How to Plan an Office Goodbye Party: A Simple Guide
Plan an office goodbye or retirement party with a simple timeline, clear budget, invitations, speech tips, and a group gift—without making it complicated.
Farewell and retirement gift
A group farewell gift for a coworker, organized in minutes
A Seizenn farewell gift list is a free, ad-free online list where coworkers pick a farewell or retirement gift from any store and chip in together. Everyone contributes the amount they want, and the money goes straight to the person receiving it or to the gift. There’s no money pot platform in between and no fees.
Free, no fees · No ads · Any store
Jean-Yves retiresHow to organize a group farewell gift
- 01
Choose a few gifts
Paste links from any store: a nice bag, a class, a plant, a book. Name, price and photos come in automatically when the store allows it.
- 02
Open it to contributions
Coworkers chip in any amount. A progress bar shows what’s left to fund, and an “ask for help” message is ready to share.
- 03
Share one link
Post it in the team chat or send it by email. Nobody needs an account to see the list or contribute.
Farewell and retirement gift ideas
Each idea opens a search on amazon.com. Keep what you like and paste the link into the list, or add a gift from any other store.
Outdoors
- Binoculars$30 to $100
- Hiking polesUnder $30
- Hiking backpack$30 to $100
- HammockUnder $30
- Bird houseUnder $30
Garden
- Gardening kitUnder $30
- Indoor herb garden$30 to $100
- Sun lounger$30 to $100
- Barbecue grillOver $100
- Pruning shearsUnder $30
Hobbies
- Compact cameraOver $100
- Fishing rod$30 to $100
- UkuleleUnder $30
- Watercolour setUnder $30
- CookbookUnder $30
Travel
- Suitcase$30 to $100
- Scratch-off world mapUnder $30
- E-readerOver $100
- Travel pillowUnder $30
- Travel guideUnder $30
Keepsakes
- Photo albumUnder $30
- Guest bookUnder $30
- Digital photo frame$30 to $100
- Fountain pen$30 to $100
- Engraved watchOver $100
When to start collecting for a farewell gift
Start two to three weeks before the last day. Coworkers need time to see the message, and some work part-time or remotely. For a retirement, you can start a month ahead and include former colleagues.
Pick one organizer, or two for a large team. They choose the gifts, share the link and send a friendly reminder a few days before the farewell.
Keep the gift a secret from the person leaving. Share the link only with the team, not in a channel they can see, and remind everyone not to mention it at the coffee machine.
Choosing a farewell or retirement gift
Think about what the person is moving on to. A new job: a quality notebook, a work bag, a good coffee mug. A move abroad: a travel guide, a carry-on, a camera. A retirement: gardening tools, a cooking class, a bike, tickets for a trip they’ve been talking about.
Add two or three options rather than one, so contributors can follow the group’s favorite. If you don’t know their taste, a gift close to their hobbies is safer than a generic one.
Add a card or a small book of messages from the team. It costs little, and it’s often the part people keep longest.
How much to give for a coworker’s farewell gift
There’s no fixed rule. In most offices, people chip in $5 to $20 each, a bit more for a close colleague or a long career. The free amount matters: everyone gives what feels right, without pressure.
For a small team, aim for a gift between $30 and $100. For a department or a retirement after many years, a bigger gift over $100 is often within reach.
Chipping in without a money pot platform
With Seizenn, there’s no account to open and no platform holding the money. Contributors send their share directly to the organizer or the person receiving it, through the PayPal.me, Wero or Lydia link or the IBAN shown on the list. Seizenn never touches the money and takes no fees, neither from you nor from your coworkers.
The progress bar keeps everyone informed, and the “ask for help” message makes reminders easy without chasing people one by one. If the total isn’t reached, the money raised still goes to the recipient.
Our guides for this occasion
Why Seizenn
Free, no fees
Free for you and your guests. No subscription, and no fees taken from group gifts.
No ads
Your list shows your wishes and nothing else. No banners, no sponsored products.
Any store
Big retailers, small makers, local shops, secondhand: if it has a link, it fits on your list.
Common questions
How much should I contribute to a coworker’s farewell gift?
Most people give between $5 and $20, sometimes more for a close colleague or a retirement. With Seizenn, everyone chooses their own amount, so nobody feels pressured.
What’s a good retirement gift from coworkers?
Something linked to what comes next: a hobby, travel, gardening or cooking. A group can fund a bigger gift, like a bike or a trip experience, that one person couldn’t afford alone.
How do you collect money for a group gift at work?
Create a list, add the gift and share the link in the team chat. Coworkers send their share directly through the payment link or IBAN shown, and the progress bar shows how much is left.
Does Seizenn take a fee on contributions?
No. Seizenn never handles the money and takes no fees, neither from the organizer nor from contributors. The money goes straight to the person through their own payment link or IBAN.
Do coworkers need to create an account to contribute?
No. They open the link, see the gift and chip in without an account. It works for remote and part-time colleagues too.
What happens if we don’t reach the total?
The money raised still goes to the recipient. They can put it toward the gift or something similar.
A colleague is leaving soon?
Pick a gift, share one link with the team and let everyone chip in. Free and without fees.
Organize a farewell gift