For Xmas I plan on buying a pile of gifts, and letting it go in a server and I'm also considering having our own small event to go with it. Now anyone of my choosing will be allowed to attend this event and get at least one item (that's how a PoG works), however I'm adding a slight twist to it- If you donate $5 to the cause (send it to -omitted- durp), you get a guaranteed spot, and for every $20 we get, we get another pile and you get a guaranteed invite to the event. That means if at least 4 more people donate $5 each, that's two piles right there. If it works out that we get plenty of people donating, I'll divide it into brackets, ie you donated after x threshold, you're in the next bracket for gifts etc. For anyone who is like whut's a pile o gifts?!?!?! - http://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Pile_o'_Gifts
Donate for the second pile entirely then! Nah, just kidding. I'm not sure how much, because at the end of the day, it's not quite fair if one person donates $10 and another donates $3, because you're both getting 1 gift out of it (I think) although it is supposed to be the whole spirit of sharing and being generous. If we did $5 per pile and ten people donated, that'd be enough for two (and a half) piles. But it's questionable about what method is best really.
Eh, I'll donate for two people, because I'm kind like that. Also, on an unrelated note, admin powers are cool- just saying.
Well, people can donate as much as they want I suppose, after all the more money we get, the more piles we can get. Minimum donation is $5 to get a guranteed slot for a gift. More $ we get, more items.