April 28, 20268 min readYou’ve set up a Collection Pot. You’ve picked the occasion. You might even have a few gift ideas in mind.
Now comes the bit everyone secretly dreads: asking people to chip in.
You don’t want to sound pushy. You don’t want to spam people. You definitely don’t want to end up out of pocket. The good news? A clear, friendly message (and one simple link) does most of the work for you.
Here are ready‑made messages you can drop straight into Slack, Teams, email and WhatsApp.
Whatever channel you're using, keep these in mind:
If you still need help with the collection itself (naming your Pot, choosing gifts, building a memory wall), our guide Summer Send-Offs Sorted walks through everything step by step.
These work in any work chat – just tweak the tone to match your culture.
Quick one – we’ve set up a Collection Pot for [Name]’s leaving/retirement send‑off. Chip in if you’d like to, and don’t forget to add a message, photo or GIF: [Pot link]
[Name] is off to [new job / a very well‑earned retirement]
We’ve set up a Collection Pot so we can give them a proper send‑off and a little memory wall.
Add whatever you can – or just leave a message, photo or GIF if that’s easier.
Link here: [Pot link]
Last call for [Name]’s Pot – it closes on [date].
If you’d like to chip in or just drop a message, pic or GIF on the memory wall, here’s the link: [Pot link]
We’re putting together a Collection Pot for [Name]’s leaving/retirement gift so everyone across [team/department/company] can join in.
You can add a contribution if you’d like to, and we’d love your favourite memory, photo or GIF here: [Pot link]
Pin your first message in the relevant channel so it doesn’t get buried under memes and status updates.
Perfect for people who live their inbox more than in Slack.
Subject: Chipping in for [Name]’s send‑off
Hi all,
As you might have heard, [Name] is leaving/[retiring] on [date]. We’ve set up a Collection Pot so we can chip in together for a proper send‑off and a wall of messages.
If you’d like to contribute (and leave a message, photo or GIF), you can do that here: [Pot link].
The Pot will close on [date], but we can reopen it if anyone hears about it late and still wants to join in.
There’s no set amount – give what feels right for you, or just pop a message on the Pot if that’s easier right now.
Thanks so much,
[Your name]
Subject: Last call for [Name]’s leaving/retirement Pot
Hi all,
A quick reminder that [Name]’s Collection Pot closes on [date]. If you’d like to chip in or just add a message, photo or GIF, here’s the link: [Pot link].
Thank you!
[Your name]
For project groups, friendship groups or office social charts.
We’ve set up a Collection Pot for [Name]’s leaving/retirement gift. Chip in if you can, and please add a message or GIF so we can give them a proper send‑off: [link]
Last shout for [Name]’s Pot before it closes on [date] – add a couple of quid and a message if you’d like to: [link]
Once your message is out there:
Then you can focus on turning that Pot into a brilliant send-off:
Jasmine Stone is a marketing manager with nearly ten years’ experience in digital fundraising and tech, creating campaigns that feel human rather than transactional. At Collection Pot, she focuses on content that makes group gifting easier and more joyful. When she is off duty, you will usually find her with her nose in a good book or exploring a new city.
