# How to ask coworkers to chip in for a gift (with messages)

Canonical URL: https://www.evenoutapp.com/guides/how-to-ask-coworkers-to-contribute-to-a-gift
Updated: 2026-10-06

A good request says five things: what the gift is, a suggested range, the deadline, that giving is optional, and how to hand over the money. Send it 10 days before the date, remind everyone once, and close the collection 4 days out. Below are chat and email versions for a farewell, a birthday, a baby and a wedding.

Key points:
- Every request carries five parts: the gift, a suggested range, a deadline, a sentence that giving is optional, and how to hand over the money.
- Count back from the date: ask 10 days before, remind everyone once at 6 days, close the collection at 4 days and buy at 3.
- Suggest a range that fits the occasion, such as $5 to $15 for a farewell, $3 to $8 for a birthday and $10 to $25 for a baby or a wedding.
- Send one reminder to the whole group, never to individuals, and finish with a message that gives the final total and what it bought.

## What should a gift request say?

Put five things in the first message, so nobody has to reply with a question. Emily Post says it is okay to suggest an amount as long as it is clear that the amount, and even taking part, is up to each person. That is the fourth part below.

1. **What the gift is.** Name it, such as a gift card and a card.
2. **A suggested range.** A range, not a fixed price, such as $5 to $15.
3. **The deadline.** A day and a time, not "soon".
4. **A no-pressure sentence.** Say giving is optional and everyone can sign the card.
5. **How to hand over the money.** An envelope at your desk, or send it to you.

The messages below keep all five parts and swap the details. Replace anything in square brackets, and treat the dollar ranges as examples to set for your own office.

## When do you send what?

Count back from the date of the occasion. This timeline starts 10 days before and gives the buyer a margin.

| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| 10 days before | Send the request |
| 6 days before | Send one reminder to the whole group |
| 4 days before | The collection closes |
| 3 days before | Buy the gift, then pass the card around |
| The day | Hand it over |
| The day after | Send the close-out message with the final total |

If you hear about a birthday late, keep the order and shrink the gaps: ask 5 days before and close 2 days out.

## Farewell gift

For a farewell, a gift card and a card are a simple choice. A suggested range is $5 to $15.

**Chat**

> Hi all, [Name] leaves on [date]. I'm putting together a card and a gift card. If you'd like to chip in, $5 to $15 is a good range, and there is an envelope on my desk until [day] at [time]. Totally optional, and everyone is welcome to sign the card whether or not they give.

**Email**

> Subject: A card and gift for [Name]
>
> Hello everyone, [Name]'s last day is [date], and we're collecting for a card and a gift card to [store]. A suggested range is $5 to $15, and any amount, including nothing, is fine. The envelope is on my desk until [day] at [time]. If you would rather send it, send it to me and I will post only the running total. The card will be at the front desk from [day]. Thanks, [Your name]

## Birthday gift

Birthdays recur, so keep the range small. A suggested range is $3 to $8 for a cake and a card.

**Chat**

> It's [Name]'s birthday on [date]. I'm getting a cake and a card. If you want to chip in, $3 to $8 covers it, in the envelope on my desk by [day] at [time]. No pressure, and everyone is welcome at the cake either way.

**Email**

> Subject: Birthday cake and card for [Name]
>
> Hi all, [Name]'s birthday is [date]. We're getting a cake from [bakery] and a card for the team to sign. The suggested range is $3 to $8 each, and it is entirely up to you. Please put it in the envelope on my desk by [day] at [time], or send it to me and I will share only the running total. We will have the cake at [time] on [date]. [Your name]

## Baby gift

A baby gift usually costs more than a birthday cake, so the range moves up. A suggested range is $10 to $25.

**Chat**

> [Name] is expecting in [month], and we're collecting for a gift and a card. A range of $10 to $25 is suggested, in the envelope at [place] until [day] at [time]. Chip in only if you'd like to, and sign the card either way.

**Email**

> Subject: A gift for [Name] and the new baby
>
> Hi all, [Name] will be on leave from [date], and we'd like to give a gift from the team, [an item from the registry or a gift card], with a card. The suggested range is $10 to $25, and giving is optional. The envelope is at [place] until [day] at [time], or you can send your share to me and I will post only the running total. I will pass the card around on [day]. [Your name]

## Wedding gift

For a wedding, the team gives one gift instead of many small ones. A suggested range is $10 to $25. For splitting the cost of a larger gift, see [a group wedding gift](https://www.evenoutapp.com/guides/group-gift-for-a-wedding).

**Chat**

> [Name] is getting married on [date]. We're putting together one gift from the team and a card. The suggested range is $10 to $25, with the envelope on my desk until [day] at [time]. It's optional, and you can sign the card whether or not you chip in.

**Email**

> Subject: A team gift for [Name]'s wedding
>
> Hi all, [Name] is getting married on [date], and we're collecting for one gift from the team, [an item from the registry or a gift card], and a card. The suggested range is $10 to $25, and the amount and whether to take part are up to you. Put your share in the envelope on my desk by [day] at [time], or send it to me and I will post only the running total. [Your name]

## What do the reminder and the close-out say?

The reminder goes to the whole group once, with no names. The close-out gives the final total and what it bought.

**Reminder, 6 days before**

> A quick reminder that the envelope for [Name]'s gift closes on [day] at [time]. Thank you to everyone who has already given. If you'd like to chip in, the suggested range is $5 to $15.

**Close-out, the day after**

> Thanks, everyone. We collected $126 and bought a $100 gift card and a $14 card, and the other $12 went toward the cake at the send-off. [Name] has them now.

Say 9 people gave. Then $126 is $14 each on average, inside the $5 to $15 range from the request. [The group gift calculator](https://www.evenoutapp.com/tools/group-gift-calculator) works out what to ask when you know the price and expect only some people to give.

## What should you do next?

Pick the occasion, fill in the brackets and send the message from the timeline. If you buy the gift before the money is in, create a group in EvenOut, log the gift as one expense and add coworkers who are not on EvenOut yet as guests. "Remind {name}" then "Share a message" sends the one follow-up, and EvenOut allows one reminder a day per person in a group. It records who owes and does not collect the money. [Office gift collection etiquette](https://www.evenoutapp.com/guides/office-gift-collection-etiquette) covers amounts, envelopes and what to do when someone cannot give.

## Frequently asked questions

### Should I use chat or email to ask?

Use whichever the team already reads. Email suits a larger or cross-team collection because a chat message scrolls away. If you use both, send the short chat message as a pointer to the email and keep the details in one place.

### How do I run a surprise gift without the person seeing the message?

Send it from a thread or list that does not include them, and leave their name out of the subject line, such as 'A gift for the team lead'. Put the real name in the body only. Ask the group not to forward the message.

### What if the person leaving is my boss?

Emily Post says the best way to give to a boss or supervisor is as a department or group. Send the same message to the whole team and do not suggest a larger range because of the title.

### What should I do with money left over?

Say in the close-out message what it went toward, such as a better card or a snack at the send-off. With cash in an envelope you cannot return small amounts to individuals without showing who gave, so naming the use is simplest.

## Sources

- [Emily Post: Seven Holiday Gift Giving Tips for the Office](https://emilypost.com/advice/five-holiday-gift-giving-pointers-for-the-office)