Kim and Mark's wedding guests gave donations instead of gifts

Celebrating a special occasion like a birthday, anniversary, wedding or civil partnership is a fantastic opportunity to raise money to support people affected by autism.

And there's no better time to do so - we're celebrating our 50th birthday this year!

Instead of receiving presents which you may not need, why not ask your family and friends to make a donation to us? You will be helping to support families across the UK affected by autism.

Your celebration

  • Weddings and civil partnerships
    If you recently got engaged and are planning your ceremony, why not ask your guests to make a donation instead of receiving gifts?

Asking for donations was a way for people to feel they were giving when we wanted nothing and I think people gave more because they knew it was for a good cause.
Mark and Kim

  • Birthdays
    Are you celebrating a landmark year or special birthday? This year why not ask for a gift that gives others something to celebrate too? If you're hosting a children's birthday party, you could ask your guests' parents to pay a small fee for attending your child's party.

I would definitely recommend this type of fundraising. Most people don’t give to charity; you’ll find that they find it hard to refuse at a party!
Victoria

  • Anniversaries
    Whether it is your first or fifty-first, an anniversary is a great opportunity to celebrate. Give your family and friends an alternative to traditional gifts by suggesting they make a donation to us.

We would recommend this way of giving, particularly to people of our age, rather than have gifts that you don’t really want.
Thomas and Dorothy

  • Any other celebration
    Or why not suggest a donation as an alternative to a Christening, Baptism or Bar Mitzvah, or when you leave a job or are celebrating exam results? Whatever your event, you can use it to support a great cause.

Find out more

For tips on organising your celebration, download our useful guide here. Or see how important your support really is by looking at our gift list here.

For more help and advice, please email fundraising@nas.org.uk or call 0870 233 4040.