Group gifts for the moments worth celebrating
Pool mobile money with friends, family and colleagues so one milestone birthday, graduation or retirement gets the send-off it deserves. One link, a clear ledger, and everyone can see what came in.
See celebration campaigns
About Events & Celebrations fundraising in Africa
Some moments are too big for one person to cover alone. A parent turns 70, a friend finally graduates, a colleague retires after twenty years, a couple reaches a silver anniversary. SenteMe is built for those moments. Instead of one person fronting the whole cost and quietly hoping others chip in, you create a free campaign, share one link, and everyone sends mobile money straight into the same pot. The result is one bigger, better present rather than a pile of small gifts that overlap.
This category covers milestone group gifts of every kind: milestone birthdays, graduation parties, wedding-anniversary surprises, and retirement send-offs. It is also where office and colleague collections live, the kind a team in Nairobi or Kampala runs when someone is moving on and the group wants to contribute for one shared gift. Because SenteMe is mobile-money-native and live across 12 African countries, contributors use the wallet they already have, whether that is M-Pesa, MTN MoMo, Airtel Money or another local service. Nobody needs a bank card or a foreign app.
What makes a group gift work is trust, and trust comes from being able to see what is happening. Every SenteMe campaign keeps a public running ledger. Each contribution and each withdrawal shows up on the page, so the contributors know their money arrived and the coordinator never has to chase a spreadsheet or answer the same question ten times. When you organise a surprise retirement send-off for a colleague, you can quietly track progress toward the goal without nagging anyone.
The cost is simple and honest. Creating a campaign is free, contributors pay nothing extra on top of what they send, and a flat 7.5% fee is taken from the total only at withdrawal. There are no monthly charges and no surprises, which matters when you are collecting from a mix of close family and distant cousins who only want to give once.
A good celebration collection starts with a clear goal and a warm message. Say who the gift is for, what you are planning, and when contributions close so people give in time for the party. Share the link in the family WhatsApp group, the office channel or the alumni chat, and let the ledger do the reassuring. Whether it is a milestone birthday, a graduation, an anniversary or a retirement, pooling for one bigger present is simpler, kinder and far more memorable than everyone guessing alone.
How to raise money for events & celebrations
01
Set a clear goal and a deadline
Decide what the group is buying and roughly what it costs, then set a goal and a close date a few days before the celebration. A clear target helps people judge how much to send, and a deadline keeps the gift ready in time for the party.
02
Write a warm, specific story
Say who the gift is for and why the moment matters. A retiring colleague, a parent turning 60, a cousin graduating top of the class. Real detail makes people want to give. Keep it short and joyful rather than formal.
03
Share one link everywhere your people are
Drop the campaign link in the family WhatsApp group, the office channel and the alumni or church chat. One link works for everyone, so you are not collecting cash in person or tracking who paid into your own number.
04
Send a gentle reminder before you close
A day or two before the deadline, post a short nudge with the current total. Most people mean to give and just forget. A friendly reminder, never pressure, usually brings in the last contributions.
05
Withdraw and buy the gift
Once you hit the goal or reach the deadline, withdraw the funds to your mobile money wallet. The flat 7.5% fee is taken at this point. Buy the present, and consider sharing a photo of the gift with everyone who chipped in.
How to support events & celebrations causes
Open the campaign link
Tap the link the coordinator shared. You will see who the gift is for, the goal, and the running ledger of everyone who has already contributed, so you know exactly what you are joining.
Send any amount by mobile money
Contribute with the wallet you already use, whether that is M-Pesa, MTN MoMo or Airtel Money. Give what feels right for you. Small contributions add up fast when a whole office or family takes part.
Add a short note if you like
Leave a quick message of congratulations or thanks alongside your contribution. For a graduation or retirement, those notes become a lovely record the recipient can read later.
Share it onward
Forward the link to anyone else who would want to be part of the gift. The more people who join, the bigger and better the shared present becomes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I organise a group gift for a colleague's retirement?
