AgencyFAQs

The Family Giving Tree offers it's Holiday Gift Program to Non-Profit organizations throughout the Bay Area. If your organization assists very needy children under 10 years of age and you have obtained your 501(c)3, you may qualify.

2. How can I sign my agency up to receive gifts?

Before you can sign up, you must send us some important information about your agency. A complete outline of the steps you need to take can be found here. If your organization has participated in the past, you will still need to complete an application before proceeding.

3. Once I register, how do you know what to print on the wish cards?

After you have completed the entire application process, you will receive instructions on how to "enter wishes". You must collect your clients wishes and enter them into an online form before we can print them out for our donors. These wishes are specific to your organization, and must be appropriate and acceptable for printing onto wish cards. Please refer to question #5 for a more detailed explanation about what is considered appropriate/acceptable.

4. Is there a limit to how much the wish can cost?

Yes. We require all wishes to cost no more than $30. This is a strict requirement; if we receive wishes that are priced over this limit, we will edit the wish before printing it on a wish card.

5. What type of wishes would be considered "unacceptable"?

Items such as brand name products, expensive electronics, weapons or designer items are unacceptable. We cannot allow wishes such as "iPods", "Nike" shoes, pocket knives, "501 Jeans" or "Nintendo" ganes to be printed onto wish cards. Please take great care when entering your wishes, and make sure each wish is age appropriate and gender appropriate. We cannot print cards for a 16 year old girl asking for a "Tonka Truck". The more specific the requests, the more likely we will be able to get exactly what the child wishes for.

6. Do I have to pay for these gift requests?

The Family Giving Tree charges each agency a fee of $1.00 per gift recipient. This is a processing fee that helps spread the cost of collecting these gifts. The actual cost of the program is almost $10 per child. We request the agencies we serve to share this burden. It is NOT O.K. for the families who recieve these gifts to pay the fee! We are NOT selling gifts, agencies and families are NOT buying them. If different people, such as teachers or group leaders, submit wishes please make sure that each person understands this fee. Extensions can be made for paying registration fees but NOT for turning in the wishes – please do NOT delay submitting your wishes due to monetary concern.

7. Can I submit wishes after the deadline?

Once you submit your wishes to us, we have a limited time to edit, print and send them out. We have to get the wish cards out to our donors and host companies by the second week of November, to give them enough time to fulfil the wishes. For this reason, we cannot extended the deadline, but we need to know that you have not dropped out if the program, so please let us know if you cannot make the deadline for entering wishes.

8. Are these wishes guaranteed to be fulfilled?

If you submit your wishes by the posted deadline, we can guarantee that you will receive your requested gifts. We cannot guarantee that you will receive exactly what was asked for, but no child that you have signed up will do without. If you miss the deadline for entering wishes, you will be placed on the "waiting list". We cannot guarantee gifts to agencies on the waiting list, so please do not delay! For more information about what it means to be on the waiting list, refer to question #9.

9. I've been put on the "waiting list", what does that mean?

This means that you have not completed the application/wish entering process by the posted deadline. Because we are not able to receive, edit and print your wishes in time to send to our donors, we cannot guaranteed your gifts. More information about what will be required to complete the waiting list process will be decided at a later date so please check back later.

10. Will the gifts come wrapped or unwrapped?

This is entirely up to you. We have over 5,000 volunteers working at our warehouse each year. They are more than willing to wrap your gifts, however if you prefer to receive your gifts unwrapped....please make sure you indicate your choice when registering.

11. When can I pick the gifts up?

Your agency will be assigned a specific pick up date shortly after you've entered your wishes. We will email you the details, so please make sure the contact infrmation you list on your registration form is correct. While the date you are scheduled to pick up may change from year to year, the "pick up period" remains the same. All agencies will be assigned a pick up date between December 19th and December 22nd. We cannot make ANY exception to this, so please do not plan on receiving your gifts before 12/19. Once your date is scheduled, you may choose to pick up your gifts later, but we cannot allow you to pick the gifts up earlier; they simply will not be ready.

12. I can't make it to the warehouse to get our gifts, what should I do?

We do not have the staff to deliver gifts to your agency during the last week of December. If you cannot come to the warehouse to pick your gifts up, please make other arrangements to have them picked up. Gifts left in the warehouse after the program ends will be given to charities that are able to help those in need.

13. My agency is closed during the Holidays, can I still participate?

Yes. Some agencies shut down for the Holiday season. We understand this, however we cannot get your gifts to you any earlier than your scheduled pick up time. This means you may have to put forth an extra effort to get these wishes to your clients before the Holidays. We've had agencies open their doors for one night to hold a Holiday party for their clients, some have gathered at their local community center and other agencies have gone above and beyond to deliver each gift to their clients home. If you know ahead of time that these gifts will not get to your clients in time for the Holidays, please start making alternate arrangements now. Rally some volunteers to help you distribute, these children are worth it!