How to Ask for Contributions for a Retirement Gift

Co-authored by Jennifer Landis-Santos, PCC, NBHWC and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: December 1, 2021 References

Retirement gifts are a super great way to show your support for a departing co-worker or boss. But how do you get the money together for an awesome gift without pestering everyone at the workplace? Don’t worry—there are plenty of polite, tactful ways to make your request without coming off the wrong way. Keep reading for plenty of tips and tricks to help you get started!

1

Check your company’s rules on gifts.

Government and military workspaces tend to be pretty rigid when it comes to gifting. Many of these places do allow retirement gifts, but they have special requirements on how much you can request from your co-workers. To be safe, double-check your employee handbook or chat with your HR representative before you get started on any gift planning.^{[1]
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- For instance, some places cap employee donations at around $10 per person, and limit the total value of the gift to around $300.

2

Choose a gift for the retiree.

Know how much the gift will cost before you start asking for donations. You’ll have an easier time getting contributions if your co-workers have a clear understanding of what their money is going toward. Settle on an exact gift beforehand, so you have a rough idea of how much you’ll need to collect from each person. Try to think about how much your co-workers will realistically be able to donate, as well as the number of people who might donate. These are both important factors that can help you decide on a gift.^{[2]
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Research source} Here are a few gift ideas to get you started:^{[3]
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- New luggage
- Theater or concert tickets
- Vintage goods (like wine or cigars)
- Lessons for a new hobby

3

Chat with the party-planning committee if you have one.

This committee may help you organize the donation requests. This group may already have some helpful fundraising ideas that help will make your gift money collecting way easier. Set aside some time to meet with the leader or head of this committee so you can figure out a plan of attack.^{[4]
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- Feel free to skip this step if your workplace doesn’t have this type of committee.

4

Ask in person for a more direct approach.

People have a harder time saying no if you ask face-to-face. Asking for money directly may seem a bit awkward—but that’s precisely why it works so well! When put on the spot, your co-workers may have a harder time saying “no” in the moment, and may be more willing to toss a few bucks into the collection pot.^{[5]
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Research source} Try to be as specific as possible during the conversation, since your co-workers may not feel like donating to a vague, unnamed gift.^{[6]
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Research source} You might say:
- “We’re thinking about getting Jamie a new coffeemaker as a retirement gift. Would you be okay with donating about $10?”
- “We’re getting Angelica some tickets to her favorite baseball team as a farewell present. There’s totally no obligation, but I just wanted to check in and see if you’d like to contribute.”
- “Since Caleb is retiring, we’re getting him a bottle of his favorite wine as a going-away present. Would you be okay with contributing a few bucks toward the gift?”
- Keep in mind that asking in person might not be realistic if you work at a really big workspace.

5

Draft an email as a more subtle option.

An email gets the message across without having to ask in person. Feel free to make an anonymous email account dedicated specifically to the retirement gift—this way, you aren’t personally connected or associated with the donations. Plus, email makes it really easy to connect with lots of co-workers at once.^{[7]
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Research source} You could write:
- “Our friend and colleague Markus is retiring next month. Although we’re sad to see him go, we’re excited to present him with a signed baseball from his favorite pro player. While there’s no obligation to contribute, $5 and $10 donations would be very appreciated.”
- “We’re planning on buying Jennifer a gift card to her favorite restaurant to celebrate her upcoming retirement. To keep it a surprise, please drop off your donation in Kelly’s mailbox.”
- You might make an email account called “TuckersRetirementGift@gmail.com” with an account name like “Retirement Gift Collection.”

6

Provide a deadline.

Set a concrete timetable so you have time to get the gift. Don’t make your co-workers feel like they have to give you money on the spot, but don’t leave things too open-ended, either. Let everyone know when you’ll need the donations by, so you have plenty of time to pick up and wrap the gift. Say something like:^{[8]
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- “It would be great if you could send in your contributions by the 29th. Feel free to send the money online or leave a labeled envelope on my desk.”
- “I’m hoping to pick up the gift at the end of the month, so it’d be great if I could get your donations by the 15th.”
- “I know that this is a busy time of year, but I’d really appreciate it if you could send in your contributions by the end of the week.”

7

Offer collateral for bigger gift donations.

Give your co-workers an incentive to contribute to a bigger gift. Try to sweeten the pot a bit—your co-workers might be motivated to donate more money if there’s something in it for them. If you’re asking for a big contribution, like $100, you could:^{[9]
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- Offer to buy lunch for all your co-workers
- Bring in coffee for everyone
- Treat everyone to donuts

8

Be lenient and understanding.

Stress that it’s okay if people can’t donate. Let everyone know that, while all donations are appreciated, they aren’t mandatory by any stretch. Try to empathize with their circumstances, and let them know that there are no hard feelings if someone chooses not to donate. You might say:^{[10]
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- “All donations are incredibly appreciated, but I totally understand if you don’t feel like contributing.”
- “I realize that it’s been a pretty tough year for most of us, so I completely understand if you don’t feel comfortable donating right now.”
- “Any and all contributions are appreciated, even if you can only spare a few dollars at the moment.”

9

Send out a reminder a week before the deadline.

Check in with people who haven’t sent in any money yet. A week after asking for contributions, chat with or email co-workers that you haven’t gotten any money from. Don’t name anyone specifically if you’re sending out a group email—just offer a quick, friendly reminder about when you’d like the money by. Try saying:^{[11]
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- “Hello everyone! Just wanted to remind you all that contributions for Andy’s retirement gift are due in about a week. Feel free to drop your money in the collection box, or leave it in an envelope on my desk.”
- “Hey guys! Quick heads-up that I’ll be needing contributions for Sam’s gift by this Friday since I’ll be buying the gift over the weekend. Thanks so much!”
- “Hi Erica! I’m so sorry to bother you about this again, but I wanted to see if you’d still like to donate to Martha’s retirement gift.”

10

Check in with other employees if you don’t raise enough.

Some people might be willing to chip in a little extra. Asking for gift contributions definitely isn’t an exact science, and it’s perfectly understandable if you come up a bit short for the gift. If this happens, chat with a few reliable co-workers to ask for a little extra money without going into too much detail. You could say:^{[12]
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- “Hey Jake! I’m so sorry to bug you, but we came up about $15 short for Zoe’s retirement gift. Would you mind contributing a few more dollars?”
- “Hi Kayla! We didn’t quite reach our fundraising goal for Patrick’s retirement present. Would you be comfortable chipping in a few more bucks?”
- “I’m so sorry to bother you, but we didn’t quite collect enough money for Jason’s retirement gift. If it’s not too much to ask, would you be able to spare a couple more dollars?”