Create a free SenteMe campaign, set a goal that matches the gift you have in mind, and pick a close date before the send-off. Share the link in your office channel so colleagues can contribute by mobile money in private. The running ledger shows you the total without anyone having to ask, so you can plan the surprise calmly and buy the present once you hit the goal.
Is it free to start a campaign for a birthday or graduation?
Yes. Creating a campaign on SenteMe is completely free, and contributors pay nothing extra on top of what they send. A flat 7.5% fee is taken from the total only when you withdraw the funds. There are no monthly charges and no fee to start or share the link.
Can everyone see how much has been collected?
Yes. Every campaign has a public running ledger that lists each contribution and each withdrawal. That means contributors can confirm their money arrived, and the coordinator never has to send screenshots or answer the same question repeatedly. The transparency is what makes group gifts feel safe.
What mobile money services can contributors use?
Contributors use the mobile money wallet they already have. SenteMe is live across 12 African countries and works with the major local services such as M-Pesa, MTN MoMo and Airtel Money. There is no need for a bank card or a foreign app, which is why even relatives who rarely give online can take part.
How much should each person contribute to a group gift?
There is no fixed amount. Contributors give whatever feels comfortable, and small contributions add up quickly when a whole family or office takes part. As coordinator you can suggest a rough range in your message, but it is best to let people give freely so no one feels pressured.
Can I keep a birthday gift collection a surprise?
Yes. Share the campaign link only with the people you want involved, such as a sibling group chat or a team channel, and keep it out of any space the recipient can see. The coordinator can watch the total privately and reveal the gift on the day, so the surprise stays intact.
When can I withdraw the money for the gift?
You can withdraw whenever you are ready, typically once you reach your goal or your close date. The funds go to your mobile money wallet, and the flat 7.5% fee is deducted at that point. Many coordinators withdraw a day or two before the celebration so the present is ready in time.
What happens if we collect more than the goal?
That is fine and common. Extra contributions stay in the campaign and are yours to withdraw. Many groups use the surplus to add something to the gift, cover the cost of the party, or hand the recipient a little extra. The ledger keeps everything visible so the group can decide together.
Can people far away join the same celebration collection?
Yes. Because everything runs through one shareable link and mobile money, relatives and friends in other towns or countries can contribute just as easily as those nearby. This is ideal for a milestone birthday where the family is spread out and wants to give one combined gift.
Do contributors need to create an account to give?
No. A contributor simply opens the link and sends mobile money. There is no account to set up, which keeps the barrier low for older relatives or busy colleagues. The coordinator who creates the campaign is the only person who needs to manage it.
Example scenarios
What events & celebrations fundraising looks like
Hypothetical, composite examples. No real person is named.
A family in Kisumu pools for a 70th birthday
Several adult children and grandchildren spread between Kisumu, Nairobi and abroad want one big gift for their father's 70th. The eldest daughter creates a campaign, sets a goal, and shares the link in the family WhatsApp group. Relatives send what they can by M-Pesa over two weeks, the ledger keeps everyone reassured, and the family buys one memorable present instead of many small overlapping ones.
An office in Kampala arranges a retirement send-off
A team wants to surprise a colleague retiring after twenty years. One person quietly sets up a campaign and shares the link only in the staff channel. Colleagues contribute by mobile money on their own schedule, leaving short notes of thanks. By the close date the group has enough for a proper gift and a card full of messages, all without collecting cash desk to desk.
Resources for events & celebrations
- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Global humanitarian body active across Africa, useful when a celebration collection turns into wider support for a family in difficulty.
- Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS)
Verify quality marks on products before you buy a group gift, so the pooled money goes toward something genuine and safe.
- Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK)
Independent consumer-protection body for guidance and complaints if a gift purchase or event vendor goes wrong.
- Central Bank of Kenya
Regulator overseeing mobile payments and the national payments system that group contributions rely on.
- Uganda Communications Commission (UCC)
Telecom regulator with a consumer-affairs desk and complaints line for mobile money and airtime issues.
- National IT Authority Uganda (NITA-U)
Government authority running data protection and digital services that underpin online collections in Uganda.