Angel Tree

Angel Tree empowers National Ministries to strengthen relationships between incarcerated parents and their children. Each holiday season, children receive a gift, the Gospel and a personal message on behalf of their incarcerated parent.

Angel Tree brings children and their incarcerated parents together during the holiday season, one gift at a time.

PromisePath program partners often run Angel Tree as part of their program model, but any National Ministry is welcome to use the following materials to facilitate their event. Angel Tree provides families an initial connection point to both your ministry and the local church, encouraging them to get further involved and enveloped in the community.

Preparation Resources

Preparation is the foundation of a meaningful and impactful Angel Tree program. Taking time to plan well ensures that every step—from identifying families to delivering gifts—honors those you serve and reflects Christ’s love and care. Thoughtful preparation helps avoid last-minute challenges, fosters stronger relationships with prisons and local volunteers, and allows you to respond to each child’s needs with compassion and excellence. By laying a strong groundwork, you set the stage for a season of connection, restoration and hope. Prison Fellowship International recommends beginning planning at least six months before your event.

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Angel Tree Coordinator's Guide

This guide walks you through each step of running Angel Tree in your community—from preparation to gift delivery. Download it to stay organized, equipped and confident to run the program.

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Enrollment Documents

To serve families well, it’s important to gather accurate information from both incarcerated parents and their children. These forms help you collect the details needed to match each child with a gift and message from their parent.

Prisoner Application Form: Use this form to identify children who could participate in Angel Tree. PDF | Word
Child Intake Form: Use this form to collect important information and consent for children participating in Angel Tree. PDF | Word

Secure Event Volunteers

Have enough volunteers (typically 1 per 10 children) by working with church partners or a volunteer coordinator. Ensure each volunteer clearly understands their responsibilities when they check in. Have volunteers sign confidentiality and child protection policies.

Obtain Donations

Reach out to local companies to see if they will provide donations of food or age/gender-appropriate gifts. Ask local churches if they can gift Scripture resources to share the Gospel and let children and families know that Jesus' love is greater than any physical gift they can receive.

Plan Event Program

Secure a guest speaker or guest of honor who can share a message of hope and serve as a role model to the children or families. Guests could be someone from a relevant government department, a prominent community member, a local pastor or a former Angel Tree recipient.

Visit Prison to Promote Event

Go into the prison to meet with prisoners and obtain child referrals (using the Prisoner Application Form above) at least 60 days in advance. Ensure you have allowed enough time to vet the applications, then contact and invite families, guardians and children to your event.

Promotional Resources

Spreading the word is an essential part of running a successful Angel Tree program. Whether you’re recruiting volunteers, inviting your church to get involved or letting families know about the opportunity, clear and engaging promotion makes all the difference. Use these ready-made materials (posters, gift tags and social media graphics) to raise awareness, inspire action and create a consistent message of hope and connection. Most resources are available in English, Spanish, French and Russian.