Group gift ideas and gift cards for coworkers
Each person puts in
$15
10 people at $15 covers $150 exactly.
Group gift ideas work best when the gift is something one person wouldn’t buy alone and the money part stays easy and optional. The calculator above splits any total into a clean share per person and writes the message for you. Below are 40 group gifts for coworkers by occasion with what groups usually spend, how to collect without pressure, card lines to copy, 15 holiday gifts for coworkers and staff, and an honest take on gift cards for coworkers.
40 group gift ideas by occasion
Four ideas for each of the ten moments teams most often chip in for. Prices are typical totals for the whole group, not per person.
Farewell gifts
- A memory book. One page per teammate with a photo and a favorite moment together. $25 to $50
- A framed map of the office neighborhood. Mark the lunch spots and coffee runs you shared, and everyone signs the margin. $40 to $80
- A weekender bag. For the next chapter, especially if the move involves travel. $80 to $200
- Dinner at the team lunch spot. A gift card to the place they always picked, so the memory comes along. $75 to $150
Planning the send-off too? See our farewell party ideas.
Retirement gifts
- Gear for the hobby they keep mentioning. Good garden tools, a fly rod, a pottery class: the thing they've waited years for. $100 to $250
- An experience day. A cooking class, a balloon ride or a spa day, booked for a weekday. $150 to $400
- A custom illustration of the office. An artist draws the building or the team, framed for their wall. $80 to $200
- A good outdoor chair. For the porch they'll finally have time to sit on, with a card taped to the arm. $150 to $300
For the card, borrow from these retirement messages.
Promotion gifts
- A leather portfolio. For the new meetings, with their initials stamped on the cover. $60 to $150
- A pen with their name on it. Small, personal and used every day in the new role. $50 to $120
- A plant for the new office. A snake plant or a pothos in a nice pot is hard to kill. $40 to $80
- A celebration lunch, paid by the group. Take them out and keep the speeches to one toast. $15 to $25 a person
Boss's Day gifts
- Pastries and a signed card. The safest gift upward: modest, shared and from everyone. $25 to $50
- A gift card to their favorite cafe. The coffee place they always mention, tucked inside the signed card. $25 to $50
- A book by an author they quote. Everyone writes one line on the inside cover. $20 to $35
- A chocolate box for the whole team. They open it at the next meeting and everybody shares. $30 to $60
More for the day itself in our Boss's Day ideas.
Holiday gifts from the team
- A food tour for two. A guided tasting walk through their own city, on a weekend they choose. $80 to $160
- A gourmet snack basket. Cheese, crackers, jam and chocolate, enough to share at home. $50 to $100
- Tickets to a local show. A concert, a play or a game, for two. $80 to $200
- A donation in their name. To a cause they care about, with a card telling them where it went. $50 to $200
New baby gifts
- Something from their registry. A stroller, a car seat or a monitor: the big item nobody buys alone. $150 to $400
- Takeout credit for the first weeks. Nobody cooks with a newborn. Send it to a delivery app they use. $75 to $200
- Board books with notes inside. Each teammate writes a short message to the baby inside one book. $30 to $60
- A diaper fund and a soft toy. Practical and sweet in the same box. $50 to $150
Get well gifts
- A grocery delivery credit. Takes one chore off their plate while they recover. $50 to $100
- A recovery care package. Herbal tea, soft socks, lip balm and a puzzle book. $40 to $70
- Three months of a streaming service. For the long afternoons on the couch. $30 to $60
- A bright bouquet delivered home. Check the hospital or home allows flowers first. $50 to $90
Sympathy gifts
- A peace lily or other living plant. It lasts longer than cut flowers and asks little care. $50 to $100
- A meal train for the family. Teammates sign up to send dinner on different nights. $20 to $40 per meal
- A donation to the family's chosen charity. Follow the obituary or ask a close colleague. $50 to $250
- Just a card, signed by everyone. No gift needed. A few honest lines matter more. $5
Work anniversary gifts
- A tote bag the team designed. Everyone draws one small doodle, and a print shop turns them into one design. $25 to $45
- A year in photos print. Twelve small photos from the year, one per month, in one frame. $40 to $80
- A nameplate for their desk. Wood or brass, with their name and start year. $30 to $60
- A long team lunch. Book a table, block the calendar for two hours, and toast them. $20 to $30 a person
Gifts for a team win
- A traveling desk trophy. It passes to whoever saves the day next. $30 to $60
- A catered lunch for everyone. On the day the project ships, with a short thank-you from the lead. $15 to $25 a person
- Matching team hoodies. With the project name or an in-joke on the sleeve. $25 to $45 each
- An afternoon outing. Bowling, mini golf or an escape room, in work hours. $20 to $40 a person
How to collect money for a group gift without pressure
The gift is the easy part. These seven habits keep the collection from becoming awkward:
- Pick one organizer. One person collects, buys and keeps the receipts. Two organizers means double messages.
