Reconnecting the Season to the Reason
Light the World
Giving Machines
Giving Christmas a Personal Touch
The Challenge
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints needed its annual Christmas campaign, Light the World, to stand out during the busiest shopping season of the year. The previous year's focus on acts of service had connected with some people but hadn't created a shared moment everyone could feel. The Church needed to make giving feel easy, exciting, and personal, not like one more thing to do in an already full season.
The Insight
Even though charitable donations can make a huge impact, the experience of online giving is often far from memorable. By repurposing familiar vending machines, The Giving Machines turned an impersonal online transaction into an unforgettable holiday memory.
The Solution
Together with the Church, we built the Giving Machines from the ground up, including the donation cards, the giving experience, and the staffing model. Each card represented a real gift — meals, shoes, first-aid kits, livestock — delivered through local and global charity partners. At the first launch at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, we filmed people's reactions as they chose to donate instead of snack. That footage spread on its own, earning news coverage across the country.
The Outcome
What started as one machine has grown into a yearly tradition for hundreds of families and a movement around the world.
* $70M+ raised since 2017 across all Giving Machines
* Available in 126 cities, 21 countries, and 6 continents by 2025
* Nearly 1M visitors, 4.8M items donated to 500+ charities in 2025 alone
* Earns media coverage every Christmas season on its own
* Adopted by partners including Catholic Charities of New York and the New York Board of Rabbis
