-out sheet instead. Mark those tags as taken in the Tracker and you can see who to remind.
Should giving tree gifts be wrapped?
Ask the charity you give to. The Salvation Army asks for new, unwrapped gifts, and Waterbury Public Library's tree asks donors to bring wrapping materials with the unwrapped gift. St. Cletus Parish asks for gifts wrapped and labeled. Pick one under Wrapping and every tag says it.
How much should a giving tree gift cost?
Set a limit and print it, so donors aren't guessing. Christ Lutheran Church in DeForest set a $30 limit per tag. The Salvation Army in the Washington DC area says its sponsors spend an average of $150 per child.
When should the gifts be due?
At least a week before you hand them on. The Salvation Army tells group coordinators to collect a week before its own deadline and to send a reminder the week before. The date here starts on the second Sunday of December; change it to yours.
What if a donor loses the tag?
The stub and the sign-out sheet carry the tag number, so look it up in the Tracker and send the details again. St. Cletus Parish suggests donors take a photo of the tag when they pick it.
Can I use the ID numbers from the charity's list?
Yes. Paste the rows with their header row. A column called Tag, ID or Code keeps those numbers, and IDs like 1005A and 1005B stay together as one family on the bagging list.
Where is my list saved?
Only in this browser on this device, saved as you type. Nothing is uploaded and no link contains your list. To hand it to a co-coordinator, use Save a backup file and open that file on their device.
Sources: The Salvation Army National Capital Area 2026 sponsor manual (PDF), Town of Durham, CT giving tree, Waterbury Public Library, St. Cletus Parish and Christ Lutheran Church, DeForest. Angel Tree is a Salvation Army program; this free kit is not connected with it.