- Say it's optional, in writing. Put it in the first message, not as an afterthought, and mean it.
- Suggest a small amount. Name a share, say $5 to $15, and add that any amount is welcome.
- Collect privately. A payment app or a sealed envelope, and no public list of who gave what.
- Set a deadline. A week is enough. Send one reminder two days before, then stop.
- Let everyone sign the card. Whether or not they chipped in. The card is from the team.
- Close the loop. Tell the group what the gift was and where any extra went: the card, a treat or a donation.
What to write in a group gift card
Ten lines written for group gifts, one per occasion. Copy one for the top of the card, and leave room for everyone's signatures.
1. From all of us, with thanks for everything you bring to this team.
2. Congratulations! We can't wait to see what you do with the new role.
3. The office will be quieter and a lot less fun without you. Stay in touch.
4. All those years of showing up for us. Now the days are yours. Happy retirement.
5. Welcome, little one! Your family's team at work is already cheering for you.
6. Thinking of you and hoping each day feels a little easier. We're here when you're ready.
7. We're so sorry for your loss. Take all the time you need; we've got things covered.
8. Happy work anniversary! This team is better for every year you've been part of it.
9. We did it together, and this is our way of saying thank you. Here's to the next one.
10. Thanks for having our backs, every single week. From your whole team.
Holiday gifts for coworkers and staff, by budget
The best holiday gifts for coworkers are small, useful and the same for everyone on the team. Fifteen picks in three budgets, all good Christmas gifts for coworkers that suit any winter holiday:
Under $25: for coworkers
Christmas gift ideas for teammates, when the whole team swaps or you want to give each person something small.
- Cookies from a local bakery. Boxed, tied with ribbon, and gone by lunch.
- A set of good gel pens. Smooth ink in a few colors, for the person who still takes notes by hand.
- A pocket notebook with their initials. For lists, notes and the ideas that land mid-meeting.
- An ornament with the year on it. A small keepsake people hang every December.
- A paperback in their favorite genre. With a note on why you picked it.
$25 to $50: for a close teammate
For the colleague you sit next to, or a small team gift from a manager.
- A pair of cozy slippers. Warm feet for the long weekend at home.
- A leather luggage tag. For the teammate who travels, stamped with their initials.
- A framed print by a local artist. Pick something calm that suits any wall.
- A candle from a local maker. Pick a fresh, simple scent over a sweet one.
- A weeknight cookbook. Quick recipes for the busy stretch after the holidays.
$50 and up: from a manager to staff
Inexpensive gifts for staff still land best when they're the same for everyone.
- An extra paid day off in January. Often the gift people remember longest.
- Wireless earbuds. For calls, commutes and focus time, in one neutral color for everyone.
- Dinner for two at a local restaurant. Pick a place near where most of the team lives.
- A premium gift box shipped home. One gift, the same for every person, with your note inside.
- A quality laptop backpack. Used every day, at a desk or on a commute.
Running a swap instead of a group gift? Use our gift exchange ideas for a Secret Santa, or these white elephant gift ideas for the office for the steal-and-swap game. Planning the party too? Here is our office Christmas party guide.
Gift cards for coworkers and staff: when they work
Gift cards get a bad name because most are chosen in a hurry. They are a good group gift when:
- You don't know their taste, or the team is spread across cities.
- It's for a specific place they love: the coffee shop, the bookstore, the lunch spot.
- It comes with a handwritten note that says why.
They fall flat when
- A big-box store card in a round number, with nothing else.
- A card for a place they've never mentioned.
- The same card every year, with no note.
Buying gift cards for staff as a manager? As a general rule in the US, the IRS treats gift cards from an employer as cash equivalents, which count as taxable wages whatever the amount; check with payroll first. Our guide to gift cards for employees compares the best types and amounts.
Gifts for the whole team, shipped to every door
When the gift is from the company to everyone, one good gift the same for every person beats a pile of gift cards. Our chocolate gift boxes and collections run from $22 to $432, and each one ships to its own home or office address with your note inside.
Quogue Luxury Gift Box (X-Small)$22 each
The Bridgehampton$38 each
The Westhampton$58 each
The Southampton$132 each
See corporate holiday gifts grouped by budget for December, or employee appreciation gifts for the rest of the year. Branded orders and orders of 100 or more gifts need 4 to 6 weeks; smaller unbranded orders about 2 to 3 weeks. Get a free quote with your headcount and budget.
