How can I best administer a very large collective gift?

November 21, 2014 2:19 PM

Each year, my office (~1500 people) pools together to give our building support staff (cafeteria workers, cleaners, mail room) a holiday gift. It's a tradition that's been going on for as long as I've worked in this office, and this year it's my turn to collect the gift. I'm looking for the best method of collecting the gift.

The amount of money we collect is substantial: it was something around $25000. Split among our 110-or-so support staff, it turned out to be a nice holiday gift for all of them. I'm looking for a solution that will allow me to raise this money with reasonably low overhead (e.g. fees, any sort of tax or legal obligations).

Last year we used pay-by-gmail and, while that worked, I'd prefer something that has a more traditional model. Any advice about particular websites that would be appropriate would be appreciated. Please don't suggest cash: with this amount of money it's a non-starter. Any advice on resources for legal or tax implications are welcome.

posted by kdar to Work & Money (1 answer total)

Is everyone paying an even amount or is it however much they decide to give?

If it's all even, Splitwise might work out. The downside is everyone has to register. The upside is there aren't any fees. It doesn't actually handle the money, it's just a way to remind people and to keep track of who has paid up. People then pay through Paypal or whatever.
posted by Deflagro at 2:55 PM on November 21, 2014