Birthday Money Pools: How to Collect Money for Gifts, Surprise Parties, Fundraisers, and More

Another year around the sun is always a time to celebrate! Birthdays are a wonderful opportunity to make someone feel extra special. Whether you're planning a surprise birthday party, raising money for a fundraiser, or celebrating yourself, make the celebrations a group effort with Pool.

Pools are a fresh, new way to collect birthday money and purchase every festive item on your to-do list. No matter how you plan to celebrate your birthday, Pool has the solution and tips for you.

Here's what we'll cover:

• Why collect money with Pool
• Give money as a group birthday gift
• Birthday fundraisers
• Collect birthday money for yourself
• Collect money for a surprise gift

Why collect money with Pool?

When was the last time you went in on a gift with someone? You probably used PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle, right? These platforms are good for sending and receiving money. But, they're not great for pooling money.

Pool is great for when you need to spend money as a group or are collecting money and want to avoid fees. Create as many Pools as you need. Do you need to purchase party supplies or a birthday cake? Set up a Pool for it, or create a general one like "Brian’s Surprise Party" to cover all expenses.

Sign up at Poolmoney.com, set up your Pool, and invite family, friends, or colleagues so they can send money to the Pool. All they need is a debit card. As Pool admin, you get notified every time someone contributes.

Now that you know why Pool is great for collecting birthday money, keep reading to see all the ways you can use Pools for the special day.

Giving money as a group birthday gift

We've all been there: someone's birthday is fast approaching, and you can't stop saying, "I don't know what to give them!" If giving money feels like you're taking the easy way out, consider these ideas.

First off, unless you know exactly what someone wants as a gift, you need to spend some time and energy looking for one. Sadly, you can end up with a present that neither you nor the recipient is thrilled about.

That's probably not the kind of birthday you want to create, right? Why not just give money? If there's a group of you who don't know what to give to the birthday recipient, pool money together to give them the gift of money.

Money is a great birthday gift.

By giving money as a gift, you give the birthday person a chance to treat themselves. Think about how excited they'll be when they finally purchase that coveted item on their secret wishlist or take themselves out on an experience!

Or, if you know what is at the top of the birthday person's wishlist, but it's out of everyone's individual price point, pool your money together to make the dream gift a reality.

A reason why people may avoid giving money is that they're afraid it will look tacky. Pooling money can fix that. When everyone pools money together, the contributions can remain anonymous, and the recipient gets a larger gift. It's a win-win for everyone. Pool makes it easier than ever to pool money for birthday gifts.

2 ways to use birthday money with Pool

You've created your Pool, and you've collected the birthday money. Now what?

1. Buy a group gift with the funds. If your group knows exactly what to get the birthday person, but it's out of your individual budgets, use the Pool money to buy the gift and spend it using the Pool debit card.
2. Give the birthday gift recipient a Pool. There's a good chance the recipient has never received money this way!

Here are two fun ways to give birthday money with Pool:

• Send birthday money to their phone number: Invite them to sign up at Poolmoney.com. Once they do, the birthday money can be sent to them directly using their phone number.
• Create a separate Pool just for the recipient: Create a brand new Pool just for them — "Maggie's Birthday Gift" or "Happy Birthday, Maggie!" Then, transfer the birthday money you collected into the new Pool. Invite them to the Pool and they can spend their birthday money exactly as they please.

Birthday fundraisers — How can I raise money for my birthday?

You go the extra mile to make other people feel important on their birthdays. Now you have some fresh new ideas under your belt and there's no question you're going to make a lot of people feel appreciated this year. But, what about your birthday?

You might not want all the attention. And, you might not want or need anything. But you might be curious about running a birthday fundraiser. Now that feels more meaningful and fulfilling. Let Pool help you pull that off.

How to run a successful birthday fundraiser with Pools

Using your birthday as a fundraiser is a powerful way to mobilize people to tap into their altruistic side. And, Pool is a smart tool for your initiative.

Here's how you can get your birthday fundraiser started.

Start your Pool — for example, "Amanda's Birthday Fundraiser," "St. Jude's Hospital," or "Alzheimer's Association." Then, invite everyone you want to participate via email. The more the merrier!

Send a personal message, too, explaining why you're choosing that specific charity or cause. Let them know when the fundraiser ends (for example, three days after your birthday). And promise to share how much you raised when it's all said and done.’

Everyone can donate using their debit card — they don't need to create an account. There are no deadlines for your fundraiser; you can keep it open as long as you want. Once it's finished, let everyone know how much you raised. You used your birthday to inspire and help others. You're awesome.

Collect birthday money for yourself

Either way, people will still want to give you a gift. So, let them know about your Pool. It's a convenient and safe way for them to send you money. All they need is an invite and their debit card.

You get to spend your birthday money whenever you want with the free digital debit card that comes with it. Do you want birthday money instead of gifts this year? Create a Pool at Poolmoney.com and invite friends and family!

Collect money for a surprise party

If you're throwing a surprise birthday party for someone, but don't want to cover all of the costs yourself, ask other guests if they'd be willing to help. You might feel embarrassed about asking for money, but a lot of guests are likely more than happy to pitch in — they just don't know how to offer help. Turn this delicate situation into an opportunity for generous teamwork.

Start a Pool for the surprise party or create multiple Pools to budget for different expenses like party supplies, coordinating a group gift, paying for a venue, or birthday decorations! When you send out the invitations, mention your Pool with a message explaining your plans and how guests can contribute.

For example, you could say:

"We're excited to have you at Michael's surprise birthday party. We're going to have a great time! We’re having some food catered by Lombardo's, a bounce house for the kids, and lots of desserts to choose from. If you'd like to contribute $20 to offset the costs and help make Michael's birthday extra special, use the Pool to give what you can. Thank you!"

How to spend Pool money for everything on the birthday checklist

Spending from your Pool is as easy as cake! Every Pool comes with a digital debit card that you can use wherever Visa is accepted. You can also request a physical debit card for convenient in-person shopping. As Pool admin, you can do all the spending, but you don't have to.

If you'd like other people to spend Pool money, set permissions for who can use the debit card. Set spending limits per person, too. This way, you can check things off the list and stay on budget. Birthday cake? Check. Birthday gift? Check.

Don't worry about tracking receipts or chasing people down — every transaction is visible on Poolmoney.com. And anytime someone spends with the Pool card, you get notified.

Birthdays are a great opportunity to make someone feel appreciated and important. And Pool is the fresh, new way to make this happen and to manage the financial side of celebrations in a refreshingly transparent and incredibly convenient